The trail to Ramsey Cascades in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed while repairs to a washed out section are conducted/NPS file

A washout along the Ramsey Cascade Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has led to the indefinite closure of the trail while repairs are made.

The washout, reported last week after heavy rains came through the area, is approximately 2.5 miles up the Ramsey Cascade Trail. An announcement will be made when the trail has reopened to the public, the park said. 

The four-mile Ramsey Cascade trail lies in the Greenbrier Area of the park and provides the only access to the 100-foot tall Ramsey Cascades. 

When the trail is open to hikers, it rises more than 2,000 feet in elevation. The entire eight-mile roundtrip hike is considered strenuous. It follows rushing rivers and streams for much of its length. The last two miles pass through old-growth cove hardwood forest with large tuliptrees, basswoods, silverbells, and yellow birches.