Great Smoky Mountains National Park Reopens Major Roads After Heavy Snow Shut Access
Yesterday, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, tucked along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, shared a photograph on Instagram capturing a snapshot of its Cherokee Orchard Road, a 2-mile green singletrack trail that meanders through coppices of old-growth trees like yellow birch and sugar maple. The photograph displays the inky black roadway winding through the forest whose trees are dripping with pearly white lakes of snow, and the undulating grassy grounds are spattered with carpets of sparkly snow. The photo is just a small glimpse into what the park becomes when enveloped by snowfall; a fairytale materializing in the arms of snow-dusted mountains. On December 2, eddies of battering cold winds, coupled with a mix of rain, snow, and crispy ice, lashed the Great Smokies, prompting officials to shut down certain roads. In a December 3 update, the park announced that the roads had been reopened.
After the park experienced a sharp drop in temperatures followed by squalls of freezing winds, the park’s staff was forced to close two roads on the evening of December 2. Now, the roads are available once again for the visitors to enjoy. “US 441/Newfound Gap Road will be closing at 5 p.m. (12/2) due to weather conditions,” the park wrote in a post on X. Foothills Parkway West (new section between Wears Valley and Walland) has also reopened, the park wrote in another tweet.
This is not the first time a snowstorm has constrained the park’s roadways for visitors. Earlier last month, on November 11, the park announced the closure of several roads, including US 441/Newfound Gap Road, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Lakeview Drive, and Cherokee Orchard Road, following a rapacious snowfall on the preceding Sunday, according to an Instagram post.
As of now, some of the other roads that remain closed for the winter season include Kuwohi Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Little Greenbrier Road, Heintooga Ridge Road, Parson Branch Road, and Rich Mountain Road, according to the updates posted by the National Park Service on December 1. In a weather update, NPS shared that the current conditions of the Great Smoky, particularly in Gatlinburg, remain “mostly cloudy” with temperatures sinking as low as minus two degrees Celsius and 100% humidity. Mild rain showers are likely to soak the park on Friday, December 5.
In Cherokee, the humidity is slightly lower at 98%, but the temperature drop is more than in Gatlinburg. Minus 1 degree Celsius precisely. For areas that are still open, the park suggests visitors dress up in weather-wise clothing, preferably with several layers for protection against snowstorms, rainfall, and cool winds. And while the park will remain quieter during the winter, you can still have a blast. Especially since Christmas is approaching, you can have a ball by riding on the roller coasters of Dollywood, snapping pictures of snow-speckled deciduous trees and frozen waterfalls, and chow down on Aunt Granny’s southern-style desserts fresh out of the oven while millions of glittering Christmas lights illuminate everything, from the gift shops down to the littlest of raindrops.
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