May 25, 2023

Good Afternoon,

It’s been a beautiful day on the mountain. We started out with open skies and bright sunshine, but as we get deeper into the day some clouds have decided to move in and thicken up. There is a super slim chance of atmospheric activity, but no one should be surprised if a random storm happens to appear overhead. As we look toward the holiday weekend, precip chances increase every day, with Sunday shaping up to be the climax of any turbulent weather. Temps are also expected to be cooler than usual for this time of year. Gateway communities down below might be lucky to even scrape 70° some days. Either way, we anticipate the Smokies to be full of campers and hikers clogging up roadways and footpaths. Come prepared for the heavier congestion and plan your routes/times accordingly.

The NPS Trail Crews have completed their targeted works on Alum Cave Trail. It is now fully open to all visitor types from bottom to top. Anyone used to trekking this popular trail will appreciate the new grooved steps and erosion control tactics put in place. They will certainly make the journey easier in places that required a little extra “oomph” recently.

Have a great rest of the day.