Facilities

Bracken Preserve is a 395-acre property owned by the City of Brevard. The City has owned the property for over a century, but it wasn't opened to the public until July of 2012. The property is located due west of downtown Brevard. In fact, if you stand on Main Street in downtown Brevard and look westward, you will see the distinct mountain range framed by the buildings along Main Street.

Bracken is adjacent to Pisgah National Forest and its trails connect to Forest Service Road 475-C, which provides access to the Fish Hatchery and the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education.

Maps

Paper maps are available free of charge at the City Hall. A PDF map is available at cityofbrevard.com/Bracken and a smartphone map is available for free on the Avenza Maps app at https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/1230824/official-bracken-preserve-map-2019?link=4079

Camping

There is one camp shelter in Bracken, located along the upper section of Brushy Creek Trail. This site is open to all users, but a camping permit must be secured in advance. Please note that fires are not allowed at the campsite and camping is not allowed anywhere else within Bracken.

Overnight Parking

Users who are camping in Bracken or using Bracken to access hiking, camping, hunting, or other recreation in Pisgah National Forest may park their car overnight in the Bracken Parking lot. The parking lot is monitored by a security camera and regular nightly police patrols.