KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With the threat of wildfires and severe weather high at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, some tourists said they felt the impact on their vacation plans. Leaders at the park closed some popular areas because of the wildfires, and as strong winds moved into East Tennessee.
"We tried to go to this Great Smoky Mountains today, but the roads are closed," said Filipina Carillo, visiting from South Carolina.
Tourists packed The Island at Pigeon Forge, with some coming from Gatlinburg, where many of their plans of visiting the Great Smoky Mountains had to quickly change.
"It seems like everyone's staying more in the Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Gatlinburg area. because you can't really go hiking or anything," said Nikki Shockey, another visitor who had to change plans.
Leaders at the national park originally announced some popular roads and tourist areas were closing because of a high fire risk and strong winds. They included Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road, Cades Cove Loop Road, Cherokee Orchard Road and Foothills Parkway West. The Elkmont and Cades Cove campgrounds were also closed.
All were reopened by Tuesday night.
"We attempted to go to Clingmans Dome, what, two days ago? We got all the way there, unpacked, everyone's bundled up, it's freezing cold, and the rangers come through and they're like, 'Nope, turn around. Park's closed, the winds are 80 miles an hour,'" said Shockey.
As areas of the park reopen from the brief closure, some of the tourists say closing the areas was the best decision for their safety.
"It's for the safety of everyone, so I really don't —it doesn't matter. Yes, it doesn't matter to me if it's closed or not," said Carillo.
While their stays may not be going according to plan, they still are making the most out of their visit.
"So, it's not like a sacrifice, but it's just, you kind o,f you have to adapt. You have to change. You're on vacation, there's tons of things to do. It's not like we're bored," said Shockey.