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[Charlie <cmmbirds@xxxxxxxxx>]

Great Smoky Mountains News Release

Immediate Release                                     Contact:  Nancy
Gray
Date:  October 27, 2005                                    
865/436-1208

                          SMOKIES WINTER SCHEDULE

      Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced its winter
season

operations schedule.  As cooler weather approaches and visitation 

decreases, various facilities will close, including 7 of the 10

campgrounds, and operational hours for some Park services will be
reduced.


VISITOR CENTERS

       Starting on November 1, the Sugarlands Visitor Center, 2 miles
south

of Gatlinburg, TN, will open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.  The
Oconaluftee

Visitor Center, 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC, will serve visitors
from 8

a.m.-4:30 p.m.  The Cades Cove Visitor Center located half way around
the

Cades Cove Loop Road will be opened daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

ROADS

       During the winter months, the two main roads, Newfound Gap
(U.S.

441) and Little River, will remain open throughout the year, except
for

temporary closures for extreme winter weather conditions.

      The Gatlinburg Bypass, Cades Cove Loop Road, Cosby Road,
Greenbrier

Road, Upper Tremont, Little Greenbrier, Forge Creek, Lakeview Drive,
and

Foothills Parkway (East and West) will open and close as road
conditions

mandate.

      Secondary roads will be closed as indicated: 
Roundbottom/Straight

Fork and Balsam Mountain/Heintooga Roads on November 1, Rich Mountain
Road

on November 12, and Clingmans Dome and Roaring Fork Motor Nature
Trails on

December 1. Parson Branch Road is closed due to storm impacts.

                                  (over)



Winter Schedule--two

       For more information on winter weather road conditions,
contact the

Park at

865/436-1200.

LODGING

      LeConte Lodge will accommodate guests until November 23 when it
will

close for the season.

CAMPING

      Two of the three major campgrounds will remain open all year. 
These

year-round campgrounds are Cades Cove in Tennessee and Smokemont in
North

Carolina.  Starting November 1, they will be on a self-registration
basis

with a reduced number of available sites.  Elkmont Campground in
Tennessee

will remain open through the Thanksgiving weekend and will be closed
on

December 1.

      Balsam Mountain campground is already closed for the season. 
The six

remaining self-registration campgrounds will be closed on November 1.

CADES COVE CAMPGROUND STORE AND BIKE RENTAL

      Cades Cove Campground Store will be closed on October 31 except
for

the vending machines, which will remain in service throughout the
winter.

PICNICKING

      Seven picnic areas will remain open through the winter: Chimney
Tops,

Cades Cove, Cosby, Greenbrier, Metcalf Bottoms, Big Creek, and Deep
Creek.

STABLES

      The Smokemont Riding Stables will be closed for the season on
October

31.  The Cades Cove Riding Stables is scheduled to be closed on
November 7.

Sugarlands Horseback Riding Stables and the Smoky Mountain Riding
Stables

will remain open through November 27, weather permitting.

HORSE CAMPS

      All five horse camps--Round Bottom, Tow String, Cataloochee,
Big

Creek, and Anthony Creek--are scheduled to be closed on November 14.



                                   -NPS-




Nancy Gray
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Road
Gatlinburg, TN   37738
865/436-1208 phone
865/436-1204 fax
e:mail:  Nancy_Gray@xxxxxxx
?
?

*******************************************************************
Charlie Muise, Naturalist near
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

"To the dull mind all nature is leaden.  To the illuminated mind 
the whole world sparkles with light."  - Ralph Waldo Emerson


        
                
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