Smoky Mountains Most Popular Trail Will Close Until 2026

If you are putting a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on your travel plans for 2025, don’t plan on hiking the Laurel Falls Trail. The popular trail is closing and won’t re-open to hikers for 18 months.

Laurel Falls Trail attracts as many as 375,000 people annually, South Carolina newspaper, The State reports. That number of hikers and sightseers is well beyond its intended capacity and is causing a lot of wear and tear on the path. T

he pavement was laid down way back in 1963 and many many people have walked on it since then on their way to enjoy the scenery. To ensure that people can continue to enjoy the path and the stunning views it leads to, the National Park Service is closing the trail for repairs and refurbishing.

Construction on the giant task will kickstart in the New Year. The path will be closed starting on January 6 and will remain closed for 18 months, according to the Park Service. While the path is closed, they aren’t just repaving the trail, but widening it to fit more guests, adding guardrails, and constructing a new viewing platform for Laurel Falls. They are also adding 50 new spaces to the parking lot, a godsend for anyone who has circled seemingly for hours waiting for a space to open up.

“Laurel Falls Trail is a beloved feature of Great Smoky Mountains National Park,”  Acting Superintendent Boone Vandzura said in a statement about the project. “The rehabilitation will provide for greater safety and an enhanced visitor experience; we look forward to enjoying the trail together once work is complete.”

While Laurel Falls is one the ten most beautiful places in the Great Smoky Mountains, luckily, there are plenty of other beautiful spots to see in the Smokies while the Laurel Falls trail is closed. Check out Abrams Falls or Newfound Gap for equally stunning views.