Thanks for the info. I dug a little deeper in the MST websites you mentioned, and they are pretty extensive and useful — both the map and the detailed hike information by section.

Thanks for your comments regarding the MST/Falls Lake Trail. We are aware of the bridge situation in Section 1…I was out there Wednesday on a work crew getting the site cleaned up in preparation for rebuilding the bridge. There was a sign posted at the Raven Ridge trailhead to let hikers entering from there know about the bridge out…don’t know if a similar sign is posted at the dam end.

Was wondering which maps on the MST site you have been looking at? If you go to the home page, and click on the “Maps and Trip Planning” link (second sign down on the virtual signpost), you can access Google Maps data for all sections, with trailheads marked (or use direct link http://www.ncmst.org/mstsections.html to get there). There are also large-scale printable topo maps for all off-road sections of the MST. These are kept up to date as information on new sections is received from the task forces constructing trail.

There is also a separately maintained map of the Falls Lake Trail on the Google Maps platform at http://steinbeiser.com/FLT_map/index.html

Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail also has a Facebook page where you may be able to find trail conditions information. You are correct in observing that we could still do a better job of having situations like the washed-out bridge at Falls Lake posted in a location easily accessible to hikers. Please be aware, though, that the FMST has only one paid staff member, and depends on volunteers to do much of our work.

And speaking of the MST (Mountain-to-Sea Trail), what a great thing to have in the Triangle area! Just minutes from the staggering traffic on I-540, there’s a natural wonderland!

But I want better information about it — better maps, information about parking near trailheads, what sections are open, or soon to be open. Did you know a bridge is washed out in the section nearest Falls Lake Dam? You can get rock-hop the creek instead, but it was surprising.

I checked out ncmst.org, the official MST site, but their maps are hard to read, and they haven’t updated it in a while. It would be cool to add the trail to Google maps somehow.