Great Smoky Mountains National Park NOW OPEN
UPDATED Thursday October 17, 2013 – With the government shutdown now over, the federal government has completely opened back up which means all of the national parks including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are open once again. This includes all hiking trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, overlooks, etc. The opening takes place right at the peak of the fall colors at the highest elevations of the Smokies so it’s a perfect time to get out and enjoy the beautiful fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains!
(Original article from October 1, 2013) – We have gotten a lot of questions asking if the Great Smoky Mountains National park is closed and we now have an official update as of October 1, 2013. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Public Affairs Office has released information regarding the park’s closure due to the government shutdown. All park visitor centers, campgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails, restrooms and facilities are closed during the shutdown. Additionally, all volunteer activities, ranger programs and special events are cancelled.
Roads that remain open through the park are the Highway 441 “spur”, which connects Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg, the Gatlinburg bypass, which many people use to get around downtown Gatlinburg by going up the mountain. Also open is Newfound Gap Road which connects Gatlinburg to Cherokee,NC. All other roads within the park, including the Cades Cove loop, will be closed during the shutdown. The Cades Cove campground is also closed during the government shutdown.
Viewing Fall Foliage
If you want to get into the mountains to see the fall colors, one of the best routes to take coming from Pigeon Forge on Highway 441 is to get off on the Gatlinburg bypass just before you get into Gatlinburg. Follow that route up the mountain and you will come to a fantastic overlook on the left with picturesque views. Follow that road until it dead-ends back into 441. At that point you have the option of going into downtown Gatlinburg, or you can head up the mountain to Newfound Gap for a beautiful drive that as an incredible overlook at the top.
What is Open and Closed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
There have been a lot of questions as to exactly what is open and closed during the government shutdown of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The following information was provided by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park dispatch office for the Pigeon Forge Chamber of Commerce.
What’s Open
- Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) between Gatlinburg and Cherokee
- The overlook at Newfound Gap including restroom facility
- Most of the scenic overlooks
- The Gatlinburg Bypass between the north side of Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- “The Spur” between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
- Great Smoky Mountains Association Visitor Centers outside the park as follows:
Gatlinburg Welcome Center
520 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TNTownsend Welcome Center
7906 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy
Townsend, TNSevier County Visitor Center
3099 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Kodak, TN
What’s Closed
(in the list below, “GSMNP” means Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
- All GSMNP hiking and horse trails
- All GSMNP roads except those mentioned above
- All GSMNP campgrounds
- All GSMNP picnic Areas
- Cades Cove, Cataloochee, Clingmans Dome, Cosby, Big Creek, Greenbrier, Balsam Mountain, The Mountain Farm Museum, etc.
- All GSMNP visitor centers
- All GSMNP restrooms (except Newfound Gap)
- Historic grist mills
- The Foothills Parkway East and West
- LeConte Lodge
- All GSMNP horse stables
- All GSMNP horse camps
- All GSMNP streams are closed to fishing
- Appalachian Trail shelters
Chief Ranger Clay Jordan said, “We ask that the public voluntarily respect the closure of the backcountry for everyone’s safety. With less staff on duty, we do not have the personnel on hand to sufficiently respond to emergency situations in the backcountry. We understand the desire of visitors to hike during this beautiful time of year and we are hopeful that the park will soon reopen.”
For more information about road closures, please call Great Smoky Mountains National Park office at 865-436-1200.
Smoky Mountains Closed – Updates
As the government comes to a resolution and resumes we will update this article with information regarding exactly what is opening up and when. Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter or like our facebook page to get updated as soon as new information is released.
Please share this page with others on facebook, twitter, etc to help us get the word out and keep visitors informed of what to expect when they visit the Smoky Mountains!
It is such a shame that our elected officials cannot be grown ups work together and come to a resolution. We all have to suffer and mis the beauty o God’s glory because of party politics?!?! I could not be more disappointed in our government.
THIS IS SO SAD TO SEE THINGS HAPPENING LIKE THIS. IT’S ALSO SAD AND SCARRY TO SEE POOR LEADERSHIP IN OUR GOVERNMENT.
How sad that the Political Power can do so much harm,trying to pass what we do not want.
We live in the most wonderful country and help everyone. But can’t make decisions together.
Many people are being hurt by this – but the people making the decisions don’t feel the pain.
Praying for a Quick result so people can get back to normal once again. GOD BLESS AMERICA.
I am working to obtain the name and Email address of every legislator that has contributed to this mess. They need personal reprimands from ALL of us.
Government Shutdown? Well, it’s not a shutdown for Congress’s pocketbooks, they are still getting paid!!! They have managed to put that loophole in, so this mess is not costing them a dime! As usual, it’s the American People(those of us who are still working) who are flitting the bill. All Congress represents to me is one huge interest group concerned only for themselves and their own posterity (children and grandchildren) We are fooling ourselves if we think otherwise…
i really do hope that something if agreed on soon because we have already rented a cabin in the mountains for the holidays and it would be a same if we dont get to stay up there with my family that lives way up north?
Its Obamas pride.The bible says pride comes before the fall.He has been a failure from the start.He cares nothing about this country.
Amen!
All Obama cares about is inflicting as much pain as he possibly can upon the working men and women of this great country…. that he is trying to destroy in every way he possibly can. Those taking from welfare, some for many generations, and have no desire to ever work a day in their lives. Our country has truly become an abomination just as the Lord said would happen and it has…it’s sittin’ in the White House and IT needs to be moved out of there!!!!
Thankfully the main route over the mountain is still accessible along with a few spurs. Newfound gap is a great view. Facilities are closed but not the woods. Find a tree, if need be, take some toilet pepper with thee. ps and a shovel
Remember this when you go to the voting booth next time! And please don’t have a short memory and forgot about this the next time elections are held! Take time to let your voice be heard….VOTE all of these clowns out of office!
Liked our children, our political leaders need adult supervision, so sad they are letting this great country slip into political quicksand !!!!
I never voted for him…not the first time and not ever. I think Ben Carson would make an absolutely wonderful president! And just imagine, someone with not just some intelligence, but an amazing intelligent mind!!!!!!
I CANNOT EVEN BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN WOULD CLOSED PIGEON FORGE,
TN. OBAMA IS THE ONE TO BE BLAME FOR THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN. I WISH HE WOULD KEEP HIS UGLIEST BLACK FACE OFF THE AIRS AND OFF TVS BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY NO ONE
IN AMERICA WANTS TO SEE OBAMA’S UGLIEST BLACKEST FACE ON THE AIRS AND ON TVS AT ALL PERIOD (100) PERCENT. I HATE HIM AND I WLL ALWAYS HATE HIM FOREVER.
AMEN, all OBAMA wants to do is to destroy what left if this country. I hope everyone who was stupid enough to vote for him got what they wanted. He is the to blame period.
I too have a cabin for thanksgiving and hope and pray that this will be all over with, but if not, what a shame, our so called freedom just goes out the window. i am ashamed of my country and the leadership that runs it. our favorite spots are in the mountains, and some trails to hike and we never miss out on Cades Cove. that is soooooo sad.
They can’t close nature. I plan to hike during my trip regardless. Anyone there to arrest me will be furloughed anyway.
The government shutdown did not cause these closures. They are actually spending extra money to make some of the closures that they could use to keep the other closings open. The executive branch is responsible for the closures, they choose to close, they aren’t forced to close.
Who is responsible for the shutdowns? Here’s your answer…
https://www.theblaze.com/contributions/amber-alert-our-country-is-missing
We have been going to Cades Cove and having a picnic on our “rock” since our honeymoon 29 years ago. Lots of great pictures and memories of our family growing and growing up! Never in a million years did I think we’d not get to go this October because our government has shut down! I heard on the news that certain parts of the government have been directed to make this as hard as possible for us everyday folks. What kind of a leader does that? There is a difference between a political leader and a statesman. Sadly, our elected officials don’t seem to know (or care) about the difference.
Will Rogers once said, “The short memories of American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.” I will remember and I vote! Pass it on…
We have been taking our grandsons to Cades Cove since they were four months old. They are now seven and eight years old. Both have been sitting on grandpas lap and have learned to “drive” the truck. They would be so disappointed if they couldn’t. This is a tradition with them.
If Obamacare can be repealed by getting delayed another year when the 2014 elections are upon us, then I will live with the stupid Govt shutdowns. The cause is greater than the inconvenience.
It’s a shame that people save for a vacation then have things closed. I know that if I were in Cades Cove and not be able to drive the loop, I would be so disappointed. These government people need to stop throwing their weight (and their stomachs, they are still feeding their faces) around and get busy.
Just got back from a trip to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. We picnic in the park before you go into Roaring Fork and in Cherokee, we enjoyed Newfoundland Gap and the overlooks which weren’t closed. We did not let the Government destroyed our trip. Leave it shut down until they can resolve what needs to be resolved.
Way to go on making the deal to keep reopen the parks. Nice to hear.