Popular Trail In GSMNP Getting A Facelift

One of the most popular trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is getting ready for a facelift. The Laurel Falls Trail sees on an average, more than 300,000 visitors per year. On Monday January 6, the park will be closing the trail and it will likely remain closed till sometime in 2026. Park officials say an 18 month project will get underway next month which will see crews install new viewing platforms at the falls; repave and widen the trail, which was originally paved in 1963; they will install new signs dealing with encountering bears and leaving the trail how you found it; and they will add approximately 50 more parking spaces in the trailhead parking area.

Laurel Falls trail will not only be closed from Little River Road, but also at the junction of Little Greenbrier Trail and Cove Mountain Trail. The Sugarland Mountain Trail and its parking lot will also be closed during this time. Park officials say that the trail rehabilitation will provide for greater safety and an enhanced visitor experience when completed.