Almost two years after Hurricane Helene, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has made progress to address trail, road and structure damages from the storm, but many areas of the park remain closed to allow for the ongoing rehabilitation work.

President and CEO of Friends of the Smokies Dana Soehn said her organization will partner with GSMNP to repair several historic structures that incurred damage from the storm. Friends of the Smokies is funding and managing the construction projects to rehabilitate the Caldwell Barn and Caldwell House, the Beech Grove Schoolhouse and Cook Cabin in Little Cataloochee. The organization has recently issued requests for proposals for the projects.

“We’re pretty excited, and part of that is just the parks crews are stretched so thin that this was a way for us [to help], since we’re already funding the restoration work,” Soehn said. “It just allowed us an opportunity to go ahead and help them out by doing the contracting for them, as well.”

Jacqueline Harp, CEO of Smokies Life, the nonprofit that helps staff GSMNP visitors centers, said visitation numbers have rebounded to pre-Helene levels. With a handful of popular trails still closed, though, visitor center staff remain vigilant to keep visitors updated on how to safely recreate inside the park.

Harp and Soehn both hope their respective organizations can help alleviate the strain Hurricane Helene rehabilitation has put on park staff.

“There has always been the tension in terms of what the park cares for and stewards and having the time, the talent, the money available to do that,” Harp said. “And then when you have an event like Helene, it really just exacerbates that problem in a way that I don’t know you can totally measure.”

Harp said it’s even harder now to catch up with park needs following such a catastrophic event. GSMNP has not released any information on expected timelines for storm rehabilitation work, but a full list of closures and cautions is available on the GSMNP website.

A full list of current road and trail closures as of
July 21 is as follows:

• Park Headquarters Road is closed due to rehabilitation work on the Sugarlands water and wastewater systems.

• Straight Fork and the one-way section of Balsam Mountain Road are closed.

• Laurel Falls Trail is closed as of Jan. 6, 2025, for about 18 months of rehabilitation work. (Laurel Falls Trail is closed from the trailhead on Fighting Creek Gap Road up to the junction with Little Greenbrier and Cove Mountain trails. For Sugarlands Mountain Trail, the trail is closed from the trailhead on Fighting Creek Gap Road up to the junction with Huskey Gap Trail).

• Bullhead Trail is closed as of May 4, 2026, from Monday through Thursday each week, excluding federal holidays, through Nov. 19. During this time, the park will continue the rehabilitation of the Bullhead Trail in partnership with Friends of the Smokies.

Trail and Backcountry Cautions and Closures:

Cataloochee Area

• Balsam Mountain Trail. Hikers should use extra caution. No significant storm damage was found from Heintooga to Gunter Fork Trail junction. The trail has not been assessed from Gunter Fork to the Appalachian Trail. Gunter Fork Trail is closed.

• Big Fork Ridge Trail. Foot logs are out at the Caldwell and Cataloochee Valley Road junction. No other significant damage.

• Boogerman Trail. Hiking on this trail is not advised due to a deep water crossing. The first foot log on this trail, which was 55 feet in length, was washed away. This water crossing is typically more than two feet deep even when water levels are low.

• Caldwell Fork Trail. Trail closed to all users due to significant damage. Large sections of trail surface washed away, numerous rockslides and debris are obstructing the path and multiple water crossings have become unsafe due to the loss of bridges.

• Hemphill Bald Trail. Hikers should use extra caution. From Double Gap to Polls Gap, there is no significant damage. From Double Gap to Caldwell junction, there are two sections of trail impacted by landslides; one root ball has torn up the trail tread. Closed to equestrians.

• Palmer Creek Trail. Second foot log is gone. No other significant damage.

• Pretty Hollow Gap Trail. Hikers should use extra caution. Trail/road is washed out from Little Cataloochee trail junction to campsite No. 39. Closed to equestrians.

• Rough Fork Trail. Hikers should use extra caution. From the Cataloochee Valley trailhead to the junction with the Woody House, there is extensive trail erosion, and the first and third foot logs are out. No significant damage from Woody House to junction with Caldwell Fork. From Polls Gap to Caldwell junction, there are two sections of trail impacted by landslides. Closed to equestrians.

Big Creek Area

• Big Creek Trail. Trail only open for first 2 miles to hikers and equestrians. Trail is closed beyond the first 2 miles at Mouse Creek Falls due to significant trail damage. There is no access to campsites No. 36 and No. 37 from the Big Creek Trail. Parking only available near ranger station and the walk to trailhead is approximately three quarters of a mile.

• Gunter Fork Trail. Trail closed to all users due to significant damage. Large sections of trail surface washed away; numerous rockslides and debris are obstructing the path and multiple water crossings have become unsafe due to the loss of bridges.

• Swallow Fork Trail. This trail is closed to all users due to significant damage. Multiple foot logs are out, including large bridges; fording may be high risk during rain events.

• Backcountry campsites No. 41 and No. 42 are closed.

• Backcountry campsites No. 39 and No. 40 are open but closed to stock.

Other trail closures:

• Portion of Fighting Creek Nature Trail. Temporary closure from July 20 through July 23. Part of the Fighting Creek Nature Trail behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center will be temporarily closed while crews replace a broken foot log. This closure affects the clockwise half of the loop toward the John Ownby Cabin. Visitors can still reach the cabin by taking the counterclockwise route, which begins straight ahead at the intersection of the Fighting Creek Nature Trail and the Cove Mountain Trail toward Cataract Falls. Access to both the cabin and Cataract Falls remains open. The trail is expected to reopen by July 24.

• Laurel Falls Trail. Closed Jan. 6, 2025, for rehabilitation work. (Laurel Falls Trail is closed from the trailhead on Fighting Creek Gap Road up to the junction with Little Greenbrier and Cove Mountain trails. For Sugarlands Mountain Trail, the trail is closed from the trailhead on Fighting Creek Gap Road up to the junction with Huskey Gap Trail.)

• Bullhead Trail. Closed as of May 4, 2026, from Monday through Thursday each week, excluding federal holidays, through Nov. 19. During this time, the park will continue the rehabilitation of the Bullhead Trail in partnership with Friends of the Smokies.

• Hyatt Ridge Trail. Closed to equestrians, but open to hikers.

• Enloe Creek Trail. Closed to equestrians, but open to hikers.

• Camel Gap Trail. Closed to equestrians, but open to hikers.

• Scott Mountain Trail. The trail is closed from campsite #6 to Schoolhouse Gap. Campsite #6 is still open.

Trail cautions

Note that the park’s backcountry is managed as a wilderness area where the forces of nature determine trail conditions. The following list includes some conditions that the park is currently aware of; however, hikers may encounter trail conditions not listed below that still require caution. Always be prepared for swollen streams, bridge washouts, downed trees and trail erosion when hiking in the park’s backcountry, and if trail conditions are not safe, turn back.

Park staff continue to assess trail conditions following Hurricane Helene, particularly on the eastern end of the park in both Tennessee and North Carolina. Most park trails are open; however, visitors are encouraged to check trail conditions online and/or talk to staff in the visitor centers or backcountry office.

• Rough Creek Trail. Open, but travel is not recommended due to trail tread damage.

• Rabbit Creek Trail. The bridge where the trail crosses Abrams Creek is out. This is a wide water crossing that may be deep during high water events.

• Boat shuttles to and from Hazel Creek. At certain times of the year, Fontana Lake levels are lowered; during these times, boat shuttles will need to drop/pickup occupants off at Ollie Cove instead of Hazel Creek. This will add 0.5 miles to the hike. When making reservations, ask the shuttle service for more information.

Road and facility delays
or closures

Carlos Campbell Overlook. This overlook on Newfound Gap Road is temporarily closed while maintenance crews assess cracks in the pavement and sidewalk. The overlook will reopen as soon as National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration crews make assessments and any needed repairs.

• Mingus Mill. Temporarily closed for preservation and rehabilitation work.

• Blue Ridge Parkway. For information about parkway closures, please call 828.298.0398 or visit the parkway’s website.

• For information about seasonal closures visit the GSMNP website pages titled “Seasonal Road Closures and Seasonal Facility Closures.”