Government Closure Status in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

It is hard to believe that we are already in the 11th day of the Government Shutdown that among other hardships has closed the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the Blue Ridge Parkway facilities just as peak tourist season and leaf season begin in the Smokies.

Of course great news would be that everyone is working again and all national parks and forests are open. So far this is not the case; however, the federal government decided that if a state government can pay the expenses, federal parks can be reopened as long as the expenses are being covered.

The Great Smoky Mountains national park (GSMNP) encompasses more than 800 square miles straddling the states of North Carolina and Tennessee with the state border slicing the park lengthwise. While the GSMNP is has more land in North Carolina, the most accessible and heavily visited parts of the park are in Tennessee such as Cades Cove.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is presently working with Tennessee congressmen to see if it is feasible to use state government resources to reopen part or all of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with 3 other areas that the federal government shutdown has closed.

No official word yet if North Carolina will be willing to help pay to reopen the Great Smoky Mountains national park and with Tennessees help alone, it may not be enough for the park to open until the Federal Shutdown is lifted.

Presently the national park is legally closed to all use other than traversing the 3 roads which remain open, along with utilizing unblocked pullouts and overlooks which include the Newfound Gap parking and the Newfound Gap bathrooms.

The only roads in the park right now open are Newfound Gap Road US441 all the way from the entrance at Cherokee North Carolina, to where it ends 30 miles away at the city of Gatlinburg Tennessee and the Gatlinburg Bypass which connects Newfound Gap Road by the city limits to the Spur.

The Spur is also open and it is part of the Foothill Parkway outside the park and it connects Gatlinburg with Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

Current Road Conditions and Closure Status in the GSMNP

The entire hiking trail system in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is officially closed due to severe manpower shortages from the Government Shutdown as they are now considered unsafe.

Hikers right now are tolerated along the Appalachian Trail, Husky Gap Hiking Trail, Gatlinburg Hiking Trail, and the Oconaluftee River Trail.

If a trailhead is blocked off with cones or barricades do not hike there as you are subject to fine or arrest and you're putting others in danger.

As for facilities in the park such as Visitor Centers, Stores, Stables, Picnic Areas, Bathrooms, Historic Buildings, Campgrounds and Campsites, they are all closed. Do not trespass in these closed areas.

Looking to go horseback ridding? We suggest Walden Creek Stables.

Even though campgrounds are closed, the campground hosts are still there and looking to report any trespassers which is their duty, so please stay away from areas you are not allowed!

As for all the closed roads in the park, cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, skateboards, and roller skates are forbidden.

Even though these closed roads are off limits to all use. Walking is tolerated. If you wish to walk along any park roads, keep in mind that you want to be walking in a way emergency or maintenance vehicles may use the road and not expect you so stay away from blind curves.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park may be the most visited national park in the United States, but the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited park unit in the country with almost twice the users that the GSMNP has.

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles from the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains national park in North Carolina all the way up to Virginia where it reaches the edge of the Shenandoah National Park.

Originally the Blue Ridge Parkway might have been closed during the shutdown, now all of its 469 miles are open to vehicles even there was a partial closure which required some emergency road repair work that was just finished yesterday.

All facilities such as picnic areas and visitor centers along the entire parkway remain closed. The Pisgah Inn in North Carolina which serves food along with the Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant in Virginia, have been allowed to reopen.

Another great attraction along the Blue Ridge Parkway and only about an hour away from the Great Smoky Mountains national park just east of Asheville is the Folk Center which just reopened.

At the Folk Center you can see museum quality exhibits of local craftsmanship from furniture to clothes as well as a craft store.

There are picnic tables at some of the pull offs along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but cooking is forbidden. There is also a picnic area at the Folk Center which I would suggest as a stop.

Presently none of the pullouts for scenic outlooks or parking areas for hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway are blocked off or closed. At this point the hiking trails have not been listed as off limits. Use of camping and campgrounds are prohibited.

Graveyard Fields: Blue Ridge Parkway October 10th 2013

One of the most popular hiking areas on the Blue Ridge parkway is Graveyard Fields about an hour away from the Great Smoky Mountains national park. As of yesterday it has the most advanced fall color of any of the areas I have seen in more than 300 miles with a ways to go.

Once you are past the first 20 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkways entrance at the Smokies you will see small markers showing hiking trails every few miles. From short scenic walks to 20 mile or longer hikes, there is something or everyone.

Hiking Trails on Blue Ridge Parkway

If you love scenery such as what you see at Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap, I can assure you that you will be blown away by the stunning beauty you will see along the Blue Ridge Parkway. You will also see numerous wildlife especially off the road and on the trails such as black bear, elk, and deer is also quite numerous.

Ranger presence is light along the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it is best you do not hike alone, past your capability and be prepared as a fast rescue may not happen.

Be advised, though their presence is lighter than usual, rangers are taking enforcement seriously, especially speeding and passing on double yellow lines in both the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the Blue Ridge Parkway because of the seriousness and number of fatal accidents such behavior cost.

Besides the hundreds of miles of great hiking trails still apparently open along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Pisgah National Forest is also close by and accessible right off the Blue Ridge Parkway or I-40.

The Pisgah National Forest is enormous covering 512,758 acres with about 10% of which is old growth forest and like the GSM national park there are no facilities open, but people are using all of the hiking trail without any issues so far.

Other great places to go hiking not extremely far away are the 3 TVA trails: Tellico East Lakeshore Trail, the River Bluff Trail and the Hemlock Bluff Trail.

There is also Haw Ridge Park between Knoxville and Oak Ridge and the very nice moderate hike on the Pinnacle Trail in Sylva, North Carolina about 30 minutes tops from the GSMNP.

Not enough hiking for you? Add on the Panther Creek State Park in Tennessee, North Carolina's Dupont State Forest and the Nantahala Forest, the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, and an awesome drive along the Cherohala Skyway in the Lenoir area of Tennessee.

Wait a minute! I never mentioned the weeks of attractions you will find in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee, not including our beloved Dollywood Theme Park and the Ripley's Attractions Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Sure the park being closed hurts, but no one is expecting it to remain closed by next weekend, and even so, so at what else there is do around the Smoky Mountains. Now you see why we all call them the GREAT Smoky Mountains!

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Last updated 10/11/13 4:05pm