Maryville, TN – The National Park Service (NPS) has announced several closures within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ahead of incoming winter weather. Starting at 8 a.m. on Friday, all visitor centers within the park will be closed. Additionally, several key roads will be temporarily shut down, including:
- All of Foothills Parkway
- Laurel Creek Road
- Little River Road
Several other roads, including US 441/Newfound Gap Road, Lakeview Drive, Foothills Parkway East, and Cosby Entrance Road, are already closed due to a combination of snow, ice, construction, and seasonal restrictions, according to NPS officials.
Cades Cove Loop Road and Cherokee Orchard Road also closed Thursday night at dusk as a precautionary measure due to deteriorating conditions.
Park officials issued a reminder that, despite conditions appearing clear in lower elevations, the higher-elevation roads in the park can quickly become hazardous during winter weather. Steep grades and sharp curves in these areas are particularly dangerous, and temperatures can drop rapidly at the park’s higher peaks, where precipitation is heavier and more frequent.
Visitors planning to travel to or through the park are urged to stay updated on road conditions and weather forecasts. For real-time information, the WVLT First Alert Weather app is available on both iPhone and Android, providing custom videos and up-to-the-minute updates on the latest conditions.
