GSMNP Winter Schedule

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced its winter season facility closings schedule. As cooler weather approaches and visitation decreases, various facilities will close, including 7 of the 10 campgrounds, and operational hours for some visitor services will be reduced.
VISITOR CENTERS Through the month of November, the
Sugarlands Visitor Center, 2 miles south of Gatlinburg, TN, will open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Oconaluftee Visitor Center, 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC, will serve visitors from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The Cades Cove Visitor Center located half way around the Cades Cove Loop Road will be opened daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The visitor center hours for the following winter months are posted on the Park’s website, www.nps.gov/grsm.
ROADS Several of the secondary roads are scheduled to close as indicated:
Balsam Mountain/Heintooga Roads on November 1, Roundbottom/Straight Fork on November 16,
Parson Branch and Rich Mountain Roads on November 22, and Clingmans Dome and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail on December 1.
During the winter months, the Park’s two main roads, Newfound Gap (U.S. 441) and Little River, will remain open throughout the year, except for temporary closures for extreme winter weather conditions. The Gatlinburg Bypass, Cades Cove Loop Road, Cosby Road, Greenbrier Road, Upper Tremont, Forge Creek, Lakeview Drive, and Foothills Parkway (East and West) will open and close as road and weather conditions mandate.
For more information on winter weather road conditions, contact the Park at 865/436-1200 (Then select option “2” and select “2” again to access road info).
Winter Schedule—LODGING
Mt. LeConte Lodge will close for the season on November 23.
CAMPING Two of the three major campgrounds will remain open all year. These year-round campgrounds are Cades Cove in Tennessee and Smokemont in North Carolina. Starting November 1, they will be on a self-registration basis with a reduced number of available sites.
Elkmont Campground in Tennessee will remain open through the Thanksgiving weekend and will close on December 1. Balsam Mountain campground is already closed for the season.
The six remaining self-registration campgrounds at Cosby, Cataloochee, Deep Creek, Big Creek, Look Rock and Abrams Creek, will close on November 1. CADES COVE CAMPGROUND STORE Cades Cove Campground Store will close on December 22, but will reopen December 26-January 2 to serve visitors during the holiday period. The store will also be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Vending machines at the store will remain in service throughout the winter.
PICNICKING Seven picnic areas will remain open through the winter: Chimney Tops, Cades Cove, Cosby, Greenbrier, Metcalf Bottoms, Big Creek, and Deep Creek. Picnic pavilions at Cosby, Greenbrier and Deep Creek will be open through the winter and can be reserved at www.recreation.gov. Picnic pavilions that will close on November 1 include Twin Creeks, Collins Creek, and Metcalf Bottoms.