News Release

Cherokee Orchard Road and Twin Creeks Trail to close January 9 to January 13 for maintenance work

Date: January 3, 2023
Contact: Emily Davis, 865-436-1207

GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials will close Cherokee Orchard Road Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 13 while crews install boulders along the road shoulders. At the same time, Richmond Tree Experts will take advantage of the road closure and remove damaged trees along the roadside.

For visitor safety, Twin Creeks Trail will also be closed and there will be no access to Rainbow Falls and Trillium Gap trailheads from either Cherokee Orchard Road or Twin Creeks Trail.

The boulder placement is part of a larger project to increase visitor and resource safety along park roads. Vehicles parked along roadside shoulders obstruct the flow of traffic and create blind spots for motorists, resulting in significant safety hazards for visitors walking to or from their vehicles. Roadside parking can also impact adjacent habitats, damage road edges, cause erosion, and delay emergency response. 

For more information about temporary road and trail closures, please visit the park’s Current Road, Facility, Trail & Backcountry Updates webpage. More information about increased parking safety is also available in a December news release.
 

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