In order to allow Sevier County Electric System (SCES) to replace six electric poles along the southbound Spur, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will allow 1 lane closures Monday through Thursdays from 7:00 am until 5:30 pm between Norton Creek and the Gatlinburg Welcome Center beginning Monday, February 24 through Thursday, March 6.
In order to better accommodate the heavier weekend traffic, no lane closures will be allowed over the weekends.
If you are coming to see the fall leaf season in the Great Smoky Mountains and expecting a ghost town because national parks in Tennessee and North Carolina remain closed because of the government shutdown, you are in for a surprise.
Fall Color this weekend in the Smoky Mountains
Fall color is just starting to peak higher up in the mountains and the main tourist areas of Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville were packed this weekend and are still busier than a normal fall leaf season. Some other areas which are more park dependent such as Townsend Tennessee and Cherokee N Carolina are feeling the brunt of the closures.
Cabin rental companies, hotels and campgrounds outside the park are busier than ever and so are most of the restaurants as the majority of those cancelling their trips where those who were going to camp in the national park which is forbidden during the government closure.
Concessionaires such as the Horseback Riding Stables in the national park have taken a huge hit. Trail guides, stable hands and cashiers in many cases barley make enough to take them paycheck to paycheck which they now have not seen for more than a week. Rumors claimed stables may reopen yesterday, but this is not the case so far.
Also hard hit is the Great Smoky Mountains Association that runs the bookstores/gift shops in the Visitor Centers which are all now closed in the park. They turn all the proceeds they make back into the park. Besides losing sales, they have been the target of costly vandalism.
Other businesses dramatically affected are guide companies that take hikers, tourists and anglers in the park as well photographers and persons performing weddings within the park boundary. Fortunately for many of these companies they can convince so of their clients to takes more expensive further trips away, but not all customers are willing or can handle the additional expense.
One of the well known and established businesses that have really felt the pinch is the Hike Inn which provides accommodations and services for hikers on the Appalachian Trail on the North Carolina Side along with shuttle services to the Slick Rock Wilderness Area, Nantahala National Forest, Cherokee National Forest, the Benton Mackaye Trail and the Bartram trail.
With all the hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park officially closed, most of the overnight hikers are gone. For hikers looking to remain legal and bypass the park during the closure, the Hike Inn will pick you up at Davenport Gap and take you to where the trail begins again outside the park in Fontana or the other way around.
Another small business that has ground to a halt during the shutdown is Cataloochee Valley Tours run by Esther Blakely whose well trained and seasoned knowledge of the elk reintroduction program in the Great Smoky Mountains national park make her the best possible tour guide in the area.
Since the park is now closed when the majority of the heavy elk rut activity occurs which is also the fall leaf season, none of the elk tours in the park can be conducted. Elk activity outside the GSMNP which does occur, is not dependable enough to conduct tours, so sadly is Cataloochee Valley Tours and its customers must wait this closure out as best they can.
As it stands right now, offers to staff part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park with Blount County public safety employees has been turned down by the park service and the states of Tennessee and North Carolina have not worked out an agreement to fund the park with state monies such as what was done in parks in Colorado and Utah.
During Saturday morning, around 100 people at its peak peacefully demonstrated by the National Park entrance sign near Gatlinburg Tennessee to reopen this national park. During the entire demonstration the park service kept a very low profile with rangers observing the demonstration from a distance in their SUV.
Who and what they were trying to convince with this demonstration was still not clear after talking to demonstrators who did not understand the full complexity and legality of a government shutdown, what and how services are decided to be closed and by whom, and what it will take to reopen facilities in the national park.
The demonstration would have been most effective if it was in North Carolina and directed at people who can authorize the spending of state funds with the state of Tennessee to reopen the park.
The park as of this moment still remains closed to all cars, hiking, horseback riding and biking, other than on the 3 open park roads: Newfound Gap Road, The Gatlinburg Bypass and the Spur.
Most parking areas for hiking trails remain blockaded along newfound Gap Road and contrary to what many are claiming, hiking is the park is not allowed. Most scenic pullouts along Newfound Gap Road remain open at this time as well as the Newfound Gap Parking area and the Newfound Gap parking area bathrooms.
As long as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains closed due to the government shutdown, the picnic areas, visitor centers, campground and campsites all remain closed. Other buildings and structure in the park such as bathrooms and historic buildings also remain closed as well.
Right next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the Blue Ridge Parkway which is now open for the entire length all the way to Virginia. Blue Ridge Parkways Visitor Centers, Bathrooms and picnic areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway remain closed; however the Pisgah In and Restaurant and the Folk Art Center near Asheville are both upon again to the public.
None of the hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway are blocked off at this timer and many of them such as Graveyard Fields which is in full fall color peak right now, are quite busy.
The good news is that not only are these trials not blocked off, they are not officially listed as closed by the National Park Service is a press release on 10/01 by Chief Ranger Stinnett of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
There are still lots to see and do in the Smokies even though the park is closed and if you are looking to do something different and be a help to the local economy which is feeling the most from this shutdown, visit Cherokee North Carolina.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Reopen Tomorrow at 12 Noon. - Posted 10-15-13
Great Smoky Mountains National Park May Reopen Tomorrow – Maybe - Posted 10-15-13
Government Shutdown Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park Day 14 - Posted 10-14-13
How Government Shutdown is Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-08-13
Update to Government Closure of Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-05-13
Shutdown Info Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway - Posted 10-03-13
Government Shutdown: Road + Facility Closures Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-01-13
As day 8 unfolds of the government shutdown that closed the Great Smoky Mountains national park, we seem to be stuck in this bad situation with no immediate end in sight.
To make matters worse, if such a thing is possible, almost daily vandalism, petty theft and defiance has become an ongoing issue in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as well as in other national parks, historical sites and monuments around the nation.
Worst hurt here in the Smokies are the 2 great organizations that help support the park through the kindness and good will of donations and purchases made to support the park.
Both the Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountains Association have had donation and cash boxes destroyed. The cost to repair or replaces 2 of the boxes damaged will easily exceed $5,000.
Why are these donation boxes so expensive? Sadly people often try to pilfer from these boxes and often when the boxes are emptied, a variety burglary tools are inside.
It takes a lot of sophisticated custom engineering and very solid box building construction to keep the thieves out and yet still let the money come in smoothly.There also remains some confusion and what has been called by some "mixed signals" as to what is open in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and what is not during this government shutdown.
The only roads open in the Great Smoky Mountains park are the entire length of Newfound Gap Road from Cherokee to Gatlinburg and the Gatlinburg Bypass from Newfound Gap Road in Gatlinburg to the Spur.
The only road outside of the Great Smoky Mountain national park that is maintained by the national park service that remains open is the very well traveled Spur section of the Foothills Parkway which connects the city of Gatlinburg with the city of Pigeon Forge Tennessee.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Closures/Conditions
Weather related and seasonal park road closures normally mean that bicycle and pedestrian traffic is allowed. The government shutdown prohibits any use of the parks roads, facilities and trail systems.
The press release Sunday by Chief Ranger Clay Jordan stated:
While most overlooks and pull-offs along the roadway are open to accommodate safe traffic flow over the mountains, facilities and trails remain closed.
He also stated "We ask that the public voluntarily respect the closure of the backcountry for everyone's safety," and "With less staff on duty, we do not have the personnel on hand to sufficiently respond to emergency situations in the backcountry. We understand the desire of visitors to hike during this beautiful time of year and we are hopeful that the park will soon reopen."
There are clear signage and barricades to keep people away from the Chimneys Hiking Trails where reconstruction has stopped as well as the Alum Cave Trailhead. Parking is only allowed in designated pull outs and parking areas so the intent of this extra "enforcement" is quite clear and should be headed. Tickets have been and will continue to be given out for non-compliance of closures.
Remember the Park Rangers you come into contact with are not being paid and most of their acquaintances are furloughed as well. Many working in the park are park families too meaning the loss of 2 or more incomes in the same family.
As much as I understand the heartache of those that work as a career or volunteer in the park, interviewing an employee of one of the stables last Sunday, I now really understand better the extent of the extreme hardships the employees are going through right now. Let's, hope their landlords and finance companies do as well.
Luckily for tourists, there are plenty of stables where you can go horseback riding outside the park and they all are seeing a booming business already and expect it to pick up even more in the next 3 weeks as we hit peak tourism for the Smokies during peak leaf season.
Though the National Park Service attempted to keep all 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway open from North Carolina to Virginia, further road damage to a section of roadway is closing the parkway from the from NC191/Brevard Road (about Milepost 393) to Hendersonville Road/25s in South Asheville (Milepost 389) until the Federal Highway Administration can finish repairs hopefully before the end of the month.
Even with this closure on the Blue Ridge Parkway, drivers can still enjoy about a 100 miles of uninterrupted scenic beauty all the way from Gatlinburg Tennessee to this point where you would have to detour to continue on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Best case estimates call for this section of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be repaired by the end of the week of the 21st. We would all be happier if it was sooner.
As stated before all picnic areas in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are closed, but you can eat in any of the pull-outs. Cooking, grilling and open flames are forbidden in the Great Smoky Mountains national park other than in designated picnic areas, campsites and campgrounds.
Fall color is more apparent by the day in all of the higher ridge-lines and the past 2 nights have seen temperatures just under 50 degrees in the lower elevations of the park. Add to this the light rainfall we received the night before last and we have the prime making for an extraordinary bright and along lasting peak fall right around the corner.
The next week looks like more of the same, bright sunny days climbing up into the 70s during the day and dropping down to the high 40's.
If you can believe very long range forecasts, it looks as though weather in the Smokies will be nice for the month with maybe 4 days where there is a possibility of rain.
There is even a chance of a light dusting of snow on the peaks early the week of the 20th which would make for a stunning fall photograph.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Reopen Tomorrow at 12 Noon. - Posted 10-15-13
Great Smoky Mountains National Park May Reopen Tomorrow – Maybe - Posted 10-15-13
Government Shutdown Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park Day 14 - Posted 10-14-13
How Government Shutdown is Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-08-13
Update to Government Closure of Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-05-13
Shutdown Info Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway - Posted 10-03-13
Government Shutdown: Road + Facility Closures Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-01-13
Day 5 of the government forced closure of the Great Smoky Mountains national park is starting out as an amazing day and the beginnings of fall color starting to show at 3,500 feet and up.
As you can see by by the picture below taken late in the afternoon yesterday that within 2 weeks we will be at full peak fall color here in both the Great Smoky Mountains national park and along all 469 miles you can drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway as well.
Unfortunately the nation's most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains national park (GSMNP) is still closed due to the government shutdown mandated by Washington DC to the dismay of tourists and locals alike as we are are in peak season for visitors to the Smokies.
While the park is locked down as mandated by law, some parts of the GSMNP are open, based upon what your interpretation of what open is.
Right now the only roads open to vehicles and normal use within national park boundaries are Newfound Gap Road US441 for its entire length from Gatlinburg Tennessee to Cherokee North Carolina and the Gatlinburg Bypass which starts at the 2 mile area of the Sugarlands from Newfound Gap Road to the Spur connecting Gatlinburg with Pigeon Forge.
Presently all overlooks are open on both park roads and the Newfound Gap Parking area is now open again. The Newfound Gap Parking area bathrooms are now open and are the parks only operating bathrooms.
All cones and blockades have been removed from all quiet walkway trail heads as well as all hiking trail trail heads other than the Chimneys hiking trail and the Alum Cave Trailhead which are obviously off limits.
All other park roads remain gated and locked, some with signs showing that anything past this point is obviously closed to all access.
Presently all facilities beyond these points such as picnic areas, visitor centers, campgrounds which are all empty, historic buildings, office buildings and hiking trails are closed by law to all use.
The Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP)has also closed all of its facilities such as campgrounds, picnic areas, visitor centers and concessionaires, but has left all 469 miles of roadway open to use.
Combine these 469 miles of the BRP with the 30 miles of driving along Newfound Gap Road US441, and anyone look to see fall color with long sweeping vistas or up close will not be disappointed from now until the end of peak leaf season in about 3 weeks.
Not everyone is standing back and letting the government shutdown and national parks closures potentially devastate the local economy.
Just under 30% of the Great Smoky Mountains national park is in Blount County Tennessee included our beloved Cades Cove.
Sequestration has already closed the campgrounds and facilities in Look Rock and Abrams Creek in Blount County, and now the government shutdown closed the Foothills Parkway West in Blount County.
The mayor of Blount Country Ed Mitchell wishes to have some Great Smoky Mountains national park roads patrolled by the Blount County Sheriff's Office during the government shutdown.
Presently agreements between the GSMNP and local agencies have granted them jurisdiction for Law Enforcement and first response within park borders when needed.
According to mayor Mitchell in a public statement, he contacted the department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell whose agency oversees the National Park Service, to see if he could help reopen parts of the park and Foothills Parkway West.
Mayor Ed Mitchell proposes this by either paying NPS furloughed park personnel from Blount County Funds or to let the county provide both law enforcement and emergency services instead of the national park service so that some parts of the park can reopen.
Business owner Bruce O'Connell who has the concession contract of the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 35 years which was ordered to close as specified by the government shutdown, defied the government closure and attempted to stay open and serve food.
The Pisgah Inn defiance to stay open has been noticed by National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis who sent a letter directly to Bruce O'Connell advising him that he is in violation of his contract and ordering him to shut down.
According to Blue Ridge Chief Ranger Steve Stinnett people cannot "utilize a business that, according to the federal government, is closed" and that park service managers in Washington directed him to block access to the Pisgah Inn.
Park rangers had in fact blocked access to this business which employees 100 people and turned people away from the government mandated closed federally owned building.
Currently it does not look as if Washington will be lifting the government closures in the next few days, but as some consolation to the 800,000 furloughed federal employees, they will probably be reimbursed for lost pay once the government reopens because of a house bill passed today which is White House backed and the Senate is expected to OK.
Government Shutdown Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park Day 14 - Posted 10-14-13
How Government Shutdown is Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-08-13
Update to Government Closure of Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-05-13
Shutdown Info Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway - Posted 10-03-13
Government Shutdown: Road + Facility Closures Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-01-13
As we just pasted midday on day 3 of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park closure created by the government shutdown, we can report some minor, very minor, improvements to the situation.
Newfound Gap Road US441 remains open all the way from Gatlinburg Tennessee to Cherokee North Carolina with the Newfound Gap Parking area now barricaded and closed to all access.
Parking areas by trail heads for hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park such Alum Cave Trail, Husky Gap Trail, Deep Creek Trail, Thomas Divide Trail, Kephart Prong Trail, Kanati Fort Trail and Newton Bald Trail are all coned off and closed. The same for any parking area near a quiet walkway.
The good news is that all major overlooks such as the Oconaluftee Overlook, Carlos Campbell Overlook, and the Swinging Bridges remain open to pullover and enjoy the view.
You cannot park there and walk into the woods or on a trail as the park is closed to all use other than driving and parking in designated spots on Newfound Gap Road.
All visitor centers in the park are closed and will remains so. The same for picnic areas, bathrooms all other roads inside the park other than the Gatlinburg Bypass connecting Newfound Gap Road with the Spur.
The Spur which goes between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge is the only park controlled road outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which remains open. Both East and West Foothills Parkways are closed
The Smoky Mountains campgrounds as well as the primate campsite have all been closed. Some still have a few remaining stragglers which have until 6 pm tonight to leave. The Le Conte Lodge has also been closed and hikers are already making their way down the trails to their cars to leave the park.
All horse stables in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are closed and workers other than those taking care of the horses have been sent home until the government closure ends.
Bordering the Great Smoky Mountains national park in Oconaluftee by the Cherokee park entrance is the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway which is also affected by the Government shutdown.
Originally the entire 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway stretching to Virginia were going to close for the government shutdown except for a small section allowing access to the Mount Mitchell State park.
Now the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway is staying open except for the visitor centers, concessionaires, hiking trails and comfort stations which are now closed.
Though only a small part of what the national park system has to offer in both of these units, the fact that Newfound Gap Road and its overlooks and the Blue Ridge Parkway and its overlooks are still open is a huge help to visitors which come to see the scenic fall color and the local economies that depend upon them.
As a matter of fact some trees such as oaks and maples are already changing at about 5,000 and above and can be seen along the Blue Ridge Parkway today far better than any spots on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The government shutdown has not closed the Cherohala Skyway that winds through the Cherokee National Forest. Hiking is also allowed in the area and the Cherohala Visitor Center is to remain open.
It also nice to know that although most of the US Forest Service's facilities will be closed during the government shutdown, most paved roads through Pisgah and Nantahala National Forest will remain open.
Lastly most of the repaving and construction on Newfound Gap Road has just finished for now so travel will be a little easier than the extended wait times we have all experienced at the single lane closure points.
Government Shutdown Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park Day 14 - Posted 10-14-13
How Government Shutdown is Affecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-08-13
Update to Government Closure of Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-05-13
Shutdown Info Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway - Posted 10-03-13
Government Shutdown: Road + Facility Closures Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Posted 10-01-13
As the Great Smoky Mountains national park is still dealing with the huge landslide which has shut off the main road connecting Tennessee with North Carolina, US441 Newfound Gap Road, another major road running through the park was discovered to have washout damage from Little River running alongside it.
Little River Road past Metcalf bottoms just east of the Sinks had lost part of its shoulder and cracks have developed in the area prompting park officials to close Little River Road (State Road 73) between Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area and the Townsend Wye.
Because of weight restrictions on the Metcalf Bottom Bridge, large RV's are unable to cross and thus to exit or enter the park through Wears Gap Road and would have to turn back.
Crews from Great Smoky Mountains national park are right now are on Little River Road and as of yet there are no estimates as to when it will reopen.
Current estimates have Newfound Gap Road reopening in May.
Update 03/26/13 9:50am
Cleanup and temporary repairs are complete. Road may be able to reopen shortly.
Update 03/26/13 10:35am
Road will reopen as soon as snowplows are finished.
The Cades Cove 11 mile Loop Road that circles the valley floor of Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains national park sees more than a million drivers a year who get to enjoy beautiful vistas, numerous wildlife and historic buildings with peak traffic occurring in the months of September, October and November.
The 11 mile Cades Cove Loop Road is a single lane paved road which only allows 1 way traffic, but has 2 gravel roads bisecting the loop: Sparks Lane and Hyatt Lane one of which Spark Lane which will be closed on September 2nd and if all goes well reopened on October 8th. During the time the road is closed to construction, hikers and bikers are prohibited from entering the road.
The road is being closed to allowed replacement of existing concrete enclosed steel culverts to larger capacity concrete box culverts to carry the flow of both Rowans Branch and Cooper Branch underneath Sparks Lane.
The larger capacity culverts being installed in Spark Lanes will reduce washouts from large rainstorms and runoffs as well as allowing fish in both the Cooper Branch and Rowans Branch to more easily move up and down the creeks.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has given a $50,000 grant toward the $194,400 project since this construction project in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will benefit the habit of the fish located in Cades Cove.
Sparks Lane commonly sees only a few dozen cars an hour during peak times using to road to either cut their trip around the Cades Cove Loop shorter or to double back to do the back end of the Cades Cove Loop again.
Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires a cleanup and safety evaluation after a rock and mudslide triggered by melting ice and snow and heavy rains made the road unsafe for motorists.
The North Carolina side is closed up to Newfound Gap. Drivers can still use Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg Tennessee all the way up to the Newfound Gap parking area.
Updates will follow as information becomes available.
