Parks / Great Smoky Mountains

TN · NC · Week of Nov 9–15, 2026

Great Smoky Mountains National Park this week

Winter Weather Advisory on the Tennessee side; snow showers at Newfound Gap.

The Smokies' primary roads (Newfound Gap Road/US-441, Little River Road and Laurel Creek Road) are open 24/7 year-round, weather permitting. This week NWS Morristown has a Winter Weather Advisory for the Gatlinburg and Townsend areas until 7 am EST Nov 14, and the forecast at Newfound Gap shows snow showers Friday. There's no entrance fee, but any vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes needs a parking tag ($5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual). NPS alert NPS API NWS NWS

Open entrances Closed this week Get GOES before you lose signal

When signal drops, GOES steps in.

Black bears feeding hard before winter, elk near Cherokee, wet cold that leads to hypothermia, and mountain roads where GPS and signal both fail. GOES works offline.

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Entrances open this week

Pick your entrance

Gatlinburg, TN (US-441)

Gatlinburg Entrance (Sugarlands)

The Gatlinburg entrance on US-441 leads to Sugarlands Visitor Center and then up Newfound Gap Road over the crest to North Carolina. It's one of the park's three main entrances.

Open — Winter Weather Advisory

This week at Gatlinburg Entrance (Sugarlands) →

Townsend, TN (TN-73)

Townsend Entrance

The Townsend entrance on TN-73 is the 'quiet side' gateway to Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road and Cades Cove.

Open — Winter Weather Advisory

This week at Townsend Entrance →

Cherokee, NC (US-441)

Cherokee Entrance (Oconaluftee)

The Cherokee entrance on US-441 in North Carolina leads to Oconaluftee Visitor Center and the Mountain Farm Museum, then north up Newfound Gap Road to the state line.

Open — elk area

This week at Cherokee Entrance (Oconaluftee) →

Seasonal closures

Closed or limited this week

Closed / limitedSeasonal secondary roads. Heintooga Ridge Road, Parson Branch Road and Rich Mountain Road are closed for the season. Straight Fork and the one-way section of Balsam Mountain Road are closed. Park Headquarters Road is closed for water and wastewater work. NPS alert NPS

Entrance fee: No entrance fee. A parking tag is required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes: daily $5, weekly $15, annual $40. America the Beautiful passes are not accepted in place of a tag. NPS alert NPS fees

Know the risks

What matters in Great Smoky Mountains right now

Teach, don't scare: these are the hazards NPS emphasizes this season, with what to do.

Black bears

Over the last 10 years the Smokies averaged 339 reported negative human–bear encounters a year. In fall, bears feed heavily (up to 20,000 calories a day) and show up near roadsides. Approaching within 50 yards (150 ft) is illegal. If a black bear attacks and isn't after your food, fight back; don't play dead. NPS NPS news

In GOESWildlife Encounters: location-specific risk indicators for bears and other dangerous animals

Elk

It's illegal to approach elk within 25 yards (75 ft). During the fall rut, bulls can be aggressive toward people, vehicles and pets. NPS closed the fields around Oconaluftee and Cataloochee to visitors during the rut, so obey any posted closures. NPS news NPS news

In GOESWildlife Encounters: location-specific risk indicators for dangerous animals

Wet cold and fast-changing mountain weather

Temperatures can vary 10–20°F between base and summit, and clear skies lower down don't guarantee the same up high. Rain, then snow, then near-freezing nights is a textbook setup for hypothermia. NPS API NWS

In GOESEnvironmental Health: hypothermia and frostbite assessments

GPS and no signal

NPS warns that GPS units may send drivers the wrong way on one-way roads or to dead ends, and points mobile users to offline maps for areas without cell service. NPS

In GOES125+ extreme weather alerts

NPS alerts

Active Great Smoky Mountains alerts

From the NPS Data API, fetched Nov 12, 2026. Live version: nps.gov/grsm conditions.

Park ClosureSeasonal road closures. Heintooga Ridge Road, Parson Branch Road, and Rich Mountain Road are closed for the season. More
Park ClosurePark Headquarters Road is closed. Park Headquarters Road is closed due to rehabilitation work on the Sugarlands water and wastewater systems.
Park ClosureStraight Fork and the one-way section of Balsam Mountain Road closed.. Straight Fork and the one-way section of Balsam Mountain Road (Heintooga Round-Bottom Road) are closed. More
InformationMost visitors need a parking tag. All vehicles parking for longer than 15 minutes require a parking tag. Three tag durations are available for purchase for all vehicle sizes and types: Daily ($5), Weekly ($15), or Annual ($40). More

Follow official NPS rules, posted closures and ranger instructions. They override anything on this page.

Your outdoor safety companion

When signal drops, GOES steps in.

Black bears feeding hard before winter, elk near Cherokee, wet cold that leads to hypothermia, and mountain roads where GPS and signal both fail. GOES works offline.

Works with no cell service: interactive health assessment and 50+ visual how-to guides, available offline.
Location-specific risks: wildlife (bears, venomous snakes), hypothermia, frostbite, heat illness, altitude, ticks, poisonous plants, UV and smoke/air quality.
200+ prevention tips across 60+ medical topics, also available offline.
Built by wilderness medicine physicians: founded by Dr. Grant Lipman, former Stanford Emergency Medicine professor and director of its wilderness medicine fellowship; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Colin Little, MD, FAWM.

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Free to download. Premium features need a monthly or annual subscription after a 7-day free trial. GOES provides guidance. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Follow official NPS rules and ranger instructions.

Sources

Where this week's information comes from

Fetched Thu Nov 12, 2026 (JST), which is Wed Nov 11 evening in US time zones. We don't publish wait times, bear sightings or conditions we can't source. Check the official pages before you go — they're updated more often than we are.