Dozens of American state parks in the US Southeast are still closed to the public weeks after Hurricane Helene swept through the region.
Meanwhile, another hurricane threatens the Gulf of Mexico but may be moving away from areas struck by Helene.
State park closures are in force in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, the states hardest hit by the tropical cyclone.
Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf of Mexico Coast in late September and moved inland, inundating parts of Georgia and North Carolina with heavy rains and flash flooding. The fact that dozens of state parks are still closed in the region after more than a month has passed is testament to the severity of the damages they experienced.
And even where state parks are being kept open, there are no planned events or activities as authorities continue cleanup efforts in affected areas.
Helene forced the closure of 13 state parks in western North Carolina in its aftermath. Eight of the parks are still off limits to the public as of Thursday and will “remain closed until further notice” said North Carolina’s Division of Parks and Recreation.
Closed North Carolina parks include Chimney Rock State Park, Elk Knob State Park, and Lake James State Park. Gorges State Park was closed but has since been partially reopened. State authorities said they’re enforcing a long-term closure of Mount Mitchell State Park.
The state’s government is advising against all unnecessary travel to that part of the state as the post-hurricane recovery efforts are ongoing. Much of western North Carolina was devastated by Helene.
“We continue to discourage unnecessary travel in and to western North Carolina,” North Carolina’s parks division said. “Limiting travel helps prioritize sending lifesaving resources and making vital infrastructure repairs in the communities hit hardest by Helene.”
It’s the same story in much of Florida and Georgia, although Georgia’s state park system experienced less damage from the storm.
16 Florida state parks are initially closed to the public after Hurricane Helene passed over the state. 12 of those parks are still closed. Florida State Parks hasn’t given a timeline for when public access will likely be restored.
Florida’s parks authority is making no apologies about shuttering virtually all of the state parks that were in the storm’s path. Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher released a statement saying the state’s priority lays squarely on helping affected communities recover and rebuild.
The parks will be reopened as soon as possible, Hatcher said. Meanwhile, he’s inviting in-state and out-of-state residents to enjoy the state’s other outdoor recreation areas where access isn’t being restricted.
“The Florida Park Service is hard at work assessing, repairing and safely reopening,” he said.
In Georgia, three state parks are still closed.
Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources plans to reopen Elijah Clark State Park on November 15. The other two shuttered state parks experienced so much damage from flooding that the state will have them closed to the public for several more weeks.
George L. Smith State Park near the community of Twin City will remain closed to the public until December 1.
General Coffee State Park outside Douglas, Georgia is set to remain closed until January 1, 2025. The Department of Natural Resources says General Coffee was “heavily affected by Hurricane Helene.”
“We encourage you to make reservations at parks far from the impacted areas to avoid putting extra strain on limited resources in these communities,” Georgia DNR says.
Helene is considered to be the most devastating hurricane to hit the US since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
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