Great Smoky Mountains Considers Cades Cove Car Ban Changes

Cades Cove car ban allows you to take a break without all the noise and traffic.

Cades Cove car ban allows you to take a break without all the noise and traffic.

Great Smoky Mountains Considers Cades Cove Car Ban Changes. The scenic valley of Cades Cove is traditionally closed to motor vehicles until 10 a.m. on Wednesday and Saturday, May thru September. Park officials are inviting public comment on changing this process to a pilot study for 2020 to close vehicle access all day each Wednesday, May thru September.

Officials are inviting public comment through Friday, March 27, 2020. This is your chance to publicly ponder for posterity and give them your two cents.

The park began collecting data on visitor use during vehicle-free time periods in 1995. For over 25 years, use has continued to increase with up to 1,100 people per day enjoying the roadway during the 3-hour closure time period. This increase in use presents many challenges including congestion, lack of parking, and disruption in campground and picnic area operations. Currently morning closures hinder access to the campground, picnic area, horse concession operation, campground store, and hiking/equestrian trails. Traffic leading to the Cades Cove area is often gridlocked by a line of motorists waiting for the Loop Road to open at 10:00 a.m.

For the 2020 season, the park is considering implementing a full day closure of the Loop Road to motor vehicles on Wednesdays to improve safety and provide better access to the area for multiple user groups. By closing the roadway for the entire day, bicyclists and pedestrians would have over 12 hours of daylight to use the Loop Road without vehicles. The idea is that by having the closure for a full day parking should be more available with less impact to campground, picnic area, and concession operations. It is believed eliminating the Saturday morning closures, more motorists would have better access to the Cades Cove area. Saturday is traditionally the busiest day of the week for travel in the area. In addition, park staff and volunteers would be able to better support visitor operations on Saturdays instead of devoting all personnel to traffic management and parking. This pilot project is a temporary change. The park will assess the effectiveness of the change at the end of the 2020 season.

The park welcomes the public to comment on the proposed change using the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website, https://parkplanning.nps.gov/grsm,  or by US Mail to Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. If approved by the National Park Service, implementation will begin in May 2020 and the results of the closure change will be evaluated by park management to inform future planning.

Source information – GSMNP

More Hey Smokies Features:

No thumbnail available
The Island St. Patrick's Day Celebration...
The Island St. Patrick's Day Celebration. The Island will host a free St. Patricks Day celebration with a jam session with Tuatha Dea. Tuat[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Cades Cove Burns...
Cades Cove Burns. Harnessing Fire: The Ecological Benefits of Prescribed Burns in Cades Cove. Nestled within the expansive Great Smo[Read More >>]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway...
Did you know that the Blue Ridge Parkway is connected to Great Smoky Mountains National Park? That's right; another National Park is attached to[Read More >>]
Smoky Mountain Full Wolf Moon
Smoky Mountain Full Wolf Moon...
Smoky Mountain full wolf moon is on the rise! Smoky Mountain Full Wolf Moon. Full Wolf Moon to rise on January 25, 2024. Mother Nature is g[Read More >>]
Wilderness Wildlife Week 2024
Wilderness Wildlife Week 2024...
Wilderness Wildlife Week 2024. Wilderness Wildlife Week is a week-long event that celebrates the natural beauty and wildlife of the Great S[Read More >>]
Smoky Mountain Black Bears Winter
Smoky Mountain Black Bears Winter...
Smoky Mountain black. bears. Always stay at least 50 yards away from Smoky Mountain wildlife. Smoky Mountain Black Bears Winter. Nestled wit[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
New Year Black-eyed Peas And Greens Recipe...
New Year Black-eyed Peas And Greens Recipe. What is behind the Southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Years[Read More >>]
New Year's Eve Celebration At The Island In Pigeon Forge
New Year's Eve Celebration At The Island In Pigeon Forge...
Join the fun this New Year's Eve at The Island in Pigeon Forge! New Year's Eve Celebration At The Island In Pigeon Forge. The Island in Pige[Read More >>]
Christmas Cookie Recipe
Christmas Cookie Recipe...
Christmas Cookie Recipe. When the holidays arrive in the Great Smoky Mountains there are many HeySmokies sweet treat favorites but the tradition[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Smoky Mountain Parking Pass Scam Alert...
Smoky Mountain Parking Pass Scam Alert! Great Smoky Mountain Park officials are investigating an online scam selling fraudulent parking tag[Read More >>]
Aerosmith Rocks Smoky Mountains
Aerosmith Rocks Smoky Mountains...
Aerosmith Rocks Smoky Mountains on January 13, 2024. Get ready to welcome rock royalty, Knoxville! Aerosmith, the iconic band that has def[Read More >>]
Fun Filled Christmas Activities At Biltmore Mansion
Fun Filled Christmas Activities At Biltmore Mansion...
Fun-Filled Christmas Activities at Biltmore Mansion. As the holiday season sweeps across the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Biltmore Estate tran[Read More >>]
Smoky Mountain Campfire Ban Expires
Smoky Mountain Campfire Ban Expires...
Smoky Mountain Campfire Ban Expires beginning Wednesday, November 29, 2023. Precipitation, cooler temperatures and shorter days allow for [Read More >>]
Smoky Mountain Aero Club
Smoky Mountain Aero Club...
Smoky Mountain Aero Club. Since 1936 Radio controlled model airplanes have been cruising the skies at local airfields across the country. M[Read More >>]
No thumbnail available
Smoky Mountain Lakeview Drive Opens...
Smoky Mountain Lakeview Drive Opens. GSMNP is rehabilitating Lakeview Drive in North Carolina through Great American Outdoor Act funding. L[Read More >>]
Cades Cove Loop Lope
Cades Cove Loop Lope...
Cades Cove Loop Lope Cades Cove Loop Lope will be held Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 11 a.m. The park’s philanthropic partner, Friends of the[Read More >>]
Smoky Mountain Veterans Day Free Parking
Smoky Mountain Veterans Day Free Parking...
Smoky Mountain Veterans Day Free Parking! In honor of Veterans Day, visitors to Great Smoky Mountains will not be required to display or bu[Read More >>]
Gatlinburg Winter Magic And Chili Cookoff
Gatlinburg Winter Magic And Chili Cookoff...
Gatlinburg Winter Magic And Chili Cookoff. Join us for the kickoff of Gatlinburg's Winter Magic at the 34th Chili Cookoff presented by Bush[Read More >>]
Volunteers Needed For Fontana Lake Clean Up
Volunteers Needed For Fontana Lake Clean Up...
Volunteers Needed For Fontana Lake Clean Up. Volunteers are needed Friday, November 3, 2023 through Sunday, November 5, 2023 from 9 a.m. to[Read More >>]
National Park Hosts Tour Of Historic Daisy Town
National Park Hosts Tour Of Historic Daisy Town...
National Park Hosts Tour Of Historic Daisy Town. Rangers and volunteers invite the public to Daisy Town Day in the Elkmont Historic Distric[Read More >>]