Underexposed: Old Fort, NC

Old Fort, North Carolina is uniquely positioned along the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, a steep slope that drops from the highest peaks of the eastern United States to the valley below. The escarpment represents a rather abrupt “end” to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, and is home to more than 50 waterfalls and numerous cliff faces in excess of 300 feet in height. The slope drops over 4,000 vertical feet from top to bottom, with Old Fort sitting along the base, nestled between the Catawba River and a number of its tributaries including Mill Creek, Jarrett Creek, Curtis Creek and plenty more.

The community of less than 1,000 people is perfectly positioned for outdoor pursuits of all kinds, with mountain biking very much top of mind for locals and visitors alike. This geography also presented a precarious and devastating situation in fall of 2024, when Tropical Storm Helene roared through Appalachia, bringing with it unprecedented destruction while killing an estimated 103 people and costing $60 billion in North Carolina alone. Old Fort experienced extreme flooding and landslides, with numerous roads and interstate closures cutting off the small mountain town from the rest of the world.

Six months later, while a lot of recovery work remains for Old Fort and countless other communities throughout the region, the town is eager to welcome visitors back and trails have played a major role in this community’s restoration. Some of the country’s biggest descents have long called this place home, but in recent years a concerted effort has been made to reverse engineer the trail infrastructure by building more intermediate and beginner friendly trails, and thus hoping to round out the immense potential for this place.

Trails have become an integral component to the social and economic fabric of Old Fort, and in many ways the trails being reopened meant that the town itself was once again open for business. There's no way to predict exactly what nature has in store for the future, but with so much time and energy being devoted to the trails in Old Fort, it's easy to feel really good about it around here.