Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced temporary closures for Kuwohi Road and the associated trail to the Kuwohi Observation Tower on two upcoming mornings in September. These closures are scheduled for Thursday, September 10, and Tuesday, September 15, and are being implemented to facilitate specialized educational programs for students.
The specific schools benefiting from these programs are located in Swain County and the Qualla Boundary. The initiatives aim to provide these students with unique opportunities to engage directly with the historical, spiritual, and cultural significance of Kuwohi. During these structured visits, students will interact with Cherokee elders, individuals proficient in the Cherokee language, culture bearers, and various community members. These interactions are designed to share stories and teachings that illuminate the profound connections between Kuwohi and the Cherokee people, offering a deeper understanding of the region's heritage.
To accommodate these special events, the park will close Kuwohi Road and its parking lot starting at 8 p.m. on the night preceding each scheduled closure. This means the road and parking area will be inaccessible from 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, and again from 8 p.m. on Monday, September 14. The 7-mile roadway and the trail leading to the observation tower will remain closed to all visitors—including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists—throughout the morning hours on both designated days. The park anticipates reopening the road and parking lot by 2 p.m. on both September 10 and September 15.
The educational initiatives are part of a broader cultural program known as Kuwohi Connection Days. This program is a collaborative effort, undertaken in partnership with The Center for Native Health and several other community organizations. Its focus is to ensure that students from the local communities have access to and understanding of significant cultural sites within the national park.
During these half-day closures, visitors planning to travel to Kuwohi are advised to consider alternative destinations within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or nearby areas that offer comparable scenic mountain views. The park specifically recommends Look Rock Tower, situated on the Foothills Parkway in Tennessee. This alternative location provides expansive vistas of the national park itself and the Tennessee Valley. Another accessible option is the Newfound Gap Overlook, which will remain open during these closures and offers views of both the North Carolina and Tennessee mountains. The park also cautions visitors to ensure that their vehicles are not parked in the Kuwohi parking lot when the road closures take effect at 8 p.m. the night before each event, as access will be restricted.
For the most current information regarding these and other park alerts, including any road and trail closures, visitors are encouraged to check the official Great Smoky Mountains National Park website. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park issued the news release detailing these closures on September 3, 2026.
