NPS - National Park Service
04/07/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/07/2026 13:59
National Park Service Requests Public Input on Proposed Oconaluftee River Trail Improvements
Date:
April 7, 2026
Contact: ">Great Smoky Mountains National Park
About the National Park Service. Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America's most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.
April 7, 2026
Contact: ">Great Smoky Mountains National Park
For Immediate Release: April 7, 2026
GATLINBURG, Tenn.- The National Park Service is seeking public input on proposed improvements to the Oconaluftee River Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through this project, the park would improve connectivity with the gateway community of Cherokee, increase accessibility, repair riverbank erosion and enhance safety and the visitor experience. The NPS will accept comments through April 22.
The Oconaluftee River Trail is a 1.6-mile-long pedestrian and bike trail that connects the park's Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum to downtown Cherokee. More than 100,000 people use the trail each year.
Proposed trail improvements include:
• Improving accessibility and trail surface durability
• Restoring approximately 275 feet of eroded bank along the Oconaluftee River
• Replacing or repairing four existing footbridges
• Building an accessible riverside viewing area along the Oconaluftee River
• Creating a new connection between the park and Cherokee by building a trail from the Oconaluftee River Trail to Saunooke Bridge Road
Public input will inform planning, designing, and compliance to account for factors such as natural resources and cultural resources. Work on some or all the proposed improvements could begin in late 2026 or 2027. The park anticipates a series of partial and full trail closures to accomplish the work, which is estimated to take 12 months to complete.
How to comment: The preferred manner for providing comments is via an online form through the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website. From the project website (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ORT), navigate the menu on the left-hand side of the page to "Open for Comment," then open the "Oconaluftee River Trail" folder. Background materials are at the site, and the green "Comment Now" button links to the online form.
Comments can also be submitted in writing and postmarked by April 22 to:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
ATTN: Oconaluftee River Trail Project
107 Park Headquarters Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
nps.gov
About the National Park Service. Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America's most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.
NPS - National Park Service published this content on April 07, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 07, 2026 at 19:59 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]