Smokies Park Open on Local Stopgap Funding

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will remain open with basic visitor services and reduced staffing from Nov. 3 through Jan. 4 under a stopgap agreement led by Friends of the Smokies and a coalition of state and local partners. The nine-week plan costs roughly $80,000 per week, with Tennessee providing $25,000 weekly and seven partners (Sevier County, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Blount County, Cocke County and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) contributing about $7,000 each; Sevier County is paying the federal government directly and parking and recreation fees also support operations. Restrooms, visitor centers, campgrounds, picnic areas and roads including Cades Cove Loop Road will remain accessible and some scheduled events, such as the Cades Cove race, can proceed. Many National Park Service employees may be furloughed if the shutdown continues, and critical conservation and maintenance work — including trail repairs, hemlock treatments and historic-structure upkeep — will be paused. The arrangement follows a prior agreement that fully staffed the park from Oct. 4–Nov. 2 during peak season, and local leaders say the scaled-back plan is a compromise while some rangers question whether short-term funding can substitute for regular federal operations; seasonal and weather-related closures may still occur.