Great Smoky Mountains Natl. Park — Update (1/22):
Laurel Creek Road is now open. Be cautious for snow and ice. Cades Cove Loop Road will open at normal time.
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Many roads in the Great Smoky Mountains were closed Friday, Jan. 21, as cold weather moved into East Tennessee.
Officials said a portion of Newfound Gap Road, between Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Cherokee, North Carolina, was closed due to ice and snow. The road often closes for extended periods of time due to hazardous weather.
Parts of Little River Road, from the Sugarlands Visitor Center to the Townsend Wye, and Laurel Creek Road were also closed Monday.
Foothills Parkway West, the entire length, and Foothills Parkway East were also closed due to weather, officials said. Cherokee Orchard at Twin Creeks was also closed, officials said.
"Traveling into the park during winter weather can be hazardous," said Dana Soehn, a spokesperson with Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "And so, we often will close many of our roadways when they become slick, or we have icy areas that simply just don't get sun."
Information about when the roads would reopen was not immediately available.
Officials also said people could call officials with the Great Smoky Mountains at 865-436-1200. By pressing 1 on the menu after connecting, they could listen to the latest update on road conditions in the mountains.
