Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that Ramsey Prong Road and Greenbrier Road, past the Greenbrier Picnic Area, will be temporarily closed to all motorists and pedestrians beginning Monday, January 11 through Friday, March 26. The picnic area will remain open and accessible throughout the closure period.
Ramsey Cascades Trail, Porters Creek Trail, and Backcountry Campsite 31 will also be closed through March 26 due to lack of access to these trailheads. Old Settlers, Brushy Mountain, and Grapeyard Ridge Trails will remain open, but hikers will not be able to access these trails from the Greenbrier area during the closure and should plan their routes carefully.
The full closure of these roadways to both pedestrians and motorists is necessary to efficiently and safely replace the Ramsey Prong Road bridge. Crews will be operating heavy equipment along the roads and using road sections as staging areas for materials. This work is part of a larger Federal Highway Administration project to replace seven bridges and repair seven others across the park.
For more information about temporary road closures, please visit the park website athttps://www.nps.gov/grsm/
– National Park Service release
