Some roads and campgrounds soon will be gated closed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as crews ready the park for winter.

As cooler weather approaches and visitation decreases, various facilities will close, including seven of the 10 campgrounds, and operational hours for some visitor services will be reduced.

VISITOR CENTERS

Through November, the Sugarlands Visitor Center, 2 miles south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, will be open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The Oconaluftee Visitor Center, 2 miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina, will serve visitors from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The Cades Cove Visitor Center located half way around the Cades Cove Loop Road will be opened daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The visitor center hours for the following winter months are posted on the Park’s website, www.nps.gov/grsm.

ROADS

Several of the secondary roads will close as indicated: Balsam Mountain/Heintooga Roads on November 1, Parson Branch and Rich Mountain Roads on November 16, Roundbottom/Straight Fork on November 10, and Clingmans Dome and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail on December 1.

During the winter months, the park’s two main roads, Newfound Gap (U.S. 441) and Little River, will remain open throughout the year, except for temporary closures for extreme winter weather conditions, the park notes.

The Gatlinburg Bypass, Cades Cove Loop Road, Cosby Road, Greenbrier Road, Upper Tremont, Forge Creek, Lakeview Drive, and Foothills Parkway (East and West) will open and close as road conditions mandate.

For more information on winter weather road conditions, you can contact the park at 865/436-1200.

LODGING

LeConte Lodge will accommodate guests until November 24, when it will close for the season.

CAMPING

Two of the three major campgrounds will remain open all year. These year-round campgrounds are Cades Cove in Tennessee and Smokemont in North Carolina. Starting November 1, they will be on a self-registration basis with a reduced number of available sites. Elkmont Campground in Tennessee will remain open through the Thanksgiving weekend and will close on December 1.

Balsam Mountain campground is already closed for the season. The six remaining self-registration campgrounds will close on November 1.

CADES COVE CAMPGROUND STORE

Cades Cove Campground Store will close on December 21, but will reopen December 26-January 3 to serve visitors during the holiday period. Vending machines at the store will remain in service throughout the winter.

PICNICKING

Seven picnic areas will remain open through the winter: Chimney Tops, Cades Cove, Cosby, Greenbrier, Metcalf Bottoms, Big Creek, and Deep Creek.

Picnic pavilions at Cosby, Greenbrier and Deep Creek will be open through the winter and can be reserved at www.recreation.gov. Picnic pavilions that will close on November 1 include Twin Creeks, Collins Creek, and Metcalf Bottoms.

HORSEBACK STABLES

Smokemont Riding Stable is scheduled to close on November 2. Sugarlands Riding Stable and Smoky Mountain Riding Stable will close on November 30. Cades Cove Riding Stable will close on December 21, but will reopen December 26-January 3. The closing dates are dependent on weather conditions.

HORSE CAMPS

All five horse camps--Round Bottom, Tow String, Cataloochee, Big Creek, and Anthony Creek--are scheduled to close on November 9.