Cove Creek Road — the main entrance to Cataloochee — will close from Nov. 1 through Feb. 29 while the N.C. Department of Transportation repairs a slide just outside the park along the county road. This full closure will prevent access to Cataloochee from the main access point, but entrance will still be possible via old Highway 284, a narrow, winding, gravel road that comes from the Big Creek area. The route is not recommended for trailers or low-clearance vehicles and may be closed at any time due to inclement weather or downed trees. The Cataloochee Campground is expected to reopen for the 2020 season March 26. 

In Cades Cove, Laurel Creek Road — the 7-mile access road leading from the Townsend Wye — will be closed to all motorists, cyclists and pedestrians from Jan. 3 to Feb. 29 to repair Bote Mountain Tunnel. A full closure is necessary to allow equipment setup to repair the internal drainage system in the 121-foot tunnel’s walls and ceiling. Intermittent single-lane closures will be necessary between March 1 and June 15 to complete tunnel repairs and repave the area. Cades Cove Campground, normally open during the winter months, will be closed from Dec. 20 to March 5. However, Elkmont and Smokemont campgrounds will both be open through the winter. 

For more information about road closures, follow SmokiesRoadsNPS on twitter or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/grsm.