The future of Max Patch: Continued restrictions? New bathrooms? Parking? Public weighs in

SPRING CREEK - Max Patch officials met this month to discuss the next steps for the popular hiking destination, which is currently operating a two-year closure order.

On June 18 at Spring Creek Community Center for a potluck and slide presentation assessing the environmental impact of a 2021 closure order at the grassy bald known for its 360-degree views of the Pisgah National Forest's 4,629-foot summit.

Officials met again Oct. 12 at the community center and hosted a virtual open house Oct. 18.

The gathering was hosted by Carolina Mountain Club, the U.S. Forest Service and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Paul Curtin is the Appalachian Trail supervisor for Carolina Mountain Club and the trail ambassador leader. According to Curtin, the CMC trail ambassadors are volunteers who have been enforcing the closure order and meeting with Max Patch visitors to educate them and collect important data on hikers.

While the June meeting served to recognize the work of the trail ambassadors in compiling hiker data as part of the In Visitor Use Management team, the recent open houses will help gather more information from the public on such issues as increased parking and access to toilets at the park, including through the use of surveys.

"These open houses are more of an invitation. We're talking more openly about what our next options for the bathrooms, and should we extend the closure order," Curtin said. "This is mainly around public input. What we have now are some proposed locations and some options, and that's part of the survey. The VUM committee will look at all these surveys and help guide our actions. We collect data and make decisions based on that."

In July 2021, the U.S. Forest Service implemented a two-year closure order, adding a number of rules designed to limit the land's degradation after overuse by visitors:

• No camping.

• No fires.

• Area closes one hour after sunset and reopens one hour before sunrise. Visitors are prohibited during closed hours.

• Group size is limited to 10.

• Dogs and other animals must be on a leash no longer than six feet, or in a crate or cage.

• Visitors must stay on designated trails.

• Aircraft may not land or drop off or pick up anything in the area. Drones are prohibited on the Appalachian Trail.

• No fireworks.

• Bikes must stay on roads only.

• Horses and other saddle and pack animals may not be ridden, hitched, tethered or hobble in the area.

The public's input will help provide a decision-making platform as the team looks ahead to assess whether to extend the closure order past July 2023.

"All we can do is try to generate some public input, and then it's completely a decision of the (United States) Forest Service," Curtin said. "I'd be shocked if they didn't, to tell you the truth. It's been really well-accepted, and so many people think the changes have been so good. So, I'd be really surprised if they didn't want to keep the ball going."

Drew Ball, Appalachian Trail Conservancy's southern regional director, said the volunteer trail ambassadors' work in compiling data is critical to both the team's decision-making process and the sustainability of Max Patch.

"These people love Max Patch so much that they're willing to take the time out of their Saturday and Sunday and go and educate people, count how many cars are in the parking lot, and count how many people show up," Ball said. "I hear from a lot of folks who grew up in the area, and grew up going to Max Patch as part of their childhood. It was a big part of the community, but it got so bad that people didn't want to go up there anymore.

"A lot of what we're trying to do is protect the community, listen to the community's concerns - whether it's trash in an area they love, or if it's the fact that emergency vehicles can't get through when parking gets too bad. So, what we do is informed by data, but it's informed by the realities of folks here in the community. These open houses are an extension of making it easy and accessible for them to bring their thoughts, ideas and concerns to us."

According to Alice McVey, a Spring Creek resident and a Max Patch trail ambassador, roughly 50 people showed up to the in-person open house Oct. 12. McVey said the ambassadors' most important function is to inform visitors about ecologically friendly practices such as "Leave No Trace" principles.

"Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday we try to have trail ambassadors out for three to six hours if we can, and they are constantly talking to people and educating people," McVey said. "We've got a table set up right in the parking lot, so you really can't get by us without talking to us. But we try to make it fun too. We're collecting data. To me, the most important thing is we're educating people who are uneducated about hiking in general. They think they can just get up and, 'What do you mean there are no bathrooms?' So, we're educating more than anything."

Closure order/bathroom access and parking input

According to Ball, the trail ambassadors are responsible for ensuring the closure order is working, as the ambassadors' work reaps the data the team uses to assess its next steps, with the two-year closure order expiring in July 2023.

McVey said residents have thanked her and other trail ambassadors for their work in enforcing the closure order's guidelines.

"It is rewarding. Two years ago, when we were trying to keep people from destroying the place. It was a nightmare," McVey said. "It wasn't nice. People had a different reason for being up there than why we were there. Now, it's people that appreciate the beauty. They're not up there to be drunk all weekend. So, it's a whole different group of people that are appreciative and want it to continue to be like this.

"Two years ago, we could go up there, and someone would have a broken tent up there, and they'd just leave it," McVey said. "Then, someone else would walk by and throw their trash down. We'd be up there in April or May, whatever, and trying to drag a tent and 200 pounds of trash down to the parking lot."

As for the potential for additional parking and access to toilets on Max Patch, Jennifer Barnhart, a U.S. Forest Service ranger, said the discussions on those issues were "all exploratory," and that no decisions would be made imminently.

Barnhart said environmental impacts must be factored into the decision as well.

"You have to look at the natural resources impact, and 'Is this actually a viable spot where we would want to put a parking lot?'" Barnhart said. "We don't want to put any time and energy into any of that stuff without getting public input for support behind it, as well as all the data that the trail ambassadors collect before we put any time and money into all that kind of stuff.

"That's why we're doing this, to get the community more involved, and getting folks to understand that so much success has happened with Max Patch," Barnhart said.

A drone photo captured by Mike Wurman on Sept. 19, 2020, depicting the grassy bald being overrun with tents went viral. According to the Forest Service ranger, misconceptions about Max Patch persist after trashing and overuse of the facilities occurred in 2020.

Barnhart said she is actively refuting those stigmas and is working to continue to spread the narrative of the closure order's successes at one of Madison County's most popular destinations.

"Most people don't realize the success (of the closure order)," Barnhart said. "Everyone, if you say, 'Max Patch,' they'd say, 'Oh, so horrible.' But I say, 'Actually, we've seen some good things happen at Max Patch in the last year.' Now, we're looking to figure out the parking congestion and the toilet issues."

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Max Patch officials hold open house to receive feedback from residents