TOWNSEND, Tenn. — The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is just days away from shutting down the only road you can drive to Cades Cove for two months.
The park will close the gate on Laurel Creek Road just beyond the turn to Tremont starting Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, to allow crews to begin repairs on the Bote Mountain tunnel. The road will remain closed through February.
The $1.3 million project will provide the first major repairs to the tunnel since it was built in 1948.
"Everybody is trying to get their last-minute visit in before it [the tunnel and road] shuts down," said Barry Spruce, a professional photographer who owns the Cades Cove Gallery in Townsend.
Spruce makes his living capturing light. His photographs of wildlife and landscapes in the national park often include scenes in Cades Cove.
"There's something special about Cades Cove with the history and the mountains on all sides. Just the pristine landscape of it all is remarkable," said Spruce.
Spruce's business selling photos at the gallery depends on tourists headed to Cades Cove through Townsend. While it's never a good time to cut off vehicle access to Cades Cove, the timing could be a lot worse than January and February.
"I would say January and February only account for around five percent of our annual income at the gallery. It's not as significant a loss as it would be if it was June or July or other months," said Spruce. "We also had plenty of notice about the closure, so I was able to make plans and adjust for the next couple of months."
Spruce scheduled more of his other roles beyond manning the gallery, including his services as a personal guide for nature photography.
Although January and February are the slowest months of the year for visitors, the closure specifically impacts Spruce because winter is when he develops his best-selling photographs.
"I always want to capture the snow shots. To see the different cabins in the snow and even the wildlife in the snow, people really enjoy those photographs and gravitate to them. My top-selling photograph is of the John Oliver Cabin in the snow," said Spruce.
Spruce said he is more concerned about the work that will continue on the tunnel several months after the road is reopened in March. Crews will periodically close one of the two lanes and inevitably create traffic snarls.
"I'm a little worried about the uncertainty of the impact of those lane closures. With big projects like this, contractors can get into the work and discover other issues that make everything take longer. We are just hoping for the best," said Spruce.
Spruce said there is light at the end of the tunnel. He'll be glad to capture the light with no fears of crumbling concrete when the tunnel is repaired.
"At least this is going to be taken care of and it will be a safer environment. I mean, 1948 is a long time. When this is done, it should be good for another 75 years or so," said Spruce.
Even though Laurel Creek Road will be closed for January and February, rangers will still be at Cades Cove to protect the historic site.