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Smokies Opening Park Facilities for 2017 Season

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the 2017 spring opening schedule for park facilities. See the full opening schedule listed below: Roads – Secondary Roads are scheduled to open as follows: Forge Creek Road opened on March 10; Clingmans Dome Road will open on April 1; Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Round Bottom/Straight Fork Road will open April 7; Rich Mountain Road and Little Greenbrier Road will open on April 14; and Balsam Mountain Road and Heintooga Ridge Road will open on May 26. Due to road damage and hazard trees, Parson Branch Road will remain closed in 2017. Cades Cove Loop Road will be closed for bicycle use only on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10:00 a.m. from May 10 through September 27. Campgrounds open on a staggered schedule that started on March 10. See the following schedule for exact dates. Camping fees range from $14 to $23 per site per night. The park’s developed campgrounds of Cataloochee, Elkmont, Cades Cove, Smokemont, and some sites at Cosby are on the reservation system through Recreaction.gov for at least a portion of their seasons. Recreation.gov provides visitors an opportunity to make reservations to many federally-managed recreation areas, including National Park Service areas, across the country. The system allows campers to reserve specific campsites and to make reservations 6 months in advance. Group campsites and picnic pavilions can be reserved up to 12 months in advance. Visitors can make reservations at the five campgrounds, all group campsites, horse camps, and picnic shelters by booking sites online at www.Recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. Advance reservations are required at Cataloochee Campground throughout the entire season. Reservations are recommended at Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont for the period from May 15 through October 31. During the rest of the open season, these three campgrounds are first-come, first-serve. At these three campgrounds, campers also have an opportunity to reserve a generator-free campsite. Cosby Campground, which has mostly first-come, first-serve campsites, has a limited number of reservable sites. Group Camping is available at the following seven campgrounds by reservation only through Recreation.gov: Big Creek, Cataloochee, Cosby, Deep Creek, Elkmont, Cades Cove, and Smokemont. See the following schedule for exact dates. The cost for group camps ranges from $26 to $65 per site per night. Horse Camps are available by reservation only through Recreation.gov at Anthony Creek, Big Creek, Round Bottom, Tow String and Cataloochee See the following schedule for exact dates. The horse campsite fees are $20 at all horse camps except for Big Creek where it is $25. CAMPGROUND SCHEDULE NC Campgrounds Fee Opening Date Group Sites Horse Camp ($20, $25) Balsam Mountain $14 May 26 N/A N/A Big Creek $14 Apr 14 Apr 14 Apr 14 Cataloochee $20 Apr 7 Apr 7 Apr 7 Deep Creek $17 Apr 14 Apr 14 N/A Round Bottom $20 N/A N/A Apr 7 *Smokemont $17, $20 Year-round May 15 N/A Tow String $20 N/A N/A Apr 7 TN Campgrounds Fee Opening Date Group Sites Horse Camp ($20, $25) Abrams Creek $14 May 26 N/A N/A Anthony Creek $20 N/A N/A 1-Apr *Cades Cove $17, $20, $23 Year-round Apr 14 N/A Cosby $14 Apr 14 Apr 14 N/A *Elkmont $17, $20, $23 Mar 10 Apr 28 N/A Look Rock Closed *Campsites are $20 per site during the reservation period May 15-October 31. At Elkmont, riverside campsites are $23 during reservation period. Picnic Areas at Cades Cove, Deep Creek, Greenbrier, and Metcalf Bottoms are open year round. Chimneys picnic area will open on March 11 and Collins Creek picnic area will open on April 7. Big Creek and Cosby picnic areas will open April 14. Heintooga picnic area will open on May 26. Look Rock picnic area will remain closed for the year. The park’s largest picnic pavilion at Twin Creeks opens on April 1 and reservations are required through Recreation.gov. Twin Creeks’ fees range from $35-$75 depending on the number of people. In addition, picnickers can reserve five other picnic pavilions on Recreation.gov. They are located at Collins Creek, Cosby, Deep Creek, Metcalf Bottoms, and Greenbrier picnic areas. The cost is $20, except at Greenbrier where it is $10. Operating Hours for Visitor Centers – Sugarlands Visitor Center (SVC), near Gatlinburg, TN; Cades Cove Visitor Center (CCVC), near Townsend, TN; and Oconaluftee Visitor Center (OVC) near Cherokee, NC are open daily, seven days a week. The Clingmans Dome Visitor Information Center is open daily, seven days a week from April 1 through November 30. See the following schedule for operating hours: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec CCVC 9:00- 4:30 9:00 5:30 9:00-6:30 9:00-7:00 9:00-7:30 9:00-7:30 9:00-7:30 9:00-7:00 9:00-6:30 9:00-6:30 9:00-5:30 9:00- 4:30 OVC 8:00-4:30 8:00-4:30 8:00-5:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-5:00 8:00-4:30 SVC 8:00-4:30 8:00-4:30 8:00-5:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-7:30 8:00-7:30 8:00-6:00 8:00-6:00 8:00-7:30 8:00-5:00 8:00-4:30 CDVC X X X 10:00-6:00 10:00-6:00 10:00-6:30 10:00-6:30 10:00-6:30 10:00-6:00 10:00-6:00 9:30-5:00 X Operating Hours for Backcountry Office – The Backcountry Office located at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, TN, is open every day from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Backcountry reservations and permits can also be obtained online at www.smokiespermits.nps.gov or by calling 865-436-1297. Horseback Riding - The opening dates for the three horseback concessions located on the Tennessee side of the Park are: Sugarlands Riding Stable on March 3; and Cades Cove on March 4; and Smoky Mountain Riding Stable on March 10. In addition to horseback rides, Cades Cove Riding Stable will offer their customary carriage rides and hay rides which are wheelchair accessible. The Smokemont Riding Stable in North Carolina will open March 18 providing guided horseback rides along with horse-drawn wagon rides along the route of the historic Oconaluftee Turnpike. LeConte Lodge, accessible only by trail, will open on March 24. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 865-429-5704, fax 865-774-0045, or email at reservations@lecontelodge.com. One night at the lodge costs $145 per adult and $85 for children 4-12 (tax not included). Children 3 and under are free. The price includes two meals--dinner and breakfast. Day hikers and backpackers can purchase a prepared bag lunch and snacks/beverages at the lodge. Campground Concessions – The Cades Cove Campground Store will open March 1. The store provides groceries, camping supplies, firewood, ice, vending, limited food service, souvenirs, and bike rentals. The Cades Cove Store has multi-speed comfort bikes, single speed cruisers, and electric assist bikes for rent. The Elkmont Campground concession opens on March 10. The concession provides firewood, ice, limited camper convenience items, and vending of soft drinks, newspapers, and snacks. For more information on park events, please visit the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/calendar.htm. Photo: NPS/Warren Bielenberg

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the 2017 spring opening schedule for park facilities. Roads – Secondary Roads are scheduled to open as follows: Forge Creek Road opened on March 10; Clingmans Dome Road will open on April 1; Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Round Bottom/Straight Fork Road will open April 7; Rich Mountain Road and Little Greenbrier ...

Trout Stocking to Resume in Sevier County after Decades-Old Water Contamination Advisory Lifted

Following the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s lifting of water contact advisories for rivers and streams in Sevier County, the state wildlife agency is resuming its trout stocking program in the Little Pigeon River. TDEC reports that for over two decades, there was a public advisory against water contact due to elevated fecal coliform bacteria in the lower Middle ...

TWRA to Conduct Roadblocks During Hunting Seasons

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is planning to conduct roadblocks on several TWRA controlled or managed lands during the upcoming hunting seasons. Law Enforcement Officers conduct these roadblocks for the purpose of inspecting hunters and fishermen for proper licenses, legal equipment, bag and/or creel limits, and possession of invasive species. “Officers are also authorized to take appropriate enforcement action for ...

Free Fishing Day in Tennessee for Residents and Visitors

Tennessee’s annual Free Fishing Day is a great way for families to get out and enjoy fishing together on one of the many public waters across the state. Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 11, 2016 in Tennessee and anyone, residents and non-residents, may fish without a fishing license in the state’s public waters. Kids 15 years old and younger ...

Cash and Prizes up for Grabs in Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament

There is still time to register for the Spring 2016 Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament and compete for over $10,000 in cash and prizes. The 18th Annual Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament will be held over two days, Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3, 2016. Tournament registration is open to everyone possessing the appropriate fishing license and permits. There are divisions ...

Smokies Spring Opening Schedule for Trails, Roads, Facilities, Camping

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the spring opening schedule for park facilities for the 2016 season. As part of the schedule, officials also announced the Alum Cave Trail Restoration schedule, which includes a Monday through Thursday closure of Alum Cave Trail and the Mt. Le Conte Backcountry Shelter beginning May 2 through Nov. 17. Due to the construction ...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Sees Record Visitation in 2015

The National Park Service certified park visitation numbers yesterday, showing that Great Smoky Mountains National Park experienced the largest number of visitors in its history last year. Great Smoky Mountains National Park had 10,712,674 recreational visitors in 2015, breaking a visitation record set in 1999 and earning the title of #1 Most Visited National Park. The Top Ten Most Visited ...

Smokies Fall Foliage Drives October Visitation to Highest in 28 Years

Great Smoky Mountains National Park welcomed 1,370,640 visitors in October 2015, exceeding 2014’s mark of 1,303,640. This year’s visitation makes 2015 the second highest October visitation in the park’s history. Only October 1987 saw more visitors. October is traditionally the second busiest month of the year for the national park, driven by visitors coming to see the park’s fall foliage. ...

Local Fishing Chapter Supports National Park’s Brook Trout

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash was presented with a $19,000 gift from the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited as part of their continuing efforts to support the park’s fisheries program. The donation included two checks in the amount of $15,000 and another for $4,000 raised by the Little River Chapter at the 2015 Troutfest Banquet. The ...

National Park Records Highest September Visitation in History

Visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is up 5.5 percent through September 2015. Over 8 million visitors have come to the park so far this year. The increase has led to record months of visitation in both May and September with visitation surpassing 1 million visitors during each month. In September, the park welcomed 1,081,773 visitors, the most ever ...

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