GSMNP - October 1, 2002 -- Visitors to the Cades Cove area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the busy October leaf season will notice a substantial increase in signs and a much more visible Ranger presence on the Cades Cove Loop Road. The changes are part of an experiment to test a variety of methods to keep traffic flowing around the 11-mile Loop Road which can often back-up in peak periods to create a 4 hour traffic jam.
Since May managers at the Park have organized a series of public meetings to solicit input into a plan to guide the long-term management and development of Cades Cove, including ways to relieve traffic congestion.
Park Superintendent Mike Tollefson, who has attended nearly every meeting said, "Along with a wide range of long-term ideas including mass transit and road widening, we have heard many 'low tech' suggestions to reduce the traffic problem. Most of these rely on signage or increased Ranger presence to break-up "bear-jams" and discourage people from leaving their cars in the middle of the road while they pursue and/or feed wildlife. So this month we plan to try some of these ideas experimentally to evaluate their effects on traffic."
A variety of temporary signs will be erected beginning with a large advisory sign prior to the start of the one-way Loop informing visitors of possible long delays so that they can be sure that they have the time to make the trip. Signs are also being posted to let visitors know that they can choose to cut across the Cove on Sparks or Hyatt Lanes, to create shorter, 3.5-mile or 8-mile loops respectively, rather than staying on the Loop Road for the full 11 miles.
As motorists approach Rich Mountain Road signs will offer that one-lane gravel byway as an alternate route to exit the Loop Road back to Tuckaleechee Cove at the north end of Townsend, TN. This one-way road offers some excellent views as it at winds 7 miles out of the Cove to the Park boundary where it connects with a narrow, paved road that connects to U.S. 321 after an additional 5 miles.
Drivers in Cades Cove frequently stop in the middle of the travel lane and get out of their vehicles, sometimes for extended periods, to watch wildlife or take photos. To reduce the back-ups this creates the Park has placed numerous signs at critical points along the Loop directing drivers to pull over into roadside pull-outs if they plan to stop. To reinforce that message Rangers, including some on bikes, will be assigned to the Loop in greater than usual numbers to get traffic flowing again as well as to discourage visitors from pursuing or feeding wildlife.
At the end of the Loop Road near the Cades Cove Ranger Station traffic often backs up as drivers wait to turn left across the intersection towards Laurel Creek Road to return to the Townsend or Gatlinburg Entrances. To relieve these back-ups uniformed employees will be reassigned from other duties at peak traffic times to direct traffic. Tollefson emphasized that this month's increased staff presence will come at a cost to other Park operations. "All these staff people are being reassigned from other tasks, whether it is patrol in other areas, providing visitor services elsewhere or working in the campgrounds. We could not sustain this level of staffing indefinitely, but we want to find out how effective a combination of more signage and increased staffing will be so that we will know what it would take in additional personnel to do this all the time."
Park officials also encourage visitors to try to arrange to visit the Cove early in the morning ? gates open at sunrise ? or try visiting during the week with Wednesday and Thursday being least busy. They also suggest that those looking for good fall foliage consider some alternate destinations to Cades Cove, including the Foothills Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
