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Archived Outdoors

National Park road updates hit Twitter

If you want to know which roads are closed because of weather conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the easiest way is to now get updates via Twitter.

Those without a Twitter account who wish to be notified of the status of the park’s four most popular roads — including Newfound Gap (U.S. 441) between Cherokee and Gatlinburg — can opt to get text messages to their cell phones by texting: follow smokiesroadsnps to 40404.

To stop receiving the text message alerts, text stop smokiesroadsnps to the same number. Keep in mind that if you subscribe by this method, the Twitter server may stop sending updates to you if they get an “undeliverable” response, such as your phone being off or out of area when an update is posted.

Standard text rates will apply.

Anyone having a Twitter account can go an extra step and choose to have updates set to them by going to the site listed above and clicking the “follow” button to see the updates on their own account page and receive the notifications in the manner they specify.

In addition to notifications of winter road conditions, park officials plan to notify travelers throughout the year of road openings and closings due to rock slides, fallen trees and accidents.