Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park should be aware of recent facilities closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that campgrounds, picnic areas, and restrooms will be closed on Monday, March 23 through Thursday, April 30, in a continuing effort to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the ...
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Smokies Suspends Facility Reservations, Requires Campers Pay Online
The park announced it would stop taking reservations for certain facilities and modify policies for campground and backcountry campers in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to take steps to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and local and state authorities to promote social distancing during the ...
Read More »Smoky Mountains Announces COVID-19 Facilities Closures
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that Sugarlands, Oconaluftee, and Cades Cove Visitor Centers are closed until further notice as a safety precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and recommendations from state and local public health in consultation with NPS Public Health Service officers, these facilities are closed for the ...
Read More »Park Invites Public Comment on Cades Cove Biking Access
Cades Cove biking enthusiasts could see a big change as park officials propose closing Cades Cove Loop Road to motorists all day on Wednesdays and opening Saturday morning access. Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to comment through Friday, March 27, 2020 on a proposed change in vehicle-free access days on the Cades Cove Loop Road. For ...
Read More »Woman Dead after Falling from Vehicle Window on Foothills Parkway
A young woman died after falling out the window of a moving vehicle on the Foothills Parkway on Tuesday. Park rangers from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park responded to reports of an accident near mile marker 13 of the Foothills Parkway, between Chilhowee Lake and Look Rock, at about 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Deputies from the ...
Read More »Smokies Road Closures Due to High Winds, Downed Trees
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is experiencing high winds and announced road closures ahead of a cold front that is expected to move through the area later today. Newfound Gap Road (Hwy 441 from Gatlinburg, Tenn. to Cherokee, N.C.), Little River Road from the Townsend Wye to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Wears Gap and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail ...
Read More »Drought Prompts Backcounty Campfires Ban, Water Warning
Park officials warned campers and backpackers in the Smoky Mountains backcountry that campfires are temporarily banned and spring water sources dry due to drought conditions. Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced a temporary ban on backcountry campfires effective immediately. Due to abnormally dry weather conditions, the potential for wildfires to occur in the backcountry has dramatically increased. The fire ...
Read More »Smokies Invites Public to Cades Cove Stargazing Event
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a Cades Cove Stargazing Event on Saturday. Park rangers invite the public to escape the city lights and observe the natural night sky for an evening of viewing stars with equipment and instruction provided by the Smoky Mountain Astronomical Society. Depending on visibility, visitors will experience close-up observations of the planet Jupiter and ...
Read More »Great Smoky Mountains National Park Announces Major Road Closures this Winter
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that the main access roads into Cades Cove and Cataloochee will be closed for several months this winter for road construction projects. The main access road into Cataloochee, Cove Creek Road, is expected to be closed from November 1 through February 29, 2020 for roadwork while the North Carolina Department of Transportation ...
Read More »Noah Bud Ogle Cabin and Nature Trail Temporary Closure
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced a temporary, weekday closure of the Noah Bud Ogle Cabin, Noah Bud Ogle Nature Trail, and associated parking area to allow crews to make needed cabin repairs. The area will be closed weekly August 26 through September 12, 2019 on Monday mornings at 7 a.m. through Thursday evenings at 5:30 p.m. The area ...
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