An outing to Kuwohi in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is already complicated by the closure of Newfound Gap Road through the end of September.
Even if you loop around to enter the park on the North Carolina side to access its highest peak, you won’t be able to get there during a couple of scheduled closures, so plan your visit accordingly.
Kuwohi Road will be closed for half-days Sept. 9 and 16 to facilitate special educational programs for students from Swain County and Qualla Boundary schools, the park announced in a news release.
The road will be closed at midnight the night before each time, and will reopen by 2 p.m. During the temporary closures, the seven-mile road will be closed to all pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
The road closures support Kuwohi Connection Days, a cultural initiative in partnership with the Center for Native Health, providing students the opportunity to visit Kuwohi and learn about its historical and spiritual significance. Cherokee elders, language speakers, culture bearers and community members will share stories and teachings about Kuwohi and the Cherokee people.
For visitors looking for other scenic views, the park recommends Look Rock Tower along the Foothills Parkway in Tennessee, and Newfound Gap, which is only accessible from the North Carolina side right now.
Newfound Gap Road/U.S. 441 is closed to traffic on the Tennessee side starting at the Sugarlands Visitors Center, and is expected expected to be repaired by Sept. 30 after a washout and landslide Aug. 1 damaged about 125 feet of the road.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park website shares updated road closures and additional park updates, as does the park’s X account, @GreatSmokyNPS.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kuwohi Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to close 2 days