CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A swimming and fishing area in Pisgah National Forest is becoming too popular, Caldwell County leaders say.
Sheriff's deputies told Channel 9's Dave Faherty that the Wilson Creek area sees so many tourists that they had to close the road leading to it last weekend.
Faherty said most of the roughly 140 parking spaces were filled and he noticed families coming from as far away as Charlotte and South Carolina.
Because of the overcrowding, the sheriff's office has assigned six deputies to patrol the area over the weekend, at a cost to the county of more than $100,000.
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Another concern in Pisgah National Forest is the amount of trash piling up along the Wilson River, with Caldwell County saying it hauled 35,000 pounds of trash along the river last year.
Faherty discovered the overturned portable toilet on Monday morning, and officers expressed concern about whether emergency personnel would be able to get through the area in the event of an emergency.
“Anyone who needs an ambulance or a fire engine or anything like that, the roads are blocked off and they can't get through without us escorting them. This is really becoming an issue,” said Maj. Kevin Bean with the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office.
A meeting with the Wilson Creek Conservation Association is scheduled for Tuesday, and county commissioners and Rep. Virginia Foxx plan to speak with area residents to try to find a solution.
(Video: Family rescues man and son from Wilson Creek)
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