If you’ve been meaning to pitch a tent in the Smokies this fall, this is the weekend to do it. Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s seasonal shutdowns start rolling in this Sunday, October 25, when six of the park’s campgrounds close for the winter. Over the next five weeks, several scenic secondary roads will follow. Here’s the calendar, so you can plan around it.
Six campgrounds close Sunday, October 25
According to the park’s campground listings, these campgrounds are listed as closed starting Sunday, October 25:
- Cosby (Tennessee side, near Cosby and Gatlinburg). Reopens May 15, 2027.
- Abrams Creek (western edge of the park, off U.S. 129). Reopens May 8, 2027.
- Look Rock (along the Foothills Parkway West). Reopens May 8, 2027.
- Deep Creek (near Bryson City, N.C.). Reopens May 1, 2027.
- Cataloochee (Cataloochee Valley, N.C.). Reopens May 1, 2027.
- Big Creek (northeast corner of the park, N.C.). Reopens May 15, 2027.
That makes Saturday night, October 24, the last night to camp at these spots this year. Balsam Mountain Campground already closed for the season on October 12. Reservations are required at all park campgrounds, so check Recreation.gov for any open sites before you load up the car.
Where you can still camp
- Elkmont, the big campground closest to Gatlinburg, stays open through Saturday, November 28. It is scheduled to reopen in April 2027.
- Cades Cove is open year-round. Loop B and parts of Loop C stay open through November 30, then a smaller set of sites stays open all winter.
- Smokemont (near Cherokee, N.C.) is also open year-round in Loops A and B. Loops C, D and F wrap up at the end of October.
Winter camping in the Smokies is a real treat if you pack for it. Nights in the valleys can drop near freezing this time of year, and it gets much colder at higher elevations.
Seasonal road closings to know about
Several of the park’s secondary roads close for the winter on a set schedule. These dates come from the park’s 2026 seasonal road schedule:
- Saturday, October 31: Heintooga Ridge Road, the paved road off the Blue Ridge Parkway on the North Carolina side, ends its season.
- Monday, November 9: Rich Mountain Road and Parson Branch Road, the two one-way back roads out of the Cades Cove area, close for the winter.
- Sunday, November 29: Kuwohi Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Little Greenbrier Road all reach the end of their 2026 seasons. Roaring Fork is the popular one-way loop that starts just outside downtown Gatlinburg.
Kuwohi Road (formerly Clingmans Dome Road) can also close any day before November 29 because of ice or snow, as it did last weekend. If the summit is on your list, check the park’s current conditions page the morning you go. Heintooga Round Bottom Road and Straight Fork Road on the North Carolina side remain closed this year because of Hurricane Helene damage.
The main roads stay open all year, weather permitting. That includes Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) over the mountains, Little River Road between Sugarlands and Townsend, and the Cades Cove Loop Road, which is open sunrise to sunset.
Quick tips for a late-fall visit
- Bring your parking tag. Any vehicle parked in the park for more than 15 minutes needs a parking tag. The park lists daily tags at $5, weekly at $15 and annual at $40. Pricing can change, so check the park’s website for the latest. Campers parked at their own campsite don’t need one.
- Know the trail closures. Laurel Falls Trail is still closed for rehabilitation, with reopening expected sometime in 2027, and Bullhead Trail is closed Monday through Thursday through November 19. The park keeps a full list on its closures and cautions page.
- Stay alert for bears. Cherokee Orchard Road is still closed to people on foot because of bear activity, so stay in your vehicle there. Bears are busy eating before winter, so store food properly at campsites.
- Use only certified firewood. Only heat-treated firewood with a USDA or state certification seal can be brought into the park, or you can gather dead and downed wood inside the park.
The Smokies don’t shut down for winter. Fewer campgrounds and back roads are open, but the main drives, Cades Cove and hundreds of miles of trails stay open all season. For the latest closures, start each trip day with the park’s current conditions page.