Travel Plans to Great Smoky Mountains Need To Be Adjusted Because of Hurricane Helene

Alternate plans should be put in place if the Great Smoky Mountains were on your itinerary.

Sure, the view out from your back porch looks just like this. This fall setting looks west toward the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee from Biltmore House in western North Carolina. Great care was made to preserve the rural setting. Carolina View / Greg Jaklewicz

Hurricane Helene has caused a ton of devastation in the southeast portion of the United States. There are still millions of people without power, with cell service being limited as well.

While the last of the storm was breaking up on Monday, the end isn’t close. It will take a long time for some of the areas to be rebuilt as Helene touched down last Thursday in Florida’s Big Bend region but terrorized several states.

One of the states which were hit the hardest was North Carolina.

Emergency supplies were airlifted into Asheville, a county which reported at least 30 deaths as of Monday morning. Sadly, more were expected to be announced as search and rescue teams set out to find people who were reported missing.

Anyone who had planned a trip to the area, specifically the Great Smoky Mountains, needs to consider changing their itinerary. There are entire sections of the park that are closed, with 13 different places being listed on the National Park Service news announcement.

Any updates will be provided at the website for the park.

Not only is the park assessing damage, but the surrounding communities are as well. As a result, travelers could find the availability of some necessities being limited.

“Western North Carolina communities and Cocke County (Tennessee), in particular experienced significant flooding and have downed trees, damaged powerlines and limited resources. The North Carolina Department of Transportation advises that all travel in Western North Carolina should be for emergencies only. Surrounding communities may have limited resources (gas, food, water) available to visitors at this time,” as shared by the NPS.

If you are going to be in the Great Smoky Mountains, it is at your own risk. Because of emergencies being dealt with at home and providing aid to others in need, staff and resources are limited at the park.

Should an accident occur and emergency services are needed, they will be slower than usual responding because of how thin they are currently being spread. Reaching some parts of the park is also impossible because of closures.

Newfound Gap Road/US441 remains closed, along with several other roads within the park. There is currently no timetable for when those roads will open up and become accessible again.

People who are determined to make their visit despite the current dangers will be relieved to know that there are sections of the park which are functioning properly.

“Wondering whether you should reschedule your trip to the Smokies due to impacts from Hurricane Helene? While parts of the national park are open, outdoor recreation is currently discouraged due to park staffing being stretched and visitor safety concerns. However, Sevier County, which includes Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville, is fully open to those who can access the county through safe routes. We are working hard to get all major park roads open to the public as soon as possible,” as shared by the NPS.