Great Smoky Mountains National Park Initiates Corona Virus Health Guidelines

Great Smoky Mountains Initiates Corona Virus Health Guidelines. Beginning Monday, March 23, 2020 all national park campgrounds, picnic areas, pavilions and restrooms will be closed to the public. The closure of the facilities will continue until Thursday, April 30, 2020. At this time there is no definitive position on if backcountry campsites will close also. This is a  continuing effort to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). As conditions change in America and the Smoky Mountain region, the park will continue to implement operational changes that help ensure the health and safety of visitors, employees, volunteers, partners, and local communities.

Park officials report that conditions are constantly in flux and the park will change and update this policy as necessary to keep the park visitors and staff safe during the pandemic. As of this posting unless otherwise specified all hiking trails, outdoor spaces and roads will remain open to park visitors. Park visitor centers Sugarlands, Cades Cove and Oconaluftee remain closed until further notice.

The National Park Service (NPS) encourages people who choose to visit the park during this pandemic to adhere to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health authorities to protect visitors and employees. As services are limited, the NPS urges visitors to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces safe and healthy.

For more information on Great Smoky Mountains National Park closures visit NPS.gov.

Source Material – GSMNP