Are national parks closed during the government shutdown? Info in NC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Shutdown forces National Park Service to furlough staff and suspend web and social media updates.
- National Park Service areas including the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains and Appalachian Trail are open.
- Visitors may face reduced services and delayed emergency responses.
Visitors flock to parks and natural areas in Western North Carolina during the fall season.
But this year, the government shutdown may disrupt plans.
After Congress failed to pass a funding bill ahead of its deadline, federal agencies began cutting back on programs and services. Many federal workers were also furloughed.
The shutdown affects the National Park Service, which is responsible for overseeing areas such as the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway.
Under the National Park Service’s shutdown contingency plan, park roads, lookouts, trails and open air memorials will remain accessible to visitors, The Charlotte Observer reported.
However, park websites and social media accounts will not be maintained, except for emergency communications, and parks will not provide regular road or trail condition updates. “Some services may be limited or unavailable,” the park service said.
Here’s what to know about visiting them during the government shutdown.
Is the Appalachian National Scenic Trail open?
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs from Maine to Georgia, passing through 14 states, including North Carolina.
Like other National Parks, it is still open to visitors during the government shutdown. There is a section closed at Iron Mountain Gap on the North Carolina-Tennessee border for repairs following Hurricane Helene.
According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that protects, manages and advocates for the trail, on-trail facilities including shelters, campsites, restrooms and ungated trailhead parking lots are open.
Ann Simonelli, director of communications for the conservancy, said in an email to The News & Observer that visitors should check with the national park or national forest they want to visit for the status of off-trail sites. That information may be difficult to attain, however, during the shutdown.
The three visitor centers operated by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are open. They are located in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, Damascus, Virginia, and Monson, Maine. (The Monson Visitor Center closes for the season Monday, Oct. 13.)
Visitors may experience delayed emergency response times during the shutdown, Simonelli said.
Volunteers are maintaining the Appalachian Trail and its features, such as shelters and privies, in some areas during the shutdown. Maintenance work on sections of the trail in national forests may be delayed, Simonelli said, and anyone who visits the trail during the shutdown should follow Leave No Trace principles.
Is Great Smoky Mountains National Park open?
Part of the Appalachian Trail passes through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles Tennessee and North Carolina.
According to an Oct. 1 update to the park’s website, the following places, all in Tennessee, are closed:
- Cades Cove Picnic Area
- Cades Cove Visitor Center
- Cades Cove Loop Road
- Chimneys Picnic Area
- Sugarlands Visitor Center — but restrooms are open
Two other visitor centers in the park — Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Kuwohi Visitor Center — are in North Carolina and are open during the shutdown, according to Smokies Life, a nonprofit organization that cooperates with the National Park Service.
- Oconaluftee Visitor Center hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
- Kuwohi Visitor Center hours: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Smokies Life also operates the Gatlinburg Welcome Center and Great Smokies Welcome Center in Tennessee, along with the Swain County Visitor Center in Bryson City, North Carolina. All three are open.
According to a daily report shared with The N&O by Smokies Life, all campgrounds in the park are open.
Picnic pavilions at Cosby, Metcalf Bottoms, Greenbrier and Deep Creek are open, but all others are closed, according to the report.
In addition to Cades Cove Loop Road, Parson Branch and Rich Mountain Road are closed during the shutdown, according to the daily report.
There are two gristmills in the park. The Mingus Mill near Oconaluftee is temporarily closed for preservation and rehabilitation work. No updates have been shared about the Cable Mill in Cades Cove.
Some areas of the park are closed due to storm damage.
Is the Blue Ridge Parkway open?
Most of the Blue Ridge Parkway is open. However, some sections remain closed because of damage from Hurricane Helene or because of long-term maintenance.
About 29 miles of the parkway are fully closed in two sections north of Mount Mitchell and are not expected to be rebuilt until fall 2026, The N&O previously reported.
An unrelated reconstruction project has also closed 19.7 miles of the parkway between U.S. 221/421 and N.C. 16.
However, the North Carolina Department of Transportation has gradually been reopening sections of the parkway. Recently, a section between Asheville and Mount Mitchell State Park reopened, though the parkway north of the park to Little Switzerland is still closed.
