Great Smoky Mountains: Kuwohi Road Closed Due to Ice

If you're planning a trip up to the park's highest point, there's one thing you need to factor into your plans right now. Kuwohi Road is currently closed, and it's not red tape. Ice is forecast on this high-elevation stretch, and that makes driving genuinely dangerous.

Kuwohi is the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains, and the road that climbs to it winds across exposed slopes where temperatures drop far faster than down in the valleys. When frost settles on those switchbacks, the pavement turns into a skating rink, with no reassuring guardrail to catch a slide. So the park's crews would rather close the road while conditions stay risky than let cars venture up there.

For you, that means one simple thing. The summit overlook and its sweeping views are off-limits to cars right now. Plan an alternative in your itinerary if this climb was on your schedule for the day. There's no firm reopening date, and that makes sense, since it all depends on the weather and on when the ice finally clears off the road. Expect a situation that can change from one day to the next.

Here's our advice before you get behind the wheel in this area during the cold season. Check road conditions that same morning, because a closure can come down overnight depending on the freeze forecast. Keep warm clothes and good shoes within reach, since the temperature swing between the park entrance and the high country often catches visitors from far away off guard.

For the rest of your stay, the lower valleys and the many forest trails stay the beating heart of the visit. If you want to put Kuwohi back in the context of the whole park and build a route that holds up despite these winter curveballs, it's all laid out in the Great Smoky Mountains park guide. You'll see what to do when the high country closes, and how to enjoy the park without missing anything essential.