Wednesdays on the Cades Cove Loop road will be vehicle-free this summer/NPS file
Navigating the 11-mile loop around Cades Cove at Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be trying during the summer season, with traffic at times inching along bumper to bumper. Beginning in May, though, Wednesdays in the cove will be vehicle-free.
Park officials have decided to extend a pilot project in Cades Cove by continuing vehicle-free access on the Cades Cove Loop Road all day on Wednesdays from May 5 through September 1. Park managers implemented this weekly, full-day opportunity in 2020 in an effort to improve the visitor experience and to reduce congestion associated with vehicle-free mornings that were previously offered until 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The park received 47 comments through mail, email, phone, and comment cards regarding the vehicle-free day pilot project. More than 60 percent of these comments were extremely positive, however, some campers were still impacted by early morning parking congestion and some visitors were disappointed by the lack of vehicle access on Wednesdays.
Overall, the full-day opportunity provided a more enjoyable and safe experience for the nearly 30,000 bicyclists and pedestrians who participated in the vehicle-free day opportunities, the park reported. During the 2020 season, 25 percent more pedestrians and cyclists participated in vehicle-free access periods per week as compared to the 2019 season, with an average of 1,800 participants each Wednesday.
Park managers continue to be concerned about parking congestion and will monitor use levels, parking availability, visitor experience, and congestion throughout the second year of the pilot project. According to data collected in 2020, parking lots were full during 30 percent of the observation period and roadside shoulders along Laurel Creek Road were utilized for parking during 60 percent of the observation period.
Staff and volunteers will implement some changes in parking access this season to ease pressure on campground and picnic area parking lots and to prevent roadside parking along Laurel Creek Road. Roadside parking damages shoulders and creates unsafe conditions for visitors walking from their car to their destination.
Comments
I think closing the Cove from Traffic all day Wednesday is an excellent idea .I think it should take place all year long..So much more to be seen and spiritually felt when walking .No smell of gas fumes .No dodging cars as that is just the opposite of what the Cove means.I love the Cove and personally thank all the hard work the park employees do to keep it in such pristine condition.
Thank-You
Joan White
We so enjoyed the vehicle-free days in the Cove and were gratified to see so many people of ALL ages and conditions walking, running, hiking, skating, and biking (both regular and e-bikes) enjoying the beautiful cove. I would encourage the Park Service to consider extending the season beyond September 1, as the weather in the fall months of September-November is some of East Tennessee's most glorious. One day of seven (14%), year-round, is a gift to the park's microenvironment and to its wildlife, as well as to those of us who are able to move without cars.
I understand what the park is trying to do but not everyone can hike/bicycle/walk far. I and others have disabilities that make this very difficult. I hope this program is discontinued. Its hard planning when you only have so many days and you cant plan on Wed. Honestly we do other things the first of the week then always did caves cove on a wed. Add spring weather into the equation it might b the only good day to go.