Temporary Closures on Little River Road June 8 and 9 for Road Maintenance

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 June 8 and 9.

• On June 8, 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 June 9, 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 completed the following work:

• Mowed and string trimmed 24 miles along roadsides.

• Pulled and cleaned 8.5 miles of roadside ditches.

• Repaired 27 damaged road shoulder areas.

• Side armed 12 miles of roadside banks.

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