Great Smokies trail work
The National Park Service is seeking public input on improvements to the Oconaluftee River Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and warns the work could require temporary or full trail closures during construction. (wlos.com) The project is estimated to take about 12 months, so access may be intermittent across the coming year. (wlos.com)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is asking the public to weigh in on a rebuild of the Oconaluftee River Trail before comments close April 22. (nps.gov) The National Park Service said the 1.6-mile trail links the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum to downtown Cherokee, and more than 100,000 people use it each year. (nps.gov) The agency’s proposal includes a tougher trail surface, repairs to about 275 feet of eroded riverbank, work on four footbridges, an accessible riverside viewing area, and a spur trail to Saunooke Bridge Road. (nps.gov) The project is aimed at access as much as maintenance. The Park Service said it wants to improve the connection between the park and Cherokee, increase accessibility, and reduce safety problems tied to erosion and aging trail features. (nps.gov) That matters on one of the park’s most heavily used paved corridors, where the route serves walkers and cyclists moving between a major visitor area and the park’s North Carolina gateway community. (nps.gov) The timing is still broad. The Park Service said work on some or all of the improvements could start in late 2026 or in 2027. (nps.gov) When construction begins, visitors should expect intermittent access. The agency said it anticipates a series of partial and full trail closures, and estimated the work will take 12 months. (wlos.com) Comments can be filed online through the National Park Service planning portal or mailed to park headquarters in Gatlinburg if they are postmarked by April 22. The agency said those comments will shape planning, design, and compliance review for natural and cultural resources before the trail work moves ahead. (nps.gov)
