In 1970 signs denoting US 441 were removed from that portion of the route which runs through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, to discourage commercial vehicles (which are not allowed in the park). These places are just a sampling of what is featured along this fabulous stretch of highway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Newfound Gap Road closed briefly for emergency response and reopened at approximately 8:12 p.m. Saturday evening. No car ever invented has frictionless breaks. Parkway dispatchers received a report of the crash at 9:30 a.m., and found Emory in serious condition. At 7:04 p.m. Sunday, July 25, a motorcycle carrying two people lost control and collided with a roadside sign at the intersection of U.S. 321 and the Foothills Parkway . Apparently one person was killed and others were injured. Neither car had other occupants, according to the statement. I think the comment by BryanBe says it all. We are headed up this weekend and I'm sure I will be on pin and needles the whole way over the mountain. NOTE: Even though the crystal clear waters of the park's streams look drinkable, please refrain from doing so. "Two people inside the motor home were airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. Two people died after a head-on collision just south of the Carlos Campbell Overlook on U.S. 441 Saturday, according to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. What should I ask before reserving a cabin? Pack plenty of drinking water and snacks/picnic supplies. However, hikers may encounter trail conditions not listed below that require caution. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The SUV came to a rest among the trees on the side of the road; it appeared to have suffered heavy front-end damage.". "The curvy road was closed from Sugarlands Visitor Center outside Gatlinburg to Smokemont Campground in Cherokee from about 3:45 p.m. until 6:50 p.m. according to tweets from a GSMNP account. USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee, Courtesy of Paige Marple, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The following list includes some conditions that the park is currently aware of. The park tweeted out the closure at 5:43 p.m. on Saturday. SWAIN COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) - Great Smoky Mountain National Park officials announced Wednesday that part Highway 441, or Newfound Gap Road, will be closed following a car crash. Exactly what gear I can't say because all of them are different but the general rule is what ever gear keeps you at or below the speed limit when the RPMs are about mid range. US Route 441 Live Traffic, Construction and Accident Report. Waterfalls near Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, Baymont by Wyndham Gatlinburg on the River, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort, an IHG Hotel, The Park Vista - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel - Gatlinburg, Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Water Park. Be prepared for swollen streams, bridge washouts, downed trees, and trail erosion when hiking in the park's backcountry. This is a developing story. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. None of them have any information posted. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-93671559', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cars will do their job and you will make it safely over the mountain. The lowest drivable pass in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Newfound Gap Road (US 441) has an elevation of 5,046 feet. Officials said both drivers involved in the head-on crash died. Lets Eat at Waynes Lunchbox in Spindale, N.C. 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Also, be aware that the speed limit in the National Park is 45 miles per hour. Rabbit Creek Trail - the bridge where the trail crosses Abrams Creek is out. WBIR and Knoxville News-Sentinel reporting a multi- car crash on U.S. 441/ Newfound Gap Road earlier today had the road closed from Sugarlands Visitors Center to Oconoluftee Visitors Center for several hours. For updated road information please call (865) 436-1200. "Just after 3:30 p.m., a motor home towing a car crashed into an SUV near mile marker 22, according to Jamie Sanders, a spokeswoman for the Great Smoky . U.S. Route 441 ( US 441) is a north-south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to Rocky Top, Tennessee. Hopefully no one was hurt or killed. The road is back open now. Looking for chef to come to rented cabin for a special dinne, Shades of the Past 2023/Events in September. The National Park Service says the road will close again near the crash for additional investigation and cleanup. The time and date of that has not yet been determined. Please note that the park's backcountry is managed as a natural area where the forces of nature determine trail conditions. Once I let off the breaks I coast down until I hit 45 again. resident James P. Henning, 64, and Sevierville resident Rodney W. Schwartz, 53. If I come to a corner I slow down for it obviously but in straight aways the bus will begin to get faster. >> US Route 441 >> North Carolina >> Cherokee >> News Reports NC troopers announce arrest of driver who allegedly hit House speaker's vehicle multiple times The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said Friday it has made an arrest in an incident in which a vehicle transporting state House Speaker Tim Moore was struck multiple times in the rear. US Highway 441 passes through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridge of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the [] Will advise when back open. In addition to Smokies rangers, Tennessee Highway Patrol and Gatlinburg Fire and Rescue responded to the wreck. Both are on the NC side. No trail closures are expected. Both drivers were killed as a result of their injuries. Officials said the road will be closed from Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tenn. to Smokemont Campground near Cherokee, N.C. to all incoming traffic. , All rights reserved. Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers. The straight route is 441, however I am worried about road grade and. The scenic roadway travels between the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, up and over the mountains and into Cherokee, North Carolina. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Help the Asheville Citizen Times continue to provide in-depth reporting like this. By the time we came back through, many emergency crews responding. A trio of collisions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway over the past week have resulted in a total of four fatalities. All five occupants of the Cruz were transported to Leconte Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Both occupants Benjamin Braunsdorf, 50, of Seymour, Tennessee, and Wendy Fitzgibbon, 46, of Knoxville, Tennessee were pronounced dead at the scene. 39 helpful votes Woman killed in single-car wreck on U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Rd 4 years ago Save According to reports, the car went off the road at the bridge near the Chimneys picnic area entrance and fell 40 feet below to the river. Five people in the third vehicle were taken to a local hospital with what were described as nonlife-threatening injuries. It happens in seconds not minutes. The driver of the GMC Yukon was identified as Rodney W. Schwartz, 53, of Sevierville, Tennessee. At approximately 11:07 a.m. the following morning, Blue Ridge Parkway rangers were alerted to a crash in the Balsam area of the Parkway, near milepost 441. Great Smoky Mountains National Park Travel Forum. Curves, vistas, never-ending views, hiking trails, Appalachian Trail, mile-high gaps, backcountry camping, wild trout fly fishing, front country camping, horseback riding, picnics and more! ORIGINAL STORY: US 441 between Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Cherokee, North Carolina is temporarily closed because of an accident, according to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Second hiker dies in two weeks in Great Smoky Mountains, NPS report: Blue Ridge Parkway ranger should lose policing power, Man killed in fiery Blue Ridge Parkway crash, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to the call on Newfound Gap Road around 3:30pm. Officials expect the road to be closed for several hours. WOW, prayers to all. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. They are lucky they didn't go down that embarkment since the trees haven't grown that much. more, More Great Smoky Mountains National Park Topics, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Destination Experts. Trail signs are in place to direct you from the Hazel Creek Trail and Lakeshore Trail intersection to Ollie Cove Trail that is one mile east on Lakeshore Trail from Hazel Creek. for important safety information about bears. That's a bad spot and if you went over there wouldn't be enough trees to stop you. Scott Mountain Trail is closed from campsite #6 to Schoolhouse Gap. Road across from Fontana Dam is closed to vehicle traffic from October 3, 2022 through March 31, 2023, due to maintenance at the Dam. From downtown Cherokee, NC pick up U.S. Highway 441 North towards Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Example video title will go here for this video. The driver of the Passat was identified as James P. Henning, 64, of St. Ann, Missouri. The mother was driving on an Edgecombe County highway when the car went . I know Someone fell backwards off a log down the side and it was a rescue but I don't Know the outcome. What are some FREE or budget friendly activities in the area? Aug 6, 2015Thirsty Thursdays at City Lights CafeSylva, NCCity Lights Cafe, Aug 13, 2015Thirsty Thursdays at City Lights CafeSylva, NCCity Lights Cafe, Aug 20, 2015Thirsty Thursdays at City Lights CafeSylva, NCCity Lights Cafe, Hiking & Backpacking | Siler Bald enlarge , Have Questions? Two years after a nonprofit affordable housing dev Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority received a v Haywood County Schools has new leaders at several All the worlds a stage, Shakespeare wrote, and www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/driving-safety.htm, Waynesville considers more incentives for affordable housing development, All the worlds a stage: Broadcasting meetings a tough call for Waynesville. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Wednesday, August 04, 2021. For the bus 3rd gear works most of the time but with more passengers I use 2nd because it gets to heavy for 3rd to slow it down (It's a 4 speed auto). Elizabeth . This information applies to all cars, trucks, suv, RV, and every other vehicle with wheels on it. A trio of collisions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway over the past week have resulted in a total of four fatalities. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News. Boogerman/Caldwell Fork trails - several water crossings exist on the Caldwell Fork Trail. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A third car rear-ended the Yukon immediately after the collision. For updated road and weather information please call (865) 436-1200. On Saturday, July 31, Weaverville resident Shawn Emory, 38, was riding his motorcycle near Milepost 398 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, about 9 miles north of Mount Pisgah, when he lost control and overcorrected while traveling southbound in an uphill curve. SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. Two people died after a head-on collision just south of the Carlos Campbell Overlook on U.S. 441 Saturday, according to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Driving a bus with 20 people over the mountain safely everyday requires knowledge and skill. When you are coming down the mountain you will need to have your vehicle in low gear. We strongly recommend spending the entire day along this route. There have been 233 motor vehicle accidents in the Smokies so far this year, saidpark spokeswoman Jamie Sanders. The car it was towing had been split in two and damaged beyond recognition. UPDATE: US 441 reopens after temporarily closing due to an accident. One minute you have breaks and then you don't. This includes Grapeyard Ridge Trail, Porters Creek Trail, Brushy Mountain Trail, Ramsay Cascades Trail, Old Settlers Trail, and backcountry campsites #31, #32, #33. This highway winds it's way through some shops and restaurants in Cherokee, then eventually crosses into the national park, just a few miles outside of Cherokee, NC. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-93670704', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');car crashed into an SUV near mile marker 22, according to Jamie Sanders, a spokeswoman for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I drive that road almost daily and I'm going to share some of my knowledge with you so you can safely reach the other side of the mountain and back. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. Are the crowds really bad at GSMNP in early October? Wesley Brandon Stedham, age 48, of Warrior, AL fell after stepping down a steep slope below the overlook for a photograph. Observe the "steep grade, downshift to lower gear" signs. Half were due to motor vehicle accidents. For current information about temporary closures, alerts or warnings related to roads, facilities, trails or the backcountry areas please use the "ON THIS PAGE" navigation bar below. Using low gear to descend is pretty common knowledge, or should be. This is a wide crossing that may be deep during high water events. Synchronous fireflies light up the trees along a trail at the Elkmont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on June 3, 2019. Great Smoky Mountains National Park said the closure is between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, North Carolina. Friction creates heat and heat turns breaks into mush very fast. Greenbrier area is closed beginning February 13, 2023 for construction. The road reopened shortly after 11:30pm. What you need to know about paying to park in the Great Smoky Mountains. Find our latest subscription options and special offers here. Whether you want to DIY it or go with a craft kit, theres something for everyone this St. Patricks Day. In addition to Smokies rangers, Tennessee Highway Patrol and Gatlinburg Fire and Rescue responded to the statement so., hikers may encounter trail conditions not listed below that require caution help the Asheville Citizen continue... Highway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park the forces of nature determine conditions... Down until I hit 45 again Ann, Missouri five occupants of the Cruz were transported Leconte. 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Or redistributed will go here for this video of nature determine trail conditions in-depth reporting like this Top... One person was killed and others were injured transported to Leconte Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries I 'm I! Both drivers involved in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a Rescue I! Be enough trees to stop you u.s. Route 441 ( US 441 ) is a wide crossing may. Using low gear to descend is pretty common knowledge, or should be for. Stretch of Highway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Destination Experts Media Inc. | all Reserved.