Current Road, Facility, Trail & Backcountry Updates

 

Weather-related road and facility closures may change throughout the day.
For updated road and weather information please call [phone]. Once you hear a voice, press 1, then press 1 for road information or 2 for a weather forecast.

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Follow current road status updates on Twitter at SmokiesRoadsNPS or access from the internet using this link: https://twitter.com/smokiesroadsnps. Updates are available for Newfound Gap Road (US-441), Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road, and Cades Cove Loop Road.

For current information about temporary closures, alerts or warnings related to roads, facilities, trails or the backcountry areas please use the "ON THIS PAGE" navigation bar below.

 

On This Page Navigation

 

Road Delays & Closures

Temporary Closures and Construction Projects

• Greenbrier area (including Ramsey Prong Road, Porters Creek Road, Greenbrier Picnic Area, and Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion) is closed to all use due to additional flooding. View recent news releases for more information.
• Foothills Parkway West will be fully closed from the Flats Road intersection near Look Rock to the Highway 321 intersection near Walland, TN beginning Monday, June 20 through Wednesday, August 31 for a paving project. The roadway is fully closed to all pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists to allow workers with heavy equipment to complete the work safely and efficiently. Look Rock Picnic Area, Look Rock Observation Tower, trail, and parking area are open and accessible during the closure.
• Visitors traveling on Newfound Gap Road should expect weekday, single-lane closures, and traffic delays starting Monday, April 25. Lane closures are permitted from 7:00 a.m. on Mondays through 12:00 p.m. on Fridays. The lane closures will be managed with flagging operations and a pilot car to lead traffic through work zones. In addition, some parking areas and pull-offs will be closed intermittently. To better accommodate visitors during periods of high visitation, no daytime lane closures will be allowed on weekends and holidays. Park motorists should expect traffic delays. 
• Blue Ridge Parkway - for information about parkway closures, please call [phone] or visit the parkway's website at https://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm.

Seasonal Closures

For information about seasonal closures, including Clingmans Dome, Rich Mountain Road, Parson Branch Road, and others during the winter months, please see:

• Seasonal Road Closures
• Seasonal Facility Closures

 

Trail Closures, Warnings & Cautions

Bear Trail Closures - areas that are closed due to bear activity.

Please read What Do I Do If I See A Bear? for important safety information about bears.

• None at this time

Bear Trail Warnings - areas where bears are active.

Please read What Do I Do If I See A Bear? for important safety information about bears.

• Little River Trail

Other Trail Closures & Warnings

• Greenbrier trails (including Porters Creek Trail and Ramsey Cascades Trail) are closed to all use due to additional flooding. Old Settlers, Brushy Mountain, and Grapeyard Ridge trails remain open, but hikers must access them from parking lots near the Greenbrier entrance or other areas of the park. View recent news releases for more information.
• Unofficial roadside parking near Laurel Falls has been blocked with temporary barriers, including traffic cones, to deter pedestrians from unsafely walking in traffic lanes on the busy road to reach the trailhead. Temporary barriers are in place from Thursday, June 9 through Sunday, October 30, 2022. Once the designated parking areas are full, no parking for this trail will be available.
• Scott Mountain Trail is closed from campsite #6 to Schoolhouse Gap. Campsite #6 is open.

Trail Cautions

• Please note that the park's backcountry is managed as a natural area where the forces of nature determine trail conditions. The following list includes some conditions that the park is currently aware of. However, hikers may encounter trail conditions not listed below that require caution. Be prepared for swollen streams, bridge washouts, downed trees, and trail erosion when hiking in the park's backcountry.
• Rabbit Creek Trail - the bridge where the trail crosses Abrams Creek is out. This is a wide crossing that may be deep during high water events.
• Boogerman/Caldwell Fork trails - several water crossings exist on the Caldwell Fork Trail. Hikers need to be prepared to ford the streams.
• Boat shuttles to and from Hazel Creek when lake levels are low are from the Ollie Cove Trailhead on the Hazel Creek embankment. Ask the shuttle service about this when making a reservation to be dropped or picked up. This is due to a bridge that is out of service on Hazel Creek and adds about 1/2 mile to the hike. Trail signs are in place to direct you from the Hazel Creek Trail and Lakeshore Trail intersection to Ollie Cove Trail that is one mile east on Lakeshore Trail from Hazel Creek.

 

Backcountry Facility Closures & Warnings

For current backcountry trail and campsite information, please call [phone].

Bear Campsite/Shelter Closures - areas that are closed due to bear activity.

Please read What Do I Do If I See A Bear? for important safety information about bears.

• Cosby Knob Shelter
• Campsite 9

Bear Campsite/Shelter Warnings - areas where bears are active.

Please read What Do I Do If I See A Bear? for important safety information about bears.

• Mollies Ridge Shelter
• Campsite 21

Other Backcountry Facility Closures & Warnings

• Campsites 31, 32, and 33 closed due to flooding/access

 

Cave & Mine Shaft Closure

Entry into all caves and mine shafts is prohibited due to concerns about the spread of white nose syndrome among bats. more