Our hearts are with our family, friends and everyone affected by hurricane Helene. From Florida to North Carolina this historic storm has had a major impact. However, Tennessee has been mostly spared from the flooding. This post will be updated regularly to keep couples who have weddings planned in the Great Smoky Mountains area of East Tennessee.
Update October 1, 2024
US 441/Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will reopen tomorrow
Hurricane Helene recovery continues in Great Smoky Mountains National Park area
GATLINBURG, Tenn.—The National Park Service (NPS) will reopen US 441/Newfound Gap Road by 8 a.m. tomorrow morning to allow for access between Tennessee and North Carolina communities.
Once US 441 reopens, all major roads, trails and facilities on the Tennessee-side of the park will be open to visitors. Kuwohi Road (formerly Clingmans Dome Road) will also open tomorrow. While the park has assessed high-use areas and trails for hazard and downed trees, visitors should exercise extra caution as they hike and explore the park.
Several local communities including Sevier County, which includes Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, as well as Cherokee in North Carolina, are fully open to those who can access them through safe routes.
September 29, 2024
Flooding impact-
Extreme flooding in East Tennessee has been for the most part limited to Hartford, Newport and other areas well east and north or Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky MountainsNational Park.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park-
The National Park is open, however US 441 between Cherokee, North Carolina and Gatlinburg, Tennessee remains closed due to storm damage. But there are several secondary entrances to the park that are currently open including Cades Cove.
Foothills Parkway-
Foothills Parkway West is open. Most weddings are scheduled on this section. Foothills Parkway East is currently closed.
Greenbrier Cove-
Greenbrier along the of the Little Pigeon River is closed. If you’ve scheduled your wedding with us at a Greenbrier location, we will contact you in the next week when we have more information to update you on the condition of this area. Please note, Greenbrier is along the LITTLE Pigeon River. This is a completely different river than the Pigeon River which you may have seen on the news as it was impacted much, much more by flooding.
Cades Cove-
Cades Cove is open and largely unaffected by the storm.
Driving Here-
Interstate 40 at the North Carolina/Tennessee state line suffered major damage and will remain closed for the foreseeable future. The preliminary reports I’ve seen have stated it will be closed for at least a year.
U.S. 441 between Cherokee, North Carolina and Gatlinburg , Tennessee is currently closed, I will provide more information here about this route as it becomes available.
Travelers coming from the North or West should NOT notice any impact getting here.
If you are traveling from the East or South you may need to seek an alternative route. Feel free to contact us for suggestions.
Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Townsend and the surrounding area businesses and lodging are open. If you’re traveling to the Cosby and Newport area of Cocke County you should check conditions of the specific area in which you’re staying before visiting.
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