Another Major Road Closes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Due to a Washout

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.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Information

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) is closed from Cherokee to Gatlinburg and more snow on the way

First Clingmans Dome Road closed yesterday due to snow and ice, and then as the snowfall increased and the ice built, Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg Tennessee and Cherokee North Carolina was then closed by rangers in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Crews working on the roadway right now are plowing and resending some areas in hope that Newfound Gap Road can be reopened again to at least 4 wheel drive vehicles.

Since there is a Winter storm warning above 3,500 feet and under 3,500 there is a Winter weather advisory in effect until noon edt Saturday, chances are high that of Newfound Gap us 441 will be closed again for at least some of the weekend.

Update 11-05-2010 12:53 pm. It does not look as if Newfound Gap Road will reopen today.

Newfound Gap Road US 441 between Cherokee and Gatlinburg Open After Rockslide Closure Last Night

The Great Smoky Mountains national park has seen more than its share of rockslides and landslides this last few months and yesterday was no exception as a rockslide near Mile Marker 19 on Newfound Gap Road took its toll or the roadway and drivers patience.

Fortunately, the rockslide took place new an overlook with a large parking area so that traffic could be diverted through the parking area while the Newfound Gap roadway was still open and cleanup and barriers were put onto place.

Last night the park service closed the entire length of Newfound Gap Road at 8:00 pm in case further debris fell off the hillside at night into traffic. Even before the road was closed an extensive system of barriers was set up which has been augmented with the addition of concrete barriers to keep any further debris from Newfound Gap Road US 441 which opened today at 7 am.

Drive slowly through the area and expect traffic diversions and the potential to having to come to a complete stop in around the landslide/rockslide area. The park service is waiting to see if the area has been stabilized or if in fact large equipment needs to scrape off and remove any loose debris.

Newfound Gap Road US 441 Closes as winter storm hit Great Smoky Mountains national park.

First, it was Old State Road 284 from Big Creek to Cataloochee that closed due to winter storm conditions and now it is Newfound Gap Road US 441 between Cherokee North Carolina and Gatlinburg Tennessee. Snow is falling hard and sticking to the road surface below the Chimneys already.

As much as a foot or more is expected to fall in the higher elevation tonight with a little more snow on the way tomorrow, so expect roadways in the Great Smoky Mountains national park for what could be days.

Heavy snow and previously weakened limbs from our last few storms have prompted power and phone companies in the area are expecting the worst with widespread scattered power and phone outages predicted all throughout the North Carolina and Tennessee Smokies.

The next major road in the GSMNP to close due to this storm will be Little River Road and hopes are that the Pigeon Forge - Gatlinburg Spur can be kept open.

Other roads expected to close shortly will be the Foothills parkway East, Foothills Parkway West and the Gatlinburg Bypass between Newfound Gap Road and The Spur section of the Foothills parkway.

Current Road conditions and closures in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Fatal accident closes Newfound Gap Road (US 441) in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

A fatal combination of high winds and saturated ground claimed the life of one of the passengers in a car on Newfound Gap Road near the Chimneys Picnic area heading toward Gatlinburg. The victim Tonya Renee Eichler, 39 from Sevierville, Tennessee was killed when large trees fell on top of the car while it was being driven by Jody Simonds also from of Sevierville.

High winds especially in the upper elevations have been buffeting the park since last night and the GSM national parks electronic variable message signs warned drivers of the high wind danger prior to the fatal accident on Newfound Gap Road.

The accident was caused when large trees fell directly onto the front passenger side of the 2003 Nissan Altima crushing and trapping Tonya Renee Eichler. The driver and his daughter who was in the back seat were able exit the car by climbing out of the windows.

National Park Rangers and a Gatlinburg Rescue crew responded quickly to the scene of the accident on the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains national park where they found the deceased driver inside the smashed vehicle with downed trees blocking the road.

A passing motorist with a chain saw already had begun cutting the trees in an attempt to free Tonya Renee Eichler who was pronounced dead at the scene. The jaws-of-life were later used to extricate her from the crushed car.

Park rangers closed Newfound Gap Road and rerouted all existing southbound traffic on US 441 back down the mountain to Gatlinburg and the northbound traffic back to Cherokee.

The Simonds’ were transported by Gatlinburg ambulance to The University of Tennessee Medical Center where they were treated and released and Tonya Renee Eichler body was transported to Ft. Sanders Sevier Medical Center.

Newfound Gap Road was closed and crews started the difficult task of cleanup and had to check the balance of the roadway at daylight for any other potential hazards before reopening it back up.

Because of the high winds, various roadways have been closed as downed trees, limbs, power lines, and vehicular accidents were cleaned up in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

In the Cades Cove section of the GSMNP, Forge Creek Road and Sparks Lane were also closed due to storm debris in the roadway.

Story updated with corrections 1/25/10 1:15 pm

Road Conditions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Open and Closed Roads in the GSMNP

With more than 30 inches of snow recorded in some areas of the Great Smoky Mountains national park it will take some time before all the roads in the GSMNP will be open. Power outages and stranded motorists have strained local emergency services, which held up well to this record-breaking snowstorm in the Smokies.

While the Smokies can get snow often in the winter, it is often gone within hours or a most a few days. While local and backcountry roads can use salt to melt ice and snow, the national park service can only use sand. Runoff from salt would disturb the delicate chemical balance in the waterways of the Great Smoky Mountains national park so salting roads in the park is forbidden.

The main priority is to open Newfound Gap Road back up which with I-40 closed at the NC TN border due to a landslide, is even more urgent. It will take days before people can go directory from Gatlinburg To Cherokee NC without huge detours.

Open Roads in the in the Great Smoky Mountains national park:

• Little River Road TN


• Gatlinburg Bypass TN


• The Spur between Gatlinburg TN and Pigeon Forge TN


• Laurel Creek Road TN


• Cades Cove Loop Road TN


• Tremont Road is open to Upper Tremont Road


• Greenbrier Road is open to Ranger station


• Wears Cove Road TN


• Cherokee Orchard Road TN is open to the Twin Creeks Science Center

Closed Roads due snow and ice in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

• US 441 Newfound Gap Road between Cherokee NC + Gatlinburg TN


• Cataloochee Entrance Road NC


• Toms Branch Road NC


• Lake View Drive NC


• Foothills Parkway East TN


• Foothills Parkway West TN

Current Road Closures and Openings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Additional Road Closings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Due to Snow and Ice.

Old 284 which connect Big Creek with Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains national park has just been added to the growing list of road closures from today's storm which is expect to dump snow until around 1 pm today.

The following GSMNP roads are now closed:

• Cataloochee Entrance Road by Maggie Valley NC


• Cherokee Orchard Road in the Roaring Fork Gatlinburg TN area


• Foothills Parkway East Cosby TN to I-40


• Little River Road from Gatlinburg TN to Townsend TN


• Old 284 Between Big Creek NC and Cataloochee NC


• Newfound Gap Road Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC (US 441)


• Wears Gap Road between Wears Valley TN and Metcalf Bottoms

Temperatures expected to remain at or below freezing for the remainder of the day and into the teens tonight so the snow and ice will stick around until at least tomorrow.

Landslide in Great Smoky Mountains national park cleared but clearing I-40 will take many months.

This has been some leaf season in the Smokies! Multiple rock and landslides within weeks create traffic nightmares for many, but fortunately yesterday's landslide in the Great Smoky Mountains national park took the park and Blalock Construction less than 24 hours to clear but the I-40 landslide only 3 miles from the Tennessee and North Carolina border will take until March 2010 or longer.

This summer we saw 2 rock slides occur along Little River Road which took days to clean up so that the road could be reopened so it was a very pleasant surprise to see how fast the main East West road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park reopened however those who wish to take I-40 from North Carolina will have to wait far longer before they can avoid detours. The real disaster for drivers will be when Newfound Gap Road (US 441) closes due to ice and snow in bad weather which is a very common occurrence.

There was another closure due to at potential landslide this moth along the Blue Ridge Parkway which has also cause drivers to have to deal with lengthy detours right when the fall season colors were at their peak along the parkway.

Related Landslide and Rockslides in the Smokies Stories:

• Rock Slide Closes Great Smoky Mountains National Parks Little River Road
• 2nd Rock Slide in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will keep major road closed far longer
• 12 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway in Mount Pisgah - Asheville Area Closed Due to Landslide Danger

Snow Closes Roads In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A light dusting of snow in the upper elevations yesterday afternoon which fell through some of the evening first closed Clingmans Dome Road and then Newfound Gap Road US 441 which runs through the Great Smoky Mountains national park connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee.

Other road such as the Blue Ridge Parkway, Old 284 and Cove Creek Road running to Cataloochee all saw accumulation and slushy icy conditions. Last evening a truck needed assistance to make it up and out of Cataloochee but not without fishtailing a few times and cosmetically damaging its tailgate.

Wet conditions made for numerous accidents in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Drivers are reminded to obey speed limit and if conditions require, to drive even slower. During leaf season especially when there is the added beauty of snow in the mountains drivers may become distracted or even slow down and stop in the roadways to take pictures which is prohibited.

This is the first day of the season that snow has been sticking and ice has been forming on roadways as pictured below on Cove Creel Road yesterday at around 3 pm.

Right now the snow and ices is melting quite well and crews are right now sanding the Newfound Gap Road which may open up before 11:00 am. As temperatures cool down later in the day and the melting snow and ice refreezes, it may have to close again.

Blue Ridge Parkway Closure because of the Stony Ridge wildfire to last until at least Saturday

The Northernmost section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Soco Road (US19) to the Great Smoky Mountains national parks main thoroughfare Newfound Gap Road (US 441) has been closed for the past 2 days due to the Stony Ridge wildfire near Cherokee North Carolina.

Fire officials believe enough of the wildfire is under control that they will be able to open the Blue Ridge Parkway some time this weekend.

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.

Major roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed due to ice and snow.

Yesterday's picturesque snow is wreaking havoc on all of the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park causing the national park service to close most major roads in and around the GSMNP.

The 3 major arteries running through the park: Newfound Gap Road US 441 connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee, Laurel Creek Road connecting the Townsend Wye with Cades Cove and Little River Road connecting the Gatlinburg/Sugarlands area with the Townsend Wye are all closed due to dangerous ice and snow.

Entrance roads to some sections of the Great Smoky Mountains national park are also closed due to ice and snow: Wears Cove Road, Cherokee Orchard Road in Roaring Fork outside Gatlinburg, Greenbrier entrance road by Pittman center, the Cosby entrance road and the Cataloochee entrance road.

Road conditions around the Great Smoky Mountains national park are also treacherous so the following roads are also closed due to ice and snow: Old route 284 from Deep Creek to Cataloochee NC, the Foothills Parkway East from I-40 to 321 Cosby, and the Gatlinburg Bypass section of the Spur - Foothills Parkway.

Newfound Gap US 441 is now open but ice and snow are still hazards in the GSMNP

Even though the Great Smoky Mountains national park opened Newfound Gap Road (US 441) between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, Laurel Creek Road, Little River Road and Wears Cove Road, some major roads in the park remain closed due to dangerous ice and snow.

The remaining major roads that are closed in the GSMNP are the Foothills Parkway East, Old 284, Cherokee Orchard Road in Gatlinburg, the Cataloochee entrance road, Cosby entrance road, and the Greenbrier Road past the rangers station.

Stream crossings whether they are footbridges or rocks can be iced and extremely dangerous so hiker must use caution.

Most roads closed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park due to ice and snow.

Snow, Ice and fog created treacherous driving conditions through most the Great Smoky Mountains national park prompting the closing of most of the through roads within the GSMNP.

The following roads are closed:

• Newfound Gap US 441 between Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN


• Foothills Parkway East


• Foothills Parkway West


• Old 284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee


• Cherokee Orchard Road after the Twin Creek Science Center in Gatlinburg


• Little River Road from the Sugarlands visitor center to the Townsend Wye


• Wears Cove Road

None of these roads are not expected to reopen today even though the snowfall has slowed down or stopped throughout much of the park.

Driving is expected to be far worse tomorrow as the freezing temperatures tonight will lock whatever has melted into sheets of ice and as much as another 4 inches of snow may fall on the Smoky Mountains.

Newfound Gap Road and Cherokee Orchard Road reopen in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as well as Cherokee Orchard Road in Gatlinburg Tennessee have both been reopened by the park service.

The park service is warning drivers that slick slippery areas still exist and drivers must use caution.

Great Smoky Mountains national park opens more roads to vehicles.

Yesterday's warmer temperature in the Smokies and aggressive sanding by the national park service has allowed numerous roads that were closed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park to reopen.

The following are the only roads still closed in the GSMNP:

• Newfound Gap Road (US 441) Between Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN
• Old 284 between Big Creek NC and Cataloochee NC
• Entrance road to the Cataloochee NC section of the GSMNP
• Foothills Parkway East from I-40 to State Road 321 in Cosby NC
• Greenbrier Road in the Greenbrier TN section of the GSMNP past the Ranger Station
• Cherokee Orchard Road in Roaring Fork section of the GSMNP outside Gatlinburg TN past the Twin Creeks Science Center

With temperatures expected to climb high into the 50s in Gatlinburg Tennessee and the surrounding area, most of these roads with the including Newfound Gap Road should be open by tomorrow.

More Road Closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Besides Newfound Gap Road US 441 and Foothills Parkway East being closed, Little River Road from the Sugarlands Visitor Center to the Townsend Wye, Wears Valley to Metcalf bottoms, Roaring Fork / Cherokee Orchard Road, the entrance to Greenbrier, the entrance to Catalooche and old 284 have all be closed by the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Bottom line: stay of the park except for the edges!

Newfound Gap Road in the GSMNP is open but Clingmans Dome Road remains closed

The main road running through the Great Smoky Mountains national park (GSMNP) US 441 Newfound Gap Road has reopened allowing passage from Gatlinburg to Cherokee.

It is common for Newfound Gap Road to close often in cold weather due to snow and ice and can remain closed for days.

Clingmans Dome Road is still closed due to snow and ice and will be closed for the winter season December 1st.

Anyone who wishes to go up to Clingmans Dome or to any of the trailheads along the way up to the dome must park at Newfound Gap Parking area. The Newfound Gap Parking area is 7 miles from the Clingmans Dome parking area.

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) Closed in the GSMNP due to snow and ice.

Last nights light snow in the upper elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains national park was enough to prompt the closing of Newfound Gap Road (US 441).

Since today more snow is expected throughout the day don't count on this major road connecting Gatlinburg Tennessee with Cherokee N Carolina to open today and if it does reopen, it will close by night when it all refreezes.