Hiking trails, backcountry campsites, Cades Cove still closed from Aprils prescribed fire

Some hiking trails and backcountry campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National park still remain closed more than a week after the controlled fire in Cades Cove.

Fire was used by the national park service to help promote the growth of yellow pine and by burning some of the dead brush now, reduce the risk of a wildfire by limiting the fuel the dead brush would provide.

Normally trails and backcountry campgrounds would reopen after a controlled burn with a few days after the park service confirms that all hot spots on the hiking trail that can rekindle a fire have been extinguished and that there is no danger to hikers from limbs and trees that may fall.

The following trails are still closed in the North West corner of Cades Cove:

• The Cooper Road hiking trail at the Wet Bottom Trail junction starting 0.2 miles from Cades Cove loop road all 5.3 miles to the to the Beard Cane Trail junction.
• The Beard Cane Trail for the entire length of 4.2 miles from Ace Gap Trail to the Cooper Road Hiking trail

The following backcountry campgrounds remain closed in the North West corner of Cades Cove:

• Backcountry camp site #3 on the North end of Beard Cane Trail
• Backcountry camp site #11 on the South end of Beard Cane Trail

That smoke coming from Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains Park is meant to be!

It looks as though the weather will hold up for today's prescribed burn in the NW corner of Cades Cove in the Tennessee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Because of this controlled burn expecting to encompass 1,800 acres, the national park service is going to close several hiking trails for at least a few days to make sure that after the burn is complete snags (trees and branches hug up in other trees and branches) and hot spots (areas that might reignite again) will no longer endanger hikers.

Smoke from the fire in Cades Cove will affect the Cades Cove Valley as well as being visible from Townsend, US129, Walland and Happy Valley. I personally suggest that today is not the day to take a hike or tour in Cades Cove as I put off my hiking trip to the Cades Cove until this Sunday.

The prescribed burn has been ordered by the national park service to burn down some of the dead brush so that any wildfires which may occur will not be as unmanageable as well as allowing yellow pine trees to flourish which would naturally benefit from wild fires.

The fire will be set by and managed by between 25 to 30 firefighters using drip torches to ignite the dead brush and trees. The boundaries of where the fire is meant to be contained will be along the following hiking trails and creek beds:
Southern boundary: Cooper Road Trail
Western boundary: Beard Cane Trail
Northern and Eastern sides: Hesse Creek/Bark Camp

The following hiking areas and backcountry campsites will be closed until advised:

• Cooper Road Trail from the junction with Wet Bottom Trail
• Cooper Road Trail to the junction with Ace Gap Trail
• Cooper Road Trail to the junction Cane Creek Trail
• Hatcher Mountain Trail from the junction with Cooper Road Trail to the junction with Little Bottoms Trail
• Beard Cane Trail from the junction
• Ace Gap Trail from Beard Cane Trail junction to backcountry campsite 7
• Backcountry Campsite 3
• Backcountry Campsite 11