Fall Peak Color and Great Smoky Mountains National Park Government Shutdown 2013

More than a million people a year come to the Great Smoky Mountains to enjoy the fall color in the Mountains of East Tennessee and North Western North Carolina.

This year will be no different even though a government shutdown has closed many federal buildings and facilities.

The timing could not have been worse for a government shutdown that then start of fall color which is starting to show all along the high elevations and sporadically down to the valleys.

Clearly the fall leaf color is starting in the Smokies and the peak looks to be right on schedule between the 14th to the 29th with hopefully some nice colors in the valleys on up to the weekend of November 3rd.

The biggest problem we have will not be the lack of fall beauty nor the access to beautiful scenery or places to hike, picnic or fish, but the misunderstanding as to where to go to see the stunning fall beauty in God's country even if most of the Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed because of the government shuts down.

No one is expecting at even the worst case scenario that the government shutdown will extend all the way through the Smokies fall leaf season and if it does rest assured that there and hundreds and hundreds of miles of hiking trails open, streams to fish, rivers to white water raft on and spectacular roads to motor tour on with breathtaking longs range vistas, streams and waterfalls.

Let's first get the bad news out of the way. The Great Smoky Mountains national park is closed right now due to the government shutdown. No it does not mean you cannot enter the park anywhere, but is does mean that you are limited as to what you can in the park when you get here.

All of the Great Smoky Mountains national parks visitor and information centers are closed. The campgrounds, picnic areas and all other buildings and park facilities are closed.

Other than US441 also known as Newfound Gap Road that stretches from Cherokee North Carolina all the way over the mountain for 30 miles to Gatlinburg Tennessee and the small offshoot road the Gatlinburg Bypass, all roads in the park are closed to vehicles.

All sections of the park such as Cosby, Abrams Falls, Cades Cove, the Roaring Fork Motor nature trail are all behind locked gates. Officially, everything behind a closed gate in the park as long as Washington DC has closed all national parks is off limits to any use.

Originally even the scenic pull-outs and trail heads were blocked off with cones on US 441 and no one was allowed to park anywhere in the park. At one point the Newfound Gap parking area was closed along with the restrooms there. These restrictions have been lifted.

As it stands right now, you can pull over and park in any pull out or parking area along the entire length of Newfound Gap Road except for the barricaded areas which include: the Oconaluftee Visitor Center by the Cherokee entrance, the Chimneys hiking trail trailhead, the Alum Cave hiking trail trailhead and the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Park Headquarters near Gatlinburg Tennessee.

The national park get so many visitors so rescues on park trails and accidents on roadways are fairly common as there are just so many people using them.

With the government furlough and the fact that even all unpaid volunteers have been sent home and the park is operating with a skeleton crew which does not have enough manpower for a backcountry rescue let alone mutable rescues which can happen in a park that covers more than 1/2 million acres.

Presently, officially all trails and quiet walkways and streams are closed and are considered to be facilities such as a visitor center, however, other than the Chimneys, where ongoing trail repairs have stopped due to the closure and the Alum Cave Trail to Mt LeConte, hiking along the Appalachian Trail and the trails along Newfound Gap Road is being tolerated yet discouraged by park staff.

Hiking in the park right buts not only you, but the limited personnel that can rescue you in danger so we implore you to only make use of the park in a way that is safe and where it is being tolerated as long as the park is closed.

Besides the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the Smokies boast some other fantastic wilderness and scenic experiences such as the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Nantahala National Forest, The Fires Creek Wildlife Management Area, the Pisgah National Forest, Cherokee State Forest, Mount Mitchell State Park, Fort Loudon State Historic park and about a dozen more an additional hour or so away!

Lake Fontana and the surrounding area in the picture below taken today is also a fantastic area to motor, hike, bike and just explore.

Last but certainly not least is the great driving hiking and picnicking you can still do along all 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is run by the National park service so it is technically closed just as the Great Smoky Mountains national park is.

The entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway remains open however all facilities are closed. Don't count on grilling for your picnic but there are plenty of picnic tables that you can still use. In the Balsam Mountain area you should be able to catch a glimpse or 2 of the reintroduced elk that are in rut right now like the picture I took below yesterday.

Other than the federal government opening the Great Smoky Mountains national park back up on their own, the mayor of Blount County Tennessee is now offering his assistance to Washington to have his police and public safety personnel patrol and conduct rescues in part of the park so that they may be able to reopen that section or to provide funds to do so. The ball is in Washington’s court on this.

No matter what happens with Washington, the views will still be stunning and there will be lots to do both outdoors and indoors in the Great Smoky Mountains and what looks like will be a great fall with spectacular color that should last.

Hiking trails fall color report for the Smoky Mountains: Lewellyn Cove Nature Walk

The fall leaves are falling fast but there are a few great hiking trails where you can still find great color in the Smoky Mountains. The Lewellyn Cove Nature Walk in the Nantahala National Forest on NC 28 is one of the best hiking trails with fall color right now.

Though not in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the Lewellyn Cove Nature Trail is right across from the national most beloved national park.

This is a beautiful trail that most anyone can enjoy as it is very moderate and considered by many to be very easy. This is a very short loop trail of about 3/4 of a mile but can be extended if you wish.

Before even entering the hiking trail the parking lot still has some color and you are greeted by yellow trees draped over the start of the hiking trail with logs forming easy to navigate steps up the hill.

For the first few minutes you will hear some road noise of noisy motorcycles ride on the Tail of the Dragon but the road noise quickly fades to the sounds of a rushing river below.

You will find this an enjoyable hiking trail to take children along on as not only is it pretty it will not be exhausting for most energetic children. Unlike hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park you can take along a well behaved leashed dog on this trail.

From the very start of the trail not only is the scenery pretty with abundant plant life, there are numerous signs describing the trees and bushes making this an educational hike as well.

After a few switchbacks the fall colors start to really ramp up with explosions of reds, oranges, yellows and light greens. The trees are beautiful and by now the only sounds you will hear are your feet crunching on the leaves, the wind in the trees and the sound of water below.

If you are having such a good time enjoying the peace and quiet of the Smoky Mountains and the best fall color in the Smokies you can take one of the forks on the left of the trail to Appalachian Trail and the Yellow Creek Mountain Trail.

When you make your way to the stream, ahead of you there is a small connecting 1 mile hiking trail that will take you to Lewellyn Cove to Fontana Village.

This is a great trail to enjoy the fall colors and is suitable for most everyone and a very pleasant drive from all the shopping, resturants and cabin rentals in Pigeon Forge Tennessee.