Volunteers Needed For Clingmans Dome Information Center

One of the greatest contributions you can make to the Great Smoky Mountains national park is your time as a park Volunteer, and right the now the National Park Service is actively looking for volunteers to staff the Clingmans Dome Information Center from April 1st through November 30th, 2014.

The volunteers need to work at the Clingmans Dome Visitor Information Center will be asked to work at least one 4 hour shift per week and are needed all days of the week with the most staffing required Friday through Sunday. Shifts are from 9:30 am until 1:30 pm and 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm.

Since Volunteers are needed to provide educational, recreational and trip planning information a basic knowledge of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and surrounding area is very helpful even though volunteers are provided orientation and training before their tour of duty.

The Clingmans Dome Information Center first came into being last year by moving the bathrooms into the Clingmans Dome parking area and converting the space into an information center where visitors could ask questions of park staff and volunteers as well as make small purchases of book, maps, tee shirts and other park related items.

If you are interested and could attend the mandatory training that will be held at the Oconaluftee Administration Building just inside the park on 441 North of Cherokee, North Carolina on Thursday, March 13, 2014, please contact Ranger Florie Takaki Monday through Friday at (828)497-1906 or by email at: Florie_Takaki@nps.gov.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park needs more volunteers at Clingmans Dome Information Center

If you would like to help park visitors at the Clingmans Dome Information Center which at 6,300 feet and is often in or above the clouds, here is your chance as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in need of about a dozen volunteers to help out.

The volunteers will be needed from May through November 30th to help provide park information to visitors and assist in trip planning including giving directions in the Clingmans Dome Information Center which also has a bookstore area managed by the Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA).

The Volunteers needed would be working alongside GSMA employees and will need to be able to work at least one 4 hour shift per week, 11 am to 3 pm. Park Volunteers are most needed for shifts from Friday through Sunday, but help is needed during Monday - Thursday as well.

The information center is relatively new opening in 2010. The building itself was originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and before it was turned into the Clingmans Dome Information Center and bookstore, it was a comfort station.

Water quality issues required that the national park switch to vault toilets so that rather than the waste be treated high atop the mountain, it could be pumped out and treated elsewhere where there would be less environmental impact.

While the vault toilets where installed in the parking, the original bathrooms were completely overhauled and turned into the useful building that you see now in its place.

"In the past, visitors to this popular destination did not have a chance to obtain information on their high elevation visit or have questions answered," said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. "Now with the help of volunteers staffing the center, visitors can inquire and learn about the spruce fir ecosystem and the impacts of invasive insects, such as the balsam woolly adelgid, and air quality."

While Clingmans Dome does not see the amount of visitation that the Sugarlands Visitor Center or Oconaluftee does, it is vitally important to park visitors and through hikers along the Appalachian Trail.

Training for Volunteers will be held from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm on Friday, May 17th. To sign up for training or for more information, contact Florie Takaki Monday - Fridays at (828)497-1906 or by email her at Florie_Takaki@nps.gov.

Roads Closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Newfound Gap Road US 441 between Cherokee North Carolina and Gatlinburg Tennessee closed last night and hard working park service crews were able to clear downed limbs, plow, sand and keep the road upon for about 5 hours before it had to close again at 2:30 this afternoon.

We are now under a winter storm warning with a potential of up to 17 inches of snow accumulation in the higher elevations by Wednesday along with high winds.

Presently the complete list of closed roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is:

• Cataloochee Entrance Road
• Clingmans Dome Road
• Foothills Parkway East (I-40 to Cosby)
• Newfound Gap Road US 441
• Old 284
• Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

You can keep track of what is going on through our Smokies Weather twitter feed or keep up with Road Conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Last Update: 3:53 pm 10/30/12

Newfound Gap Road US441 between Gatlinburg and Cherokee is Closed due to Snow and Ice

Hurricane Sandy may have missed the Great Smoky Mountains, but the light rain and dense fog has turned to snow a few hours ago starting at Clingmans Dome and all around Newfound Gap down to the Webb Overlook promoting national park officials to first close Clingmans Dome Road and then Newfound Gap Road.

Snow is predicted through Wednesday with minor accumulation and there is now a wind advisory in effect until 8 pm Tuesday.

Live weather feeds from our own weather station in the Smokies are at http://www.yoursmokies.com/smokiesweather.html.

Great Smoky Mountains national park road closures

More roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park closed due to last nights snow storm. Though the lower elevations received little more than a dusting and most roads stayed clear, any road with elevation has become hazardous to drivers.

The following roads are now closed in the GSMNP:

• Newfound Gap Road (US441)
• Cades Cove Loop Road
• Clingmans Dome Road
• Laurel Creek Road
• Little River Road
• Roaring Fork Motor Trail
• Wears Cove Road

Road conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are subject to change today and some roads will reopen.

Winter conditions prompt National Park Service to close 2 major roads in GSMNP

The Great Smoky Mountains national parks major through road - Newfound Gap Road also known as US 441 which connects Gatlinburg Tennessee with Cherokee North Carolina has been closed due to ice and snow from the winter storm system that is right now in the Smokies.

Clingmans Dome Road which takes you from Newfound Gap Road near the Newfound Gap parking area up the Clingmans Dome Parking area is also closed due to ice and snow.

No other roads in the GSMNP are closed at this time, nor are any expected to close tonight.

Since the storm will continue to drop snow until as late as Wednesday it is possible Newfound Gap may periodically open and close for the next 2 days. We don't expect Clingmans Dome Road to reopen until Wednesday or Thursday.

Winter storm grips the Smoky Mountains

A hard freeze with up to 4 inches of snow - how could this be since it was in the high 70's yesterday with spring wildflowers blooming everywhere the Great Smoky Mountains? It's the Smokies - expect the unexpected when it comes to weather in the Smoky Mountains.

Home gardeners and farmers alike are rushing to protecting young plants, flowering bushes and trees against the deep cold expected tonight and the very hard frost expected tomorrow night.

Snow has been falling for hours in the higher elevations such as Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome where some the snowfall is actually sticking but the biggest hazards right now are the thick fog and the slick roadways that will possibly freeze into black ice in some areas as the afternoon temps continue to fall.

Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as seen in the picture above taken today is the highest point you can drive to and Clingmans Dome Road would be the first potential road to close as the weather in the Smokies continues to deteriorate.

Gatlinburg and other high elevations in the Smokies may see as much as 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight with colder weather and another inch expected tomorrow night. This weekend we should see more seasonal weather in the Smokies reaching closer to 70 degrees again.

Will Newfound Gap Road, the major road connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee close due to snow and ice? It's very possible and Your Smokies will keep you informed of the road conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and we have the best Smoky Mountains weather conditions page too.

Newfound Gap Road is closed to all traffic from Gatlinburg TN To Cherokee NC

Road conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are still good on all roads except the Newfound Gap Road and Clingmans Dome Road which are both closed due to snow and ice.

Between tonight’s 30% chance of snow and bitter cold weather expected for the balance of the week, even when Newfound Gap road reopens it may keep closing for the next few days.

Peak Fall Color Season is here in the Smokies

The colors in the Smoky Mountains is amazing and is right now at peak for this autumn in both Tennessee and North Carolina and all I have been doing the past week has been chasing the best colors and hiking all around the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

The weather here in the Smoky Mountains has been amazing - even the day of light snow we received in the upper elevations was cold enough for some light accumulation but certainly not uncomfortable and the next day it warmed right up, slowly enough to let the snow linger and fast enough to hike dressed lightly.

I have spent only 3 days in the North Carolina side and the other time herein Tennessee where the fall colors are a bit behind.

So far nothing I have examined other than some spots along Newfound Gap Road on the North Carolina side, the tops of Le Conte and the highest points of the Appalachian Trail are in the final days of fall colors. Due to heavy evergreen growth on the tops of Le Conte and the AT they are wonderful year round - maybe even prettier with some light snow.

Most of the snow is now gone except in the shaded areas in higher elevations in the highest parts of the park. On Friday 2 of the walls along Clingmans Dome Road were shrouded in ice for the sunrise and even though the sun was just spreading its warm glow against the rock walls chunks were already breaking off and crashing to the ground below.

In regard to wildlife sightings in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, it has been anything other than average for me. Plenty of bear in Roaring Fork but outside of Roaring Fork I only saw 3 in a week. I normally see that many a day this time of year.

Speaking of bear I am amazed that in the Sinks parking area which clearly has active bear warnings posted in 2 places that the garbage was overflowing so that the lids in all three containers would not shut.

I found a large stick and mashed down what I could to get the bear proof lids closed. When I returned from hiking the Meigs Creek Trail it was overflowing again. I tracked down a park employee and had them radio it in.

Shame on the irresponsible persons who did this rather than packing out their garbage as they endangered other visitors as well as the bear. The park service has to watch these trash receptacles more carefully while there are such bear problems in the park - even with the lack of funds they have as this is the 4th garbage incident I have seen and reported in the past week.

Beside the most unbelievable hiking and driving in the Smoky Mountains, I had 2 other outstanding experiences, hiking with Smokies Scout and taking the guided hay ride in Cades Cove on the Sunset run.

Hiking with the Smokies Scout was wonderful and for the fist time in my Smoky Mountains hiking career I actually did a shuttle hike. We rode up Newfound Gap Road during sunrise and stopped to take pictures on an overlook on the North Carolina side and the ice along the side of the road in Clingmans Dome Road.

Our hike took us from Clingmans Dome Road where we were bundled up, hat gloves and the like with snow on the ground and ended up eventually in the Lakeshore area - where I was down to a T shirt.

Our hike which was mostly downhill also took us up and back down the Springhouse Branch Trail. They day and the fall colors were amazing. We went from full blown out peak to dark green and light green areas just waiting to change. Sometime hiking up we went back in season - go figure.

The Cades Cove hay ride I took was far better than I would have ever expected and will go into more detail in another post. The hay ride was on the last day it ran this year, and it was the last time the present concessioner who had run this service for the last 40 plus years took visitor around the Cove as a new concessioner takes over in the spring.

Well I am off to chase more color and I think it will be my routine for the next 2 weeks!

Snow! First flakes of the season fall on Gatlinburg

Though the air temperature was in the upper 40s, snow ever so gentle was falling this afternoon on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail and later on just above the city of Gatlinburg today melting as soon as it hit the ground.

It is predicted that the higher elevations such as on Newfound Gap Road and Clingmans dome road may see some snow tonight that may even stick for a gentle dusting.

Drivers should use cation in the early morning as we may even see patches of ice in the lower elevations.

This year we have not even hit peak leaf season in the lower elevations and we are already seeing the possibility of snow in the Smoky Mountains in October.

Break out he cameras this could be beautiful!

Hikers and visitors to state and national parks need to take personal responsibility.

The tragic death of 2 year old who fell while hiking with his family in Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina has opened a dialog where people has been inquiring as to if there were sufficient warnings of the potential danger to hiking children and if these warnings were bilingual or not. Now some are asking if children should be banned from being on certain hiking trails.

In this day and age it is up to everyone to take personally responsibility for their own safety as well as those under their supervision. I have personally turned around on trails that I have hiked before because conditions were such that the trail was unsafe for me to continue.

I never needed a sign to tell me to not dangle one of my kids over a lion's cage at the zoo or let them be alone next to a burning campfire when they were too young to understand not to stick their hands into the pretty flames.

Unfortunately even though I always did do my best to protect my children, they did get some bumps and bruises, sometimes when they were right next to me because accidents do happen - that's why cars have seat belts.

Rather than ban driving because accidents can happen, we ban dangerous behavior when driving such as drinking/drugging while driving and speeding - the biggest dangers in our national parks and state parks that claims more lives than anything else.

It's not that I am just singling out this tragic accident in the Chimney Rock Park. This Labor Day I was hiking along the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and saw 3 blatant cases of foolish behavior which were risky to the risk takers as well as the lives of others arround them.

Before even leaving the Clingmans Dome parking lot to start my hike, 4 men in their early 20s were climbing on damp rocks that have a warning sign prohibiting people from climbing on them. One of their backpacks along with a water bottle were by the warning sign.

Next at the Double Spring Gap backcountry shelter there were more overnight campers than the maximum capacity of the shelter and in violation of Great Smoky Mountains national park rules, tents were set up outside the shelter.

One of these tents contained 4 people who ate food and then stored their food overnight in their tent. Considering the next backcountry shelter over the Mount Collins Shelter has an active bear warning, the chance for an unpleasant encounter with a black bear which could potentially endanger everyone in the over capacity shelter is high.

All backcountry shelters in the Great Smoky Mountains National park that I have checked have signs warning of the presence of black bears in the GSMNP and what to do to avoid them as well as some of the other park regulations for campers. These warnings were obviously ignored.

Further down the Appalachian Trail about 2 miles past the Silers Bald Shelter I ran into 3 young male hikers coming down the trail with the leader of the group wearing beach sandals. It turned out that Mr. Flip Flops was an experienced hiker who just felt like not wearing his hiking boots on this trip.

I asked him which one of his friends was going to carry him out if he twisted his ankle or got hurt and his friends laughed and pointed at each other. Considering how deep in country they were, any extraction would have to be a serious undertaking which would have also put any rescuers at risk.

All of these risk takers spoke English and acted foolishly knowing of the potential danger they were putting themselves and others in. Obviously they just didn't care about their own safety as well as the safety of others.

I hike 10 - 15 miles a day in the Great Smoky Mountains national park year-round unless the weather or road conditions are hazardous. While I solo hike most of the time (which I don't suggest) I outfit myself so that I am ready for any potential emergency and I don't behave in a risky manner or take chances along the trail to increase the chances that I will have to be rescued.

When I bring someone else along on a trail I make sure that I know their skill level and that they have an understanding of what they can and can not do and make sure that they have the right footwear, clothing and supplies to safely and comfortably come hiking with me.

If you plan on taking a hike or engaging in any other activity in the park that has a risk, be smart, go to one of the visitor centers and speak to one of the Park Rangers or volunteers and take their expert advice.

While no one can guarantee you won't have an accident or an unpleasant experience, with a little planning and taking personal responsibility for your own actions and those in your party, your hike will probably end with pleasant memories of time well spent in the park rather than a nightmare that will haunt you the rest of your life.

Goshin Prong and Backcountry Campsite #23 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed the Goshin Prong Hiking Trail in Elkmont Tennessee from the trailhead at the Little River junction and at the junction at the Appalachian Trail near Clingmans Dome.

The trail was closed to numerous blowdowns and is expected to take quite a while to reopen due to the extensive amount of work required to make the trail safe again for hikers.

Goshin Prong is one of my favorite trails to hike in the area with wonderful river and waterfall views and is normally not crowded.

The backcountry campsite #23 along the trail is also closed and will remain closed as long as the trail is closed.

Clingmans dome road reopened inteh GSMNP

Clingmans Dome road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park just reopened and visitors to Clingmans dome will be able to see spectacular views with an almost perfect blue sky with some mountain peaks dusted with snow.

Falling temperatures tonight may cause this road to close again.

Clingmans Dome Road in the Great Smoky Mountains nation park is Closed

The road to Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains national park remains closed due to snow and ice.

This road is normally closed during the winter and just opened April 1st.

Newly opened Newfound Gap Road is free of ice but drivers must remain cautious as there is still plenty of slush on the road which may refreeze tonight.

Great Smoky Mountains national park winter closures

As the days become shorter in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as winter closes is so does you list of choices of where to take an auto tour, where to go horseback riding, where to go site seeing and where to go camping in the GSM national park.

The highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National park Clingmans Dome and the road leading up to it closes until weather permits in March. This steep winding road is dangerous enough without snow and ice so deep winter driving on this high altitude road is out of the question.

One of the nicest and most popular frontcountry developed campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is located in Elkmont Tennessee and it closes until spring at noon December 1st. A quick check today revealed less than a handful of campers in the Elkmont Tennessee campgrounds today.

Backcountry campsites in Elkmont Tennessee will remain open throughout the winter. Note that Elkmont backcountry campsite 20 still has an active black bear warning posted but the site still remains open.

The Roaring Fork Motor trail located in the Roaring Fork area of the park located adjacent to Gatlinburg Tennessee is also closed as of December 1st. This one way winding motor trail offers splendid wooded views, historic residences, mountain vistas and some popular trailheads.

Only the motor trail is closed in the Roaring Fork area so to get to Grotto Falls, Baskin Creek trail, the Baskin Creek Waterfall, Grapeyard Ridge, and the Trillium Gap trail you need to park your vehicle in one of the Rainbow Falls parking areas and then walk to the trailhead.

Last but not least the last of the horseback riding stables in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that was open; the Smoky Mountain Riding Stables has just closed for the winter.

Newfound Gap Road (441) connecting Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC reopened

Newfound gap road (441) reopened later this afternoon as repeated sanding efforts by the Great Smoky Mountains national park and warmer temperatures reduced the ice and snow by enough to make it safe again to drive.

From what I saw as the sun was setting in Newfound Gap, the puddles of water and wet roads were starting to freeze again, but since there was plenty of sandy grit on the ice due to the park services effort to keep the road open, drivers who are cautious should be OK. The picture below is one of the sheets of ice forming on the North Carolina side on Newfound Gap Road.

Even though Newfound Gap Road was reopened, the road up to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Clingmans Dome still remains closed due to snow and ice.

It looks as though the warming trend expected for this weekend will be able to melt the snow and ice on Clingmans Dome Road so it to may reopen before Monday.

First snow of the 2007 winter had too much accumulation and ice for the National Park Service and cars on Newfound Gap Road.

Snow started falling in the higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains national park with some accumulation making a challenge for both motorists and the park service to keep the roads safe and clear so Newfound Gap Road 441 from Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC is closed.

The National park service has been trying all day to keep the area near Newfound Gap clear but the dropping temperatures in the past hour has locked some sections of Newfound Gap Road into virtual sheets of ice.

While driving up one of the crests about 1/2 mile underneath Newfound Gap on the Tennessee side I experienced the conditions first hand as I felt my car slipping backwards downhill while I was stopped.

I then watched in dismay at cars getting stranded as they started to lose control and veer off of the road while they tried to turn around and get off the mountain top and head back to the Sugarlands Gatlinburg area which was free ice and accumulated snow.

I was luckily able to turn around in my front wheel drive car and slowly creep and slide my way back downhill until I reached a point where the conditions were safe to drive. Only 2 other cars where able to turn around and follow me, the rest remained stranded.

On my way back down Newfound Gap Road towards the Sugarlands I observed at least a dozen or so cars driving up towards Newfound Gap. I thought they would also get stuck behind other cars which were already stranded in the ice and I could only hope they would be able to be safely rescued.

As I passed the parking area for the Chimneys Trailhead I saw a sander truck on its way up the mountain. After the sander truck no further traffic headed up the mountain.

At the Sugarlands intersection the gate was down closing the road with a park rangers car blocking the road from any further traffic heading towards North Carolina.

The revised weather report is calling for anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of snow during the night so the park service announced that the Newfound Gap Road (441) will be closed until at least late in the morning tomorrow when the road can be evaluated for safety.

Earlier today the road leading up to Clingmans Dome was also closed due to snow and ice and may open after Newfound Gap is opened as long as the road conditions on this steep winding road are safe enough for all vehicles.

4 wheel drive or not - Newfound Gap Road is not the place to be tonight!

Dangerous Fog on Newfound Gap Road (441) and Blue Ridge Highway

Newfound Gap Road (441) from Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg TN is experiencing heavy fog especially in higher elevations on the North Carolina side south of Newfound gap parking area and Clingmans Dome road.

Driving is also extremely dangerous on the Blue Ridge Parkways with some areas having visibility of less than 30 feet.

Leaves on the roads and slick roads from this morning's rain and fog made for some very slow traffic and the high potential for accidents.

While colder temperatures are expected again tonight with a potential for ice, drivers should be extremely cautious when driving.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Winter Schedule Starts Today

The leaves are still on most of the trees in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and you can still hike in the park in a short sleeved shirt, but as of today the winter schedule starts for campgrounds, picnic areas, horse camps, visitor centers, and some roads in the GSMNP.

The winter closing schedule for the park phases in during the month of November with final closures such as Clingmans Dome taking place December 1st. Some of the visitor centers hours of operation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will change monthly and at Your Smokies we will keep you up to date.

• Cades Cove Parsons Branch Road to Route 129 closed for the winter on November 9th
• Cades Cove Rich Mountain Road to Townsend Tennessee closed for the winter on November 9th
• Cades Cove Campground becomes self-registration with a reduced number of available campsites for winter on November 1st
• Cades Cove Campground Store closed for the winter on November 1st
• Cades Cove Riding Stables is closed for winter on November 5th
• Cades Cove picnic areas will remain open through the winter
• Cades Cove Visitor Center November hours 9:00 am - 5:00 pm


• Anthony Creek Horse Camp closed for the winter on November 12th


• Abrams Creek Campgrounds closed for winter on November 1st


• Balsam Mountain/Heintooga Roads is closed for winter on November 1st
• Balsam Mountain campgrounds closed for the winter


• Big Creek Horse Camp closed for the winter on November 12th
• Big Creek Campgrounds closed for winter on November 1st
• Big Creek picnic areas will remain open through the winter


• Cataloochee Campgrounds closed for winter on November 1st
• Cataloochee Horse Camp closed for the winter on November 12th


• Chimney Tops picnic areas will remain open through the winter


• The road to Clingmans Dome is closed for the winter on December 1st


• Cosby Campgrounds closed for winter on November 1st
• Cosby picnic areas will remain open through the winter


• Deep Creek Campgrounds closed for winter on November 1st
• Deep Creek picnic areas will remain open through the winter


• Elkmont Campground is closed for the winter on December 1st


• Greenbrier picnic areas will remain open through the winter


• Look Rock Campgrounds closed for winter on November 1st


• Metcalf picnic areas will remain open through the winter


• Le Conte Lodge closed for the winter on November 20th


• Oconaluftee Visitor Center hours from November to April 8:30 am - 4:30 pm


• The Roaring Fork Motor Trail is closed for the winter on December 1st


• Round Bottom Horse Camp closed for the winter on November 12th
• Roundbottom/Straight Fork Road is closed for winter on November 12th


• Smokemont Campground becomes self-registration with a reduced number of available campsites for winter on November 1st
• Smokemont Riding Stable is closed for winter


• Smoky Mountain Riding Stables is closed for winter on November 25th


• Sugarland's Horseback Riding Stables is closed for winter on November 1st


• Sugarlands Visitor Center November hours 8:00 am - 5:00 pm


• Tow String Horse Camp closed for the winter on November 12th

Roads in the national park other then those listed as closed above will stay open all winter long unless closed due to the weather causing unsafe conditions such as ice, excessive snow, extreme winds or downed trees.

If you are unsure if a road is open during or just after bad weather you should contact the national park service in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Newfound Gap road is reopened in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

The Smoky Mountains National Park road Newfound Gap Road (US 441) running from Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg TN through has just reopened after being closed due to downed trees and ice.

Clingmans Dome road still remains closed due to dangerous icy road conditions snow and downed trees.

All of North Carolina 284 still remains closed.