Great Smoky Mountains National Park closes campgrounds, trims offerings amid federal cuts

Six out of 10 campgrounds at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed as the spring season approaches. And that’s not the only change coming to the Smokies, as national parks across the country adjust to abrupt staffing and organizational shifts because of Trump administration orders and court rulings.

At least 12 staffers had been let go from the Smokies after the administration directed the National Park Service to fire 1,000 employees. Although federal judges ruled the firings were illegal and the employees should be reinstated − and that seasonal employees could be hired − typical Smokies programming has already been affected.

In addition to campgrounds, popular picnic areas are closed, and vehicle-free days in Cades Cove have been postponed.

National parks also are under a $1 spending limit when using government credit cards, which could affect routine purchases of maintenance supplies and utility payments.

“It’s anything that would normally be paid using the credit card. They can still use purchase orders and contracting authorities – things that would be paid by government check rather than (credit card),” Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, explained to Knox News. “So, it all depends on what the product or service is.”

Here are the Great Smoky Mountains National operational changes that will affect your visitor experience this spring, according to the park’s website.

• Abrams Creek, Balsam Mountain, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Cosby and Look Rock campgrounds are closed.

• Visitors who booked campsites at those campgrounds will receive refunds.

• The park’s largest campgrounds are open, including Cades Cove, Elkmont and Smokemont. Deep Creek will open as planned on April 18.

• It should be noted Balsam Mountain, Big Creek and Cataloochee have been closed since September due to damage from Hurricane Helene. Cosby is closed because of scheduled construction.

• Big Creek, Chimneys, Collins Creek, Cosby, Heintooga, Look Rock and Twin Creeks picnic areas are closed.

• Visitors who booked reservations at those picnic pavilions will receive refunds.

• The picnic areas at Cades Cove, Deep Creek, Greenbrier and Metcalf Bottoms are open.

• Cades Cove vehicle-free days won’t begin until June this year. “The park plans to announce the first date soon,” the park’s website states.

• Vehicle free days typically run May-September, providing opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians to traverse the popular 11-mile, one-way loop road. Cades Cove has had designated vehicle-free days for over 40 years.

• The Smokies will offer the 2025 firefly lottery and viewing opportunity as it has in past years, officials confirmed. A lottery for park admission on peak viewing dates will be announced in April.

How to make the most of your next Great Smoky Mountains National Park visit

The Smokies is the country’s most-visited national park. According to official park service data, 12,191,834 people visited the park in 2024. Zion National Park in Utah was a distant second with 4.9 million visits.

Because of limited areas, people heading to the Smokies should plan accordingly to avoid overcrowding. Visit early in the morning or in the evening, visitmysmokies.com suggests. Or explore “hidden gems” of the park such as the Troll Bridge at Elkmont and White Oak Sinks and Blowhole Cave near Cades Cove.

Visitors also are encouraged to be mindful of their trash and park resources, to volunteer to help staffers and to express their concerns to government leaders.

“I think the only way that I know of that all of this is going to get turned around is if the public gets concerned enough and gets maybe angry enough that they exercise their abilities to influence things, perhaps through their elected officials and that sort of thing,” Wade told Knox News in February.

More than 1,600 people volunteered their time to help Smokies staffers between October 2023 and September 2024.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes changes amid federal cuts