The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a great place to visit during any season of the year, but winter offers special opportunities not available during the other three seasons.
Due to the fact that the leaves are off of the trees, views are enhanced from nearly every vantage point, and on a clear day in winter you can see an exceptionally long way!
However, if you plan to visit the park in the winter, please be aware that many of the secondary roads are closed during cold weather.
The roads that are seasonally closed include Clingman’s Dome Road, Heintooga Ridge Road, Roundbottom/Straight Fork Road, Rich Mountain Roada and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
The roads that are open all year (weather permitting) are the Newfound Gap road (U.S. 441,) Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road and the Cades Cove Loop Road.
Most roads reopen in late April or early May for the busy summer and fall seasons.
If you plan on visiting the park before then, you might want to consider getting out of the car and hiking. The trails are less crowed and offer a unique beauty in the winter that is unlike any other time of the year.
But don’t plan on seeing any black bears, as they are denning during the winter and will not emerge until the onset of warmer weather!
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