Government Shutdown: Road + Facility Closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

It's happened. The Government shutdown has closed the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to all public use today other than traveling along Newfound Gap Road/US441 from Cherokee North Carolina to Gatlinburg Tennessee.

All other the other Great Smoky Mountains National Parks roads are closed and so are all of the hiking trails, picnic areas, visitor centers, bathrooms, horse stables, streams, scenic overlooks, parking areas, historic buildings, campgrounds and backcountry primitive campsites.

All ongoing scientific studies, park interpretive programs, special events such as weddings, parks as classrooms education programs, have also all been cancelled. Trail rehabilitation and park maintenance has all been stopped and even the park web cam feeds is shut off.

Foothills Parkway East which is outside the park and connects I-40 and 32 in Cosby and the Foothills Parkway West are also both closed.

While the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and all other National Parks, National Monuments, National Seashores, National Historic sites and National Museums have all closed in the past due to Government Shutdowns, the timing of this closure is especially bad.

If the closure extends by more than a few weeks, it would be disastrous to the local economy which depends on the fall leaf season for a huge percentage of their revenue. Add in government workers being furloughed or not paid and you will see that everyone is feeling the pain.

So far the government shut down in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has cause 279 park employees, 60 concessions employees and 45 Great Smoky Mountains Association employees to be indefinitely put on furlough without pay. This does not count wedding photographers, fishing and private tour guides who pay for permits to work in the park.

Tourists coming into the Great Smoky Mountains to see the best of the Smokies fall leaf season book months in advance. Backcountry and front country campers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have to do the same and sadly can not stay here regardless of reservations.

The elk rut is also in full swing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which attracts thousands of photographers and nature lovers to Cataloochee and Balsam Mountain which are closed.

During October, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park normally sees at least 35,000 visitors on average each day and nationwide the National Park System hosts more than 715,000 visitors a day.

Campers in the national park campgrounds, LeConte Lodge as well as campers in the backcountry campsites have been asked to leave by 6pm Thursday. Some campgrounds are already empty and locked.

There appears to be campgrounds outside the park right now that have extra space, but in the next few weeks, many who thought they could camp here in the Smokies may be out of luck.

National park rangers and other park personnel were clearing out picnic areas, horse stables, locking bathrooms and putting up facility closed signs throughout the park. A very sad day indeed.

Non essential personnel whose numbers have been greatly reduced due to the Sequestration are now being furloughed without pay and they are not alone as about 800,000 federal employees throughout the country lost their income overnight as well.

The more than 3,000 volunteers who work within the park have been asked not to report to duty for as long as the closure takes place.

Law Enforcement Park Rangers will continue to work through the closure although it is not clear if and when they will be paid. I cannot stress enough that there will be no tolerance to those breaking the law such as trespassing on federal land when it is closed to all public use.

We will be providing updates to this story when they become available.

Last Updated 10/01/13 4:55 pm EST

Related Government GSMNP and BRP Closure Articles:

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

High Winds, Rain, Fog and Light Snow Blanket The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains national park has seen days of rain and melting snow saturating the ground toppling trees. With today's wind event gaining in strength, especially on the Tennessee side, it is best that visitors stay out of the park while crews work on making the roads in the park safe again.

Road closures include Newfound Gap Road and now Cades Cove Loop Road and even after the storm is over it may take a while to cleaned up the downed trees and dangerous snags before the roads will be safe to open again.

The Foothills Parkway West has so many downed trees Great Smoky Mountains national park road crews were only able to open the roadway into a single lane alternating on each side for administrative purposes and not for public access until the numerous trees blocking the roadway can be cleared.

Today's high wind advisory calls for gusts up to 45 mph and the winter warning in effect from 9 pm tonight to 4 pm Sunday calls for high winds, snow, sleet and freezing rain. Accumulations of less than 5 inches are expected in lower elevations.

This appears to be another weekend in the Smokies that if you do not have to be out on the road, it's best to stay home and stay safe.

Road Conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Cades Cove Loop Road is now open but many Great Smoky Mountains National Park roads remain closed

Drivers can take Little River Road from the intersection of Newfound Gap Road by Gatlinburg all the way to the Townsend Wye and then take Laurel Creek Road all the way to Cades Cove, which is now open to motorists.

Old State Road 284 remains closed and will so for days as crews intensify their efforts on Newfound Gap Road US 411 that remains closed at this time.

Drivers between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg can use both the Spur section of the Foothills Parkway as well as the Gatlinburg bypass, which has stunning views right now looking over the city of Gatlinburg with Mount Le Conte in the distance.

Both the Foothills Parkways East by Cosby and I-40 and the Foothills Parkway West starting at 321 in Walland remain closed at this time.

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

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 storm road closures in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

The Smoky Mountains had its share of cold weather; snow and freezing rain the past few days prompting road closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National park. Driving the steep winding roads in the GSM national park is enough of a challenge without snow and ice on the road.

Fortunately the main thoroughfare Newfound Gap Road (US 441) is now safe for travel and has now been opened again so drivers can drive through the national park from Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC.

The Cataloochee section of the park near Maggie Valley North Carolina is completely shut off however as both the main entrance road to Cataloochee and Old 284 connection Big Creek to Cataloochee are both closed due to snow and ice.

Forge Creek Road in Cades Cove Tennessee remains closed due to hazardous conditions.

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.

More closures in the Great Smoky Mountains national park started today.

The national park service has closed the 2 unimproved motor trails in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the winter.

Both the Rich Mountain Road and the newly opened Parsons Branch Road are now both closed until late spring to vehicles but still offer beautiful hiking.

The last part of the Roundbottom - Straight Fork Road off of Big Cove road in Cherokee North Carolina will be closing on November 12th. Though there are no faculties in this section of the park open now other than the Roundbottom horse camp which is also closing on the 12th, this is a wonderful place to get away from it all for the next few days.

Closures on Newfound Gap Road in National Park to begin

To allow for repaving on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park most popular road starting April 16th there will be temporary lane closures on the North Carolina side of Newfound Gap Road also know as US 441.

The work being done to the national parks major thoroughfare is the repaving of a 10 mile stretch of Newfound Gap Road from the Gap to the Collins Creek Picnic Area in North Carolina and the completion of this $15,316,340 contract is expected in October 2007.

The Great Smoky Mountains national park is going to use the same lane closure schedule as last season which had very little impact on park visitors.

April 16 2007 through June 14 2007

• Sunday night 10:00 pm until noon on Fridays Lane closures will be permitted.
• Fridays from noon to 10:00 pm no lane closures will be allowed.
• Saturdays and Sundays between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm No lane closures will be allowed.

June 15 2007 through August 15 2007

• No day time lane closures will be allowed only night closures permitted to close lanes at night.
• Monday through Thursday from 9:00 pm to 8:00 am night closures can be imposed.
• Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 pm until 8:00 am night closures may occur.

August 16 2007 through September 30 2007

• Fridays from noon to 10:00 pm no lane closures will be allowed
• Saturdays and Sundays between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm no lane closures will be allowed
• Monday 8:00 am until noon on Fridays lane closures will be permitted

All September 2007

• Weekends - day or night - No lane closures will be allowed