Update: Great Smoky Mountains National Park roads start to reopen; woman sets 2 fires

Ryley Ober, Asheville Citizen Times
Updated ·3 min read

After Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers and maintenance teams, assessed conditions and removed downed trees, debris and other hazards Nov. 21, caused by severe weather, they started reopening roads and campgrounds in the country's most-visited national park.

According to a Nov. 21 National Park Service news release, the following roads are currently open:

  • Little River Road

  • Laurel Creek Road

  • Cades Cove Loop Road

  • Cherokee Orchard Road

  • Foothills Parkway West

Newfound Gap Road/U.S. 441 from Gatlinburg, Tennessee to Cherokee, will reopened at about 6:30 p.m. Nov. 21. Other roads are expected to open by Nov. 22. Elkmont and Cades Cove campgrounds are open.

"Visitors should be aware that hazards may exist, including wet roads, fog and the potential for snowfall and freezing temperatures at higher elevations," the statement said. "Hikers should use caution on trails and look out for downed trees and limbs. Trail crews will assess trails (Nov. 22) for hazards."

After the National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook and red flag warning due to hurricane-force gusts and high fire risk in the area, Elkmont and Cades Cove campgrounds were closed Nov. 20, with park rangers notifying campers already in campgrounds of the closure.

However, the park is not completely closed to visitors, according to spokesperson Emily Davis.

Visitors take photos in July while taking in a scenic view of the Smoky Mountains from the Clingmans Dome observational tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Visitors take photos in July while taking in a scenic view of the Smoky Mountains from the Clingmans Dome observational tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“Visitors can enter the park and access Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers, as well as Smokemont Campground in NC,” Davis told the Citizen Times of the visitor centers in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Cherokee, respectively.

A red flag warning was in effect until the afternoon of Nov. 21 for the Smokies, which means very low humidity and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger. Last night, wind gusts were expected to increase to between 40 and 70 mph at night, with up to 80 mph gusts possible in some locations.

Campsite closures: Backcountry campsites for 9 NC state parks closed due to increased fire risk

During these high-risk conditions, a wildfire broke out the evening of Nov. 20 in the Tennessee side of the park near Rich Mountain Road. Overnight Nov. 21, winds expanded the fire from 2 to 6 acres.

"The fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain and is burning primarily in the park boundary at this time," a news release from the park said Nov. 21.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and no structures or properties were threatened as of Nov. 20. However, an early-morning voluntary evacuation of homes near the park boundary in Blount County, Tennessee, was conducted on Nov. 21, officials say.

The Great Smoky Mountains is currently under a burn ban, prohibiting all campfires and charcoal use until further notice. However, that didn’t stop one woman from intentionally setting two fires, which were quickly extinguished by park officials along a road in the North Carolina portion of the Great Smokies.

The woman was arrested, with federal and state charges pending.

Read more on Rich Mountain Fire: Update: Wind stokes wildfire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, closures in effect

Black Bear Fire: Pisgah National Forest fire continues to grow as rain falls on WNC; what's the forecast?

As of the night of Nov. 21 the following roads were still closed:

  • Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley

  • Cataloochee Road

  • Lakeview Drive

The Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Cherokee and the Smokemont Campground are open.

The map depicts a portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The currently closed Elkmont and Cades Cove campgrounds are top left.
The map depicts a portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The currently closed Elkmont and Cades Cove campgrounds are top left.

The Great Smokies is the most visited national park in the country, with 12.9 million visitors in 2022. It covers a half-million acres of rugged, heavily forested terrain on the Western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee border.

In November 2016, the Chimney Tops Fire, which started inside the park, was whipped by strong winds into nearby Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where it killed 14 people.

Visitors should exercise extreme caution, check the park website at nps.gov/grsm for alerts at and heed warnings from the National Weather Service and local emergency managers when making travel plans.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Great Smoky Mountains National Park campsite, road closure, damages