Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Reopen by Midnight Tonight and Completely by 12 Noon.

The good news is in a nick of time the National Park was funded by both Tennessee and North Carolina for $60,100 a day for 5 days for a total of $300,500. This will keep the park open until Sunday through the first weekend of the fall peak leaf season.

Tennessee's share of the park bill dwarfs the $75,000 North Carolina is spending to open its side of the park. Though more of the GSMNP is in North Carolina, Tennessee has much higher visitation and thus stood losing far more income for its residents that depend on the park visitors and sales tax revenue for the state and nearby counties.

The bad news is it will take time to bring furloughed workers back in and turn on services such as power and water as well as remove barricades tomorrow so the national park is saying much will be open by 8 am and expect full operations back to normal by 12 noon October 16th.

The park will technically be open tonight, but most facilities such as the campgrounds and picnic areas may not be ready until noontime.

Cades Cove Loop Road and Cataloochee Valley are expected to be upon sunrise as well as some of the park roads that are presently closed.

The LeConte Lodge has always been manned, and will be ready for the public tomorrow. Call (865)429-5704 in the morning for openings.

Campers with existing reservations for any days the park is now open will be honored. It is still not clear if new reservations can be made as the reservation system may not be functional.

If the Federal shutdown is not over by Sunday, the park will be officially closed back up just before midnight on Sunday, October 20th. That is unless the states pay more to keep the GSMNP open longer.

Last update 10/15/13 7:47pm

Related Government GSMNP and BRP Closure Articles:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Will Reopen Tomorrow. - 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

Is Newfound Gap Road Between Cherokee and Gatlinburg Open Again?

As anyone working in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Cherokee or in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park what question they are asked most often since the huge landslide in January of this year right by mile marker 22 and they will tell you is will be a pleasure to say yes, Newfound Gap Road is open all the way from the Sugarlands all the way to Cherokee, North Carolina.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Stays Open

As a stopgap agreement has been reached, the government shut down has been avoided so the Great Smoky Mountains national park, as well as all national parks and monuments will remain open for business.

Newfound Gap Road and most GSMNP roads open.

Beside all of the snow and ice on the roads, tree limbs laden with snow, broke, uprooted or just bent under the weight creating road blockages and hazards in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Hikers may encounter obstructions related to this storm in backcountry for months.

Newfound Gap Road, Laurel Creek Road, Little River Road and Cades Cove Loop Road all remain open however Old State Road 284, the Foothills Parkway East, the Cataloochee Entrance Road as well as Lake View Drive all remain closed to due ice, snow and some other storm related cleanup needed.

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

Newfound Gap Road Remains Open, Elkmont Too.

The Smokies are still digging themselves out from underneath a major snowstorm and more roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park remain open including the Elkmont Campgrounds entrance road and Newfound Gap Road between Cherokee and Gatlinburg.

Additional good news for drivers is that the predicted snow for this week has been called off. With this warming trend roadways will continue to open.

Black ice has been forming so drivers need to be even more cautious at when temperatures drop at night especially along bridges and sooner in higher elevations.

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

Newfound Gap Road Now Open to Cars

Great Smoky Mountains national parks main through road Newfound Gap Road, has finally been opened back up by the park service. Drivers are cautioned that there is still ice and snow on the roadway and to drive with extreme caution.

Because the road surface is less than optimal, buses have been asked to stay off Newfound Gap Road at this time. Plunging temperatures tonight will refreeze and snow melt which may closes again if road conditions deteriorate any further.

Refreezing snow melt is particularly problem some on the Tennessee side above the Alum Cave Hiking Trail parking area in the last 1-1/2 below the gap which is more shaded and steep.

No other major roads in the park have reopened at this time but some are expected to open tomorrow.

Current Road Closures and Openings 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.

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.

Newfound Gap road reopens in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

As the weather improves over the Great Smoky Mountains national park so do the traffic conditions because the Great Smoky Mountains national park has just opened back up Newfound Gap Road the main thoroughfare between Gatlinburg and Cherokee.

It is possible that with this evenings cold conditions will close the road as it refreezes.

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.

Cades Cove reopend but other GSMNP roads remains closed

Cades Cove Loop Road and Laurel Creek Road in the GSMNP have reopened form being closed due to icy and snowy conditions

All other roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remain closed.

All but 2 roads now open in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Today's fantastic weather has melted most of the snow and ice on the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park so all but 2 roads that were previously closed due to winter conditions are now open.

The only closed roads due to ice and snow are Old 284 in North Carolina and the Cataloochee entrance road.

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.

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.

A few roads in the Great Smoky Mountains Nat Park

A few roads just opened in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but a still considered treacherous.

The newly opened roads are:

Little River Road from the Sugarlands to the Townsend Wye.

Laurel Creek Road to Tremont and Cades Cove

The Spur from Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge

Cades Cove Loop Road

The Gatlinburg Bypass section of the Spur

Entrance Road to Cosby

STAY ALERT AND DRIVE SLOW!

Newfound Gap Road is closed again in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Once again the main road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed due to snow and ice.

Since it is still snowing in the higher elevations in the GSMNP Newfound Gap may not reopen today.

Newfound Gap Road Reopens in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

After plenty in sanding and plowing along with strong sunlight, Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reopened.

Drivers are cautioned that there is still snow and and ice on the road which may close again if conditions worsen.

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.

Newfound Gap Road Between Gatlinburg and Cherokee reopened

The national park service was able to plow and sand enough to make Newfound Gap Road US 441 safe for drivers to make it through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Based on the current weather this road may close again as it will ice as the temperature drops in the afternoon.

GSMNP Closes Trillium Gap to Grotto Falls Hiking Trail Again

Reports from the Great Smoky Mountains national park keep coming in of widespread damage throughout the national park from damage sustained from this weekend's major wind rains and snow storms.

There are trees and large limbs down on roads and hiking trails throughout the park so drivers, hikers and people on horseback have to use extreme caution. Heavy rains and falling trees have also cause some small landslides with trees, branches, rocks and mud blocking some trails.

On the very popular Trillium Gap Trail located in the Roaring Fork area of the national park near Gatlinburg Tennessee which takes hikers to the Grotto Falls, a stone retaining wall collapsed.

Officials in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to closed the Trillium Gap Trail from the trailhead on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail to its junction with the Brushy Mountain Trail 2.7 miles away.

The officials are hoping that the repairs being made to the 25 foot damaged section located on extremely steep side slope just below Grotto Falls will be repaired this week so that the hiking trail can be reopened this Friday, April 20th. The repair work is requiring the use of jack hammers that will be used to install steel reinforcing rods into the bedrock.

This is one of the 2 popular trails to a waterfall in the Roaring fork area of the park and at only a 3 miles round trip is a more moderate hike than the Rainbow Falls trail which will remain open.