Estatoe Trail. Photo by Seyl Park
By Gina Malone
In a first for the nonprofit, The Pisgah Conservancy opened up to the public naming rights for a connector trail last year, and the contest drew almost 300 entries from 11 states to name a 20-mile loop route connecting Pisgah National Forest, Bracken Preserve and the City of Brevard. Public engagement is core to Pisgah Conservancy’s mission, and still the participation in the naming effort came as a delightful surprise to the organization.
“We were blown away—not just by how many submissions we received but by the creativity and thoughtfulness behind them,” says Marielle DeJong, donor engagement officer for The Pisgah Conservancy. “The response far exceeded our expectations and underscored something we see every day: people from near and far care deeply about Pisgah, value Western North Carolina’s opportunities to get outside and are eager to play a role in shaping the Forest’s future.”
Stony Knob Trail
The chosen entry, Pisgah Passage, came from Brevard resident Maria Whitehead. The name will appear on wayfinding signs all along the route. “It’s exciting and an honor to be part of this vision and a deliberate effort to connect the town of Brevard to the National Forest,” Whitehead says. She and her husband and three daughters are frequent users of the trails that are, in essence, part of their “backyard,” she says.
“My husband and I run or walk our dog, Fern, on Bracken Preserve trails almost every day,” says Whitehead. “My 8-year-old asks to roller skate on the bike path every chance she gets. Our kids learned to ride bikes and river swim along the Davidson Estatoe Trail. My running buddies and I venture into Pisgah every Sunday morning. What the loop trail represents is a way of life here, and we just feel fortunate to be part of it.”
In 2017, The Pisgah Conservancy worked with partners to fund and construct Stony Knob, which connected the Pisgah District’s 400+-mile trail system with Bracken Preserve and the City of Brevard. “Once Stony Knob opened, the full loop became possible and has been accessible to the public since,” says DeJong. “Today, the route welcomes hikers and cyclists, with some sections also open to equestrians.”
Benefits to the Pisgah Passage include access to additional scenic landscapes and opportunities for longer-distance recreation. “The loop brings attention to quieter corners of Pisgah, enhances the connection between community spaces and the forest and shows how intentional linkages can support both recreation and stewardship,” says DeJong.
The loop route brings together the Stony Knob Trail, Joel Branch Road, Horse Cove Road, the Estatoe Trail, the Brevard Greenway and the Bracken Mountain Trail, providing hikers and cyclists convenient access to the overall trail system as well as to downtown shops and restaurants.
“I hope the trail and the wayfinding draw more people and families into Pisgah National Forest,” Whitehead says. “Ultimately, we all take care of what we know and love, and knowing a place starts with experiencing it.”
Learn more about The Pisgah Conservancy and access to trails at PisgahConservancy.org.
