Fairview now has three miles of public trail on Woodson Road, open every day from dawn to dusk. It holds two blazed loops, a small gravel lot and leashed dogs. Conserving Carolina rates the trails as suitable for beginner and intermediate mountain bikers. The first phase opened on March 20, 2026. This is its first fall.
If you're waiting for a summit view, this isn't the trail for it. Its real use is closer to home: a short, shaded loop in your own corner of the county. Conserving Carolina's opening announcement calls this part of Buncombe County one "with few local parks." Everything about the first three miles points to everyday use.
Three Miles Out Of A Planned Eleven
Two loops are open now. Conserving Carolina's Fairview Community Forest page gives the lengths, and Trailforks gives the elevation detail.
| Loop | Blazes | Length | Climb | Elevation range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton's Way | Red | 1.8 miles, including the out-and-back on the access trail | 229 feet | 2,707 to 2,929 feet |
| Cove Forest Loop | Blue | 1.2 miles | 162 feet | 2,686 to 2,829 feet |
Neither loop has much climbing. Sutton's Way, the bigger of the two, gains about as much elevation as a 20-story building. Put both together and you get about three miles with under 400 feet of climbing. One September hiker on AllTrails did exactly that, adding Sutton's Way to Cove Forest Loop to stretch the walk.
The apps don't measure the routes the same way. Trailforks splits them into different segments, and AllTrails lists a 3.3-mile route that starts on Sutton's Way under the Cove Forest Loop name. Conserving Carolina's map is the one that matches the blazes on the trees.
Built For A First Ride, Not A Summit
Trailforks describes the trail as smooth, machine-built singletrack with rolling terrain, berms, rollers and forested ridgelines, set around the Lake Evans basin and the old Little Pisgah Camp Dam. That's the profile of a trail meant to teach someone to ride, and the people who built it said so when it opened.
"These trails are designed to welcome new mountain bikers while also providing a great option for hikers looking for a more accessible trail experience." Kristin Cozza, Trails and Greenways Manager, Conserving Carolina
Recent visitor reviews describe the same trail in plain terms. An October 2 review on AllTrails called Cove Forest Loop "shaded the whole way," with "no views," and "good for our pug." A September 19 review called it "well marked and maintained" and "a nice, quiet walk in the woods." That reviewer also found the lot empty at 9 a.m.
That shade comes from protected forest. Conserving Carolina says the property covers a whole sub-watershed, with seeps, 1.3 miles of headwater streams and important bat habitat. One of its own photos shows the trail running through rhododendron.
For trail conditions, the most recent reports on Trailforks come from users, not the land managers. After heavy rain on August 21, users said the trails were wet but walkable with no standing water. By September 6 they were rated ideal. We didn't find an official wet-weather closure policy. Checking recent reports after a soaking rain is the best guide available.
Getting There Without Missing The Turn
The forest has no street number. Searching "Fairview Community Forest" in Google Maps will get you there. The Fairview Town Crier gives turn-by-turn directions:
- Head north on Garren Creek Road.
- Turn left on Lee Dotson Road.
- Turn right on Camp Woodson Road and follow the signs.
- Look for the small gravel parking lot on your right along the gravel road.
The Town Crier asks visitors not to park along the side of the road. Neither source says how many cars the lot holds, and there's no posted overflow plan. If the lot is full, coming back another time is the polite move. The September reviewer also noted there are no facilities. Plan on no restrooms and no water fountain.
The Rules Come From Sharing The Land
Most of the forest's rules make sense once you know what sits in the middle of it. The community forest wraps around the 27.5-acre campus of The WORX Project, a nonprofit that offers free outdoor education to Asheville and Buncombe County public school students and runs youth programs focused on career paths. Camp Grier runs WORX, will own that campus, and leases the 226-acre forest from Conserving Carolina to manage public access.
Here are the posted rules:
- Open dawn to dusk.
- Dogs on leash, and pet waste bagged and carried out.
- Stay on the trails and respect private property.
- Don't enter the WORX Project campus.
- No swimming in the lake.
- No hunting, horses or motorcycles.
- Bikes yield to hikers.
- "Be nice and say hi to other folks on the trail!"
The gate just past the parking area protects the WORX property, the lake and the building. The public isn't allowed past it. Bikes yielding to hikers matters more here than on a hikers-only trail. Trailforks lists both loops as two-way, so riders and walkers can meet from either direction on narrow singletrack. This is also a working classroom. Conserving Carolina describes the trails as a place where WORX students can explore the woods and try mountain biking, some of them for the first time.
The Name On The Red Blazes
The land has been used by young people for a long time. It started as a Presbyterian summer camp. Later it was home to Camp Woodson, a state program that helped young people in the juvenile justice system get a fresh start. That program ended in 2011, and the property's future was uncertain for years after. Conserving Carolina bought the land in two phases in 2025, after working for years with the Presbytery of Western North Carolina while it raised the money.
The red-blazed loop is named for Ed Sutton, a leading Western North Carolina trail builder. He and his team finished the first trails here. Conserving Carolina credits the trail work to Trail Dynamics and the G5 Trail Collective. Funding came from the NC Land and Water Fund, the US Forest Service Community Forest Program, Buncombe County and several private foundations.
The Other Eight Miles
The rest of the 11-mile network is paid for but not built. Buncombe County awarded a $687,500 Open Space Bond grant for the remaining eight miles. The timeline is less clear. In April 2026, the Town Crier said the remaining trails should be finished over "the next year and a half." Counted from April, that points to the second half of 2027, though neither source names a year. Conserving Carolina's March opening release said the eight miles would be built "over the next several years."
As of early October, we haven't found any new mileage. Conserving Carolina's visitor page, dated June 22, still lists three miles. Trailforks' latest regional update, from September 6, also shows three miles open. Conserving Carolina's October, November and December calendars don't list any guided hikes or volunteer workdays for the forest. For now, the next stage of the forest has funding but no posted schedule. What's open this fall is the two loops, Sutton's Way and Cove Forest Loop.
Trails like this one are part of what makes a Fairview address what it is, and we keep track of them as closely as we keep track of the market. If you're curious how being close to new amenities like the Fairview Community Forest shows up in your own home's value, Joellen Maurer is glad to walk you through it. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
