Crews will be renovating the 2.3-mile-long entrance from SR 32 to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Big changes are coming for one of the lesser visited entrances to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The Cosby entrance, located off State Road 32, carries visitors up to the Cosby Campground to explore the scenic – and under-visited – Cosby Creek. The area offers a rich mountain history with old family graveyards and old-growth hardwood forests as well as a variety of trails that go past places like Wildcat Knob, Hen Wallow Falls, Camel Hump Creek and Groundhog Ridge.
Those trails can take you to the high mountains approaching the North Carolina line and the Appalachian Trial. The Cosby Entrance Road is a gateway to a beautiful, remote and less visited part of the park, though the road improvements may change the less visited part of the park somewhat.
When will construction begin?
Starting Dec. 9, 2024, crews will begin work to renovate the road. While crews are working, the entrance will be closed to the public. Cosby Campground – which offers campsites for both tents and RVs – will be closed while the construction is ongoing. The area will be effectively cut off to vehicles for the duration of the project.
One could theoretically use the Tritt Cemetery Access Road and then park and hike the Tritt Cemetery Access Trail deeper into the park. However, the trail does overlap the Cosby Entrance Road for a short distance, and you might get sent back the way you came. If you absolutely must get back to Cosby Creek, there are several substantial trails you could hike – including Snake Den Ridge Trail. All of those would represent significant back-country hikes and the campground will be closed when you get there. Truthfully, there just aren’t a lot of easy ways to get there.
What are the changes?
The planned changes are standard maintenance and upkeep with a few additions that will make the area easier to reach and more accessible.
According to the National Park, the changes will include:
- Milling and paving of the road, the picnic area and trailhead parking lots
- Addition of two new handicap-accessible parking spaces
- Ditch and shoulder improvements
- New road signs
- Replacement of the Rock Creek culvert
Though the Cosby entrance is one of the lesser-used park entrances, it’s not far from one of the best routes into Gatlinburg and the National Park. For anyone North of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Highway 321 for Newport represents a significant time savings, especially if you want to avoid the Pigeon Forge traffic from Exit 407. If my family is going to Gatlinburg, we hardly ever go through Pigeon Forge. The Cosby entrance is only a short distance from the spot where State Route 32 diverges from 321. If you turn right, 321 takes you to Gatlinburg. Then, go straight and the Cosby entrance is just ahead.
When will the entrance reopen?
According to the Park Service, the entrance will reopen in the spring of 2025. If you want a little more specific date, the Cosby Campground is scheduled to reopen on April 18, 2025.
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