September 29, 2025

While Saturday produced plenty of rain and thunder, Sunday turned out to be a much sunnier and serene day than first anticipated. No complaints from anyone there. And while we have a slight chance for seeing some precip tonight and tomorrow, this week is shaping up to be a pleasant one. The track for Imelda has shifted favorably, with it set to spin back out to sea instead of inland and toward the Smokies as it once did. As the week progresses, we are going to gradually see temps at the summit slide down a tad, with more nights dipping into the 40s. Everyone will want to have that extra layer or two for staying comfortable upon reaching the top.

After Saturday’s rain-driven landslide, the Gatlinburg Bypass remains closed. And the closure of a section of Cherokee Orchard Rd in Gatlinburg is still in effect for some road maintenance there. That means anyone looking to enter the park via US 441 for accessing Alum Cave Trail will need to do so by driving through downtown Gatlinburg at this time. And travelers interested in taking the loop road to either Rainbow Falls or Trillium Gap trails will need to come up from the direction of the space needle via Airport Rd. Between these closures and the autumn season getting underway, expect plenty of traffic congestion while in transit.

Although we seem to have dodged a potential tropical storm, there are still plenty of unknowns related to a possible federal gov’t shutdown come Tuesday night. Regardless, our booking process for 2026 reservations remains on schedule to begin this Wednesday morning, October 1st at 8:00 AM!