Spring openings in the Smokies
Spring is here, and facilities closed for the winter are opening up accordingly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Clingmans Dome Visitor Information Center will open April 1.
• Round Bottom/Straight Fork Road will open April 1.
• The backcountry office at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with reservations also available online at www.smokiespermits.nps.gov or 865.436.1297.
• Cataloochee Campground will open March 25; Big Creek and Deep Creek campgrounds will open April 8; and Balsam Mountain Campground will open May 27. Smokemont Campground is open year-round.
• LeConte Lodge, accessible by trail only, opened March 21.
• Cataloochee Horse Camp will open March 25, Round Bottom Horse Camp will open April 1 and Big Creek Horse Camp will open April 8.
Blue Ridge Parkway sets opening schedule
Facilities and visitor services along the Blue Ridge Parkway will soon be opening for 2016, a year that marks the 100th anniversary for the National Park Service.
• Pisgah Inn and Restaurant will open April 1.
• Mount Pisgah Picnic Area will open April 15.
• Waterrock Knob Visitor Center will open April 29.
• Mount Pisgah Campground will open May 6.
• The Folk Art Center and Asheville Visitor Center are open year-round.
Some sections of the southern end of the Parkway are still closed due to winter weather. For real-time updates on Parkway closures, visit www.nps.gov/maps/blri/road-closures.
Clingmans Dome Road opens early
The road to the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened a tad early this year due to last week’s warm weather.
Clingmans Dome Road opened Saturday, March 26, a few days ahead of its usual March 31 opening. The 7-mile road typically closes Dec. 1 of each year.
At 6,643 feet, the dome is the park’s highest point and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi, offering a 360-degree view at the top.
Current road closure information is posted at @SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.
