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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains Considers Changes To Cades Cove Biking Access

It's not just cars that are clogging the loop road to Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Bicyclists and pedestrians flood the 11-mile, one-way route during vehicle-free periods, currently Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10 a.m. from May through September. Due to growing use and congestion, the park is proposing to implement a pilot study for 2020 to evaluate changing this vehicle-free period to a weekly, full-day closure on Wednesdays from May through September.

Cades Cove Is Open During Repairs To Bote Mountain Tunnel, But Not That Easy To Reach

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials closed Laurel Creek Road, as scheduled, on Sunday, January 5, and it will remain closed to the public through Saturday, February 29, to repair the Bote Mountain Tunnel. The seven-mile access road leading from the Townsend Wye to Cades Cove, is closed to all motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Repairs To Bote Mountain Tunnel Will Close Laurel Creek Road To Cades Cove

The Laurel Creek Road, the seven-mile access road leading from the Townsend Wye in Tennessee to Cades Cove at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be closed to all motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians at 8 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, through Saturday, February 29, to repair the Bote Mountain Tunnel.

National Parks Traveler Episode 44: Invasive Species Plague Parks, Most Photogenic Parks

Invasive species are overrunning the U.S. National Park System.
How big of a problem are invasive animal species in the National Park System? This week we examine the topic of invasive animal species – think Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, wild hogs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and even feral cats at Cape Hatteras National Seashore – and how the National Park Service is working to tackle the problem. Traveler's staff looks at some of the most photogenic destinations in the National Park System. And we include some surprise locations.

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