May 6, 2026
The Pisgah Conservancy invites the public to take on the Pisgah Bridge Adventure Challenge, a family-friendly, self-guided outdoor experience that highlights the bridges and footlogs that help make the Pisgah trail system safer while protecting surrounding ecosystems.
Bridges and footlogs improve visitor safety, reduce erosion, and help protect sensitive habitats. Through this challenge, participants are invited to visit several bridges built or repaired by the Pisgah Conservancy’s trail crew.
Participants can complete the adventure in any order and at their own pace by visiting each of the five bridge destinations between now and Aug. 15, 2026, roughly one destination per month.
Along the way, participants are encouraged to take a selfie or creative photo at each location and keep a record of their visit dates.
Once all stops have been completed, participants can submit a challenge log along with at least one photo to The Pisgah Conservancy. Everyone who completes the challenge will receive a small prize and an invitation to a celebration planned for September 2026. All participants will also be entered into a drawing for an overnight stay at Pilot Cove.
The five featured destinations highlight a range of recent trail crew projects across Pisgah:
The Avery Creek and Buckhorn Gap Bridge features a 35-foot span constructed in 2025 alongside turnpike improvements, trail decommissioning, and streambank restoration.
The Cat Gap Loop Bridges include a durable replacement bridge built after storm damage, along with a nearby footlog replaced in 2026. The area offers connections to John Rock Trail and seasonal wildflower viewing.
The Estatoe and Art Loeb Trail Bridges represent a multi-phase rehabilitation effort that included removal of aging boardwalk, installation of new turnpike, construction of seven bridges along Estatoe Trail, and repair of a 30-foot bridge on the Art Loeb Trail following Hurricane Helene.
The Looking Glass Rock Bridge was stabilized in 2025 after movement was detected, restoring safe passage near one of Pisgah’s most popular trailheads.
The Pilot Cove–Slate Rock Bridge replaces a crossing destroyed by Hurricane Helene. The new 24-foot bridge, along with a second bonus bridge further up the trail, provides access through a scenic corridor of rhododendron and mountain laurel.
For full details, including directions to each bridge and instructions for submitting the challenge log, visit pisgahconservancy.org/pbac-2026/
The Pisgah Conservancy is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) whose mission is to work in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to provide key resources for the benefit of Pisgah and its visitors for generations to come. For more information, visit PisgahConservancy.org.