NPS - National Park Service

09/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/11/2026 10:41

Temporary Closures on Little River Road Sept. 15 and 17 for Road Maintenance

News Release Date: September 11, 2026
Contact:Great Smoky Mountains National Park

GATLINBURG, Tenn. - Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close the section of Little River Road between the Townsend Wye and Elkmont for essential road maintenance on September 15 and 17.

  • On September 15, the park will close Townsend Wye to Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area from 7 a.m. to noon. Visitors can use Wears Valley Road (US 321) between Townsend and Line Springs Road as a detour.

  • On September 17, the park will close Metcalf Bottoms to Elkmont Junction from 7 a.m. to noon. Visitors can use Wears Valley Road between Line Springs Road and Pigeon Forge as a detour.

Popular sites including Elkmont, Metcalf Bottoms and Cades Cove will remain accessible during this closure but may require detours. Visitors should plan for increased travel time.

Motor homes, buses and vans longer than 25 feet, as well as any passenger vehicles towing a trailer, are prohibited on Wear Cove Gap Road from the park boundary to and including the Metcalf Bottoms bridge.

The park first implemented temporary closures of Little River Road in 2024 to safely complete essential road maintenance. During these short closures (totaling less than 10 hours), park staff typically complete the following work:

  • Mowing and trimming of 24 miles along roadsides.

  • Cleaning 8.5 miles of roadside ditches.

  • Repairing 27 damaged road shoulder areas.

Check the park website for up-to-date information on road closures and construction.

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NPS - National Park Service published this content on September 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 11, 2026 at 16:41 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]