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Clingmans Dome Road
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Clingmans Dome Road to Open (possibly as early as tomorrow)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced today that Clingmans Dome Road, a popular high elevation visitor destination, will open to traffic as weather conditions allow as early as February 15. The road will continue to be monitored for hazardous conditions throughout the remainder of the winter season, and will still be subject to closure pending inclement weather.

This means hikes along the Spruce-fir Trail, the upper Sugarland Mountain Trail, and out to Andrews Bald will now be accessible.

Winter weather, especially at high elevations, is often unpredictable, which is why the Park typically closes the road from December 1 through March 31 of each year. Milder temperatures over this season have allowed for better access to the road for visitors wanting to reach the popular park destination of Clingmans Dome, the highest point accessible by vehicle.

The road will not be plowed, though, if snow or ice develops. It will instead be closed so visitors may utilize the area for winter recreation, such as cross country skiing or snowshoeing.

For the most current road closure information, please call 865-436-1200 x 631 or follow SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Smokies Announces Extensive Vista Clearing Project

Thursday, March 22, 2012

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Whenever the National Park Service has surveyed visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park about their planned activities while in the Park, the number one response has always been "viewing scenery - scenic views." Over the years the number and quality of those scenic viewpoints along Park roads has gradually declined. When Park roads were constructed, the forests had been extensively logged and often burned in pre-Park days, leaving unobstructed views in every direction, but 75 years of forest recovery has resulted in many of the scenic overlooks becoming obscured by maturing trees.

Over the next few months a Park contractor will be rolling back this "natural clock" by reopening 34 of the most popular roadside vistas along the Park's main roads. Park officials say that this will be the first major vista-clearing initiative in decades.

Acting Park Facility Manager, Charlie Sellars said, "We have developed specific clearing prescriptions for every one of the 34 overlooks scheduled for treatment. In each case we will have a Park staff person assigned to guide the contractor in determining which trees should be removed entirely and which will be trimmed or thinned."

The Park's goal in renewing its vista management program is to allow the views to be maintained on a seven year cycle. To achieve this, the contractor will apply herbicides to the stumps of the taller-growing tree species to prevent their re-sprouting. At the same time, they will be leaving the lower-growing or shrubby species, like rhododendron and mountain laurel, un-cut, so that eventually these low-growing native species will shade out and discourage the re-growth of the taller trees with less work by Park crews.

Motorists can expect to see vista management under way from April 1 through August 1 along Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, the East and West Foothills Parkway, the Gatlinburg Bypass, Rich Mountain Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Lakeview Drive and Cataloochee Road. No roads are expected to be closed to complete the work, but the overlooks being cleared will be closed as needed to accomplish the work safely.

This sounds like great news to me. Looking forward to the improvements!


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Improvements to road side views in the Smokies

Saturday, March 3, 2012

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The latest issue of the Cub Report from the Great Smoky Mountains Association has an interesting tidbit for those that enjoy stopping for the spectacular views at the overlooks on Newfound Gap Road and Clingmans Dome Road:

Special crews will be at work this spring trimming trees near the park's scenic overlooks to improve the views for motorists and other visitors.

Over the years, many of the overlooks along Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, and other thoroughfares have grown over to the extent that they no longer offer views of the mountains.

The landscaping work will be done in such a way as to encourage low growing native shrubs to thrive while discouraging the growth of tall trees.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Clingmans Dome and Roaring Fork Road Closings

Thursday, November 18, 2010

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The last of the seasonal road closing for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be occurring over the next several days.

On Wednesday, December 1, Clingmans Dome Road will be closed for the winter. This will impact access to several trailheads along the road, including; the Spruce-Fir, Road Prong, Sugarland Mountain, Fork Ridge, Noland Divide, Forney Creek, and Forney Ridge (Andrews Bald) trails.

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail will also be closing on December 1. Trails impacted by this road closing include; Trillium Gap, Grapeyard Ridge, and the Baskins Creek Trail.

The last road to shut-down for the season will be the Little Greenbrier Road, which will be closed on January 1 and will only impact the Little Brier Gap Trail.

Of course all of the trails mentioned above will continue to be open for hiking, however, you may have problems reaching these particular trailheads.

Additionally:

* The Mt. LeConte Lodge will be closed for the season on November 23.

* The Cades Cove Campground Store will close on December 22, but will reopen from December 26 thru 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.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Smokies Snow update

Saturday, November 6, 2010

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The upper elevations of the Smokies received their first big snow of the season over the last day-and-a-half.

Allyson Virden, resident manager at the LeConte Lodge, is reporting that Mt. LeConte has 8.5 inches of snow on the ground. At 8:30 this morning she reported a crisp 16 degree temp as well!

Clingmans Dome Road and Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC is still closed due to the ice and snow.

If you're planning to travel on US-441 through the park this weekend, it's a good idea to call 865-436-1200 for road and weather updates before making an attempt. You can also call 511 in either North Carolina or Tennessee to access the Department of Transportation Information Line for updates on US-441.

A little more snow is expected in the mountains of Western North Carolina and the Smokies throughout the morning. To keep up up-to-date with weather forecasts you can also click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Tis' the Season

Thursday, November 4, 2010

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The Great Smoky Mountains website is reporting that the Clingmans Dome Road is closed due to ice and snow.

They also give this weather warning:

A winter storm is forecast for the mountains (above 3,000 feet elevation) Thursday through Friday night. If you are planning to travel on US-441 through the park this weekend, please call (865) 436-1200 for road and weather updates. You can also call 511 in either North Carolina or Tennessee to access the Department of Transportation Information Line for updates on US-441.

The National Weather Service has posted this forecast:

RAIN SHOWERS WILL CHANGE TO SNOW SHOWERS THIS EVENING ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SMOKIES AND SURROUNDING AREAS. COVERAGE OF SNOW SHOWERS WILL INCREASE TOWARD DAYBREAK...AND BY LATE FRIDAY MORNING...SOME HEAVIER BURSTS OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE FRIDAY EVENING... BEFORE TAPERING OFF TO FLURRIES SATURDAY MORNING. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 7 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY IN AREAS ABOVE 3500 FEET.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Clingmans Dome Road to close for one week

Friday, September 3, 2010

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Clingmans Dome Road in the Great Smoky Mountains will be closed from September 13-17 for improvements to the Clingmans Dome parking area.

The work is the final phase of the repaving project that began back in February. Contractors will be doing paving, striping and regrading of the gravel shoulders on the visitor parking lot to the observation tower.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Re-opening of Clingmans Dome Road delayed by 2 days

Thursday, June 17, 2010

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Wet weather has forced a two day delay for the re-opening of Clingmans Dome Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Park website states the road is expected to re-open Monday at noon instead of this Saturday.

After Monday, the project will continue until July 1, 2010 but traffic will be managed with single lane closures on weekdays. No work will take place on weekends moving forward.

The $7.1 million project to resurface the seven mile stretch of road leading to Clingmans Dome is funded by stimulus dollars.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
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Meet the Great Smoky Mountains Nordic Ski Patrol

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

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Below is a short video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association highlighting the Nordic Ski Patrol in the Smokies.

Most people probably don't know it, but Great Smoky Mountains National Park has its own all volunteer Nordic Ski Patrol, certified through the National Ski Patrol. The patrollers are well versed in First Aid and other cold weather emergency medical services, and are able to assist in search and rescue operations.

This year there are 8 volunteer patrollers, mostly working on weekends on Clingmans Dome Road and in the Newfound Gap area. They provide information to park visitors while monitoring winter conditions and visitor use on Clingmans Dome Road. On a typical patrol day, they ski to Collins Gap, about half way to Clingmans Dome and report on snow conditions to park dispatch via park radio.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
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Clingmans Dome and Roaring Fork Road Closings

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

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On Tuesday, December 1, Clingmans Dome Road will be closed for the winter. This will impact access to several trailheads along the road, including; the Spruce-Fir, Road Prong, Sugarland Mountain, Fork Ridge, Noland Divide, Forney Creek, and Forney Ridge (Andrews Bald) trails.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail will also be closing on December 1. Trails impacted by this road closing include; Trillium Gap, Grapeyard Ridge, and Baskins Creek Trail.

The last road to shut-down for the season will be the Little Greenbrier Road, which will be closed on January 1, and will impact the Little Brier Gap Trail.

Of course all of the trails mentioned above will continue to be open but you may have problems reaching these particular trailheads.

Please Note:

Due to repaving projects on Clingmans Dome Road and Roaring Fork Road, the normal spring reopening dates (mid to late March) will not be valid. Clingmans Dome Road is scheduled to be closed through May 28, then intermittently opened until June 18.

The Roaring Fork Motor Trail near Gatlinburg will be closed until May 28, while the two-way portion of the connected Cherokee Orchard Road will be managed as a single lane during that time.

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Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Clingmans Dome Road to open again next week

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

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If all goes as planned, Clingmans Dome Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will re-open next Wednesday, April 1.

Of course the higher elevations in the park can still experience early spring snow storms which could delay the opening. If you're planning on visiting this area of the park during the first couple of weeks in April, it's a good idea to pay a visit to the park's website to make sure there are no temporary closures.

The opening of Clingmans Dome Road opens up access for trails such as the Sugarland Mountain Trail, Fork Ridge Trail, Spruce-Fir Trail, Noland Divide and Andrews Bald.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Smoky Mountain Day Hikers Store Quality gear and apparel from some of the best outdoor brands.
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Last of seasonal road closings in Smokies

Friday, November 21, 2008

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The last of the seasonal road closing for Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be occurring over the next several days.

A few early snow and ice events have already temporarily closed Clingmans Dome Road on a couple of occasions in recent weeks. In fact, the road continues to be closed since last Saturday’s snow storm. With up to four more inches of snow predicted for today, I wouldn’t be surprised if the road remains closed for the rest of the season.

Officially, on December 1, the road will close for the winter. This will impact several trails along the road, including; Road Prong, Spruce-Fir, Sugarland Mountain, Fork Ridge, Noland Divide, Forney Creek, and Forney Ridge (Andrews Bald) trails.

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail will also be closing on December 1. Trails impacted by this road closing include; Trillium Gap, Grapeyard Ridge, and Baskins Creek Trail.

The last road to shut-down for the season will be the Little Greenbrier Road, which will be closed on January 1. This closing will impact the Little Brier Gap Trail.

Of course all of the trails mentioned above will continue to be open but you may have problems reaching these particular trailheads.

You should also note that Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials recently announced on the park website that the Cades Cove Loop Road is tentatively scheduled to be closed on December 3-4 for hemlock woolly adelgid spraying. Closure dates may be adjusted due to weather.

One final closing hikers should be aware of is with regards to the Mt. LeConte Lodge. The Lodge will close for the season on November 26.

Jeff

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HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.




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