Great Smoky Mountains National Park will temporarily close a section of Little River Road between the Townsend Wye and Elkmont for essential road maintenance on June 8th and 9th.
On June 8th, the closure will run from Townsend Wye to Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area between 7am and noon. Visitors can use Wears Valley Road (US 321) between Townsend and Line Springs Road as a detour.
On June 9th, the closure will extend from Metcalf Bottoms to Elkmont Junction, also from 7am to noon. Wears Valley Road between Line Springs Road and Pigeon Forge will serve as the alternate route.
Popular destinations including Elkmont, Metcalf Bottoms, and Cades Cove will remain accessible during both closures but may require detours. Visitors should expect increased travel times.
Drivers of motor homes, buses, and vans longer than 25 feet are prohibited on Wear Cove Gap Road from the park boundary through the Metcalf Bottoms bridge. The same restriction applies to passenger vehicles towing trailers.
The park first adopted this temporary closure approach in 2024, completing significant maintenance work during short windows totaling less than 10 hours. During those closures, crews mowed and string trimmed 24 miles of roadsides, cleaned 8.5 miles of roadside ditches, repaired 27 damaged road shoulder areas, and side armed 12 miles of roadside banks.
Visitors are encouraged to check the park’s website for up-to-date information on road closures and construction conditions before heading out.
