If a drive up to Kuwohi or a slow loop on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is on your list this year, you have until Thanksgiving weekend. Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s next round of seasonal closures lands on Sunday, November 29, and the park’s visitor centers switch to winter hours two days later. Here’s what changes and when, so you can fit in your favorite drives before they close for the winter.
Three park roads close Sunday, November 29
These dates come from the park’s 2026 seasonal road schedule:
- Kuwohi Road (formerly Clingmans Dome Road), the 7-mile road from Newfound Gap Road up to the Kuwohi Visitor Center and overlook. It’s open through November 29, though ice and snow can close it on any day before then.
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, the steep, one-way loop that starts just outside downtown Gatlinburg past old homesteads, mills and waterfalls.
- Little Greenbrier Road, the narrow road off Wears Valley that leads to the historic Little Greenbrier School.
Seasonal roads close at sunset on the closing day, as WATE reported, so you can still drive them during the day on November 29. Roaring Fork and Little Greenbrier don’t allow motorhomes, buses or vans over 25 feet, or cars pulling trailers.
Elkmont Campground’s last night is November 28
Elkmont Campground, the big campground closest to Gatlinburg, is listed as closed from November 29 until April 3, 2027, which makes Saturday, November 28, the last night of the season. The Cades Cove Group Campground closes a little earlier, on November 27. Cades Cove and Smokemont campgrounds stay open through the winter, and reservations are required on Recreation.gov.
Visitor centers switch to winter hours December 1
Through November 30, Sugarlands, Cades Cove, Oconaluftee and Kuwohi visitor centers are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Starting Tuesday, December 1, according to the park’s visitor center page:
- Sugarlands, Cades Cove and Oconaluftee shift to 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through the end of February. All three close on Christmas Day.
- Kuwohi Visitor Center closes for the winter and is scheduled to reopen April 1, 2027.
What stays open
Plenty. Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441), Little River Road and the Cades Cove Loop Road are open all year, weather permitting, and the Cades Cove loop runs sunrise to sunset. Forge Creek Road stays open through December 31, Wear Cove Road is open year-round, and Upper Tremont and Cataloochee roads are open year-round but can close for snow, ice or mud.
Before you go
- Bring a parking tag. Any vehicle parked in the park for more than 15 minutes needs one. The park lists daily tags at $5, weekly at $15 and annual at $40 on its fees page.
- Check conditions that morning. Late-fall wind and ice can close roads with little warning, as happened earlier this month. The park’s current conditions page and @GreatSmokyNPS on X post updates.
- Know the trail closures. Laurel Falls Trail is still closed for rehabilitation, with reopening expected sometime in 2027, and Cherokee Orchard Road remains closed to people on foot because of bear activity. The full list is on the park’s closures and cautions page.
- Plan for short days. Sunset comes early this time of year, so start a Roaring Fork or Kuwohi drive with plenty of daylight left.
Thanksgiving weekend is a lovely time for these drives, with the leaves down and long views opening through the trees. Just expect company, and go early in the day if you can.