Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that Cherokee Orchard Road will be closed from Monday, January 9 to Friday, January 13, to allow crews to install boulders along the road shoulders and for Richmond Tree Experts to remove damaged trees along the roadside.
The closure is necessary to ensure the safety of both park visitors and workers, according to a press release by the National Park Service.
Twin Creeks Trail will also be closed to the public during the closure. This means that there will be no access to Rainbow Falls and Trillium Gap trailheads from either Cherokee Orchard Road or Twin Creeks Trail.
Officials advise park visitors to plan their routes accordingly and to follow all posted detours and instructions from park staff.
The closure of Cherokee Orchard Road is part of a larger project aimed at improving visitor and resource safety along park roads.
Vehicles parked on the roadside shoulders can obstruct traffic and create blind spots for drivers, posing significant safety risks for visitors walking to or from their vehicles.
In addition, roadside parking can negatively impact adjacent habitats, damage road edges, cause erosion, and hinder emergency response efforts.
The installation of boulders along the road shoulders is intended to prevent vehicles from parking on the sides of the road and to increase the visibility of pedestrians and bicyclists.
The removal of damaged trees along the roadside will also help to improve the safety of park visitors.
For updates on temporary road and trail closures, visitors can visit the park’s “Current Road, Facility, Trail & Backcountry Updates” webpage. More information about efforts to improve parking safety can be found in a December news release.
Park officials encourage visitors to stay informed about changes to park conditions and to follow all safety guidelines while enjoying the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.