A swimming and fishing area in the Pisgah National Forest is getting a little too popular, Caldwell County leaders say.
Sheriff’s deputies told Channel 9’s Dave Faherty that the Wilson Creek area receives so many visitors that they had to close the road leading there last weekend.
Faherty found that most of the nearly 140 parking spaces were occupied and that families were still arriving from as far away as Charlotte and South Carolina.
“We come like summer every weekend. We love this place,” Wilbur Ramos said. “The water is perfect for us.”
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But over the weekend, deputies had to close the road because there were twice as many cars as parking spaces. Due to overcrowding, the sheriff’s office assigned a half-dozen officers to patrol the area on weekends. It cost the county more than $100,000.
Another area of concern in the Pisgah National Forest is the amount of trash accumulating along Wilson Creek. Caldwell County hauled 35,000 pounds of trash along the creek last year.
“We have a large influx of people coming from outside the county. The roads are blocked,” said Maj. Kevin Bean of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office. “Yesterday between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. there were 488 cars in the gorge where there should be 200 parking spaces.”
Monday morning, Faherty spotted an overturned portable toilet. MPs raised concerns about the ability of first responders to pass through the area in an emergency.
“For people who need an ambulance or a fire truck or something like that, the roads are blocked and they can’t get through without our escort, and that becomes a real problem,” Bean said.
The U.S. Forest Service is working with the county and local nonprofit organizations to improve parking and facilities. They will also get public input on a possible permit system for parking spaces. On Tuesday, a meeting will be held with Keep Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic. County commissioners and Assemblywoman Virginia Foxx will talk with the community to try to find a solution.
Sarah Shepherd discovered Wilson Creek on Memorial Day while researching popular pools nearby.
“It’s beautiful. It’s exactly like the pictures,” she said. “There are still a lot of people and it will probably only increase. We just texted our friends who were supposed to meet us. Maybe it’s forbidden.
(WATCH: Family helps save man and son from Wilson Creek)
