Smokies Road Status Now Available via Texts
or Twitter
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS - Park officials have announced that Park visitors and
local travelers may now sign up to receive status updates about the Park’s most
frequently used roads via text message or the Internet via Twitter by clicking
here.
In the past, travelers had to place phone
calls to the Park to determine the status of the roads which can change
frequently with changing weather
conditions.
“I am
excited that visitors and park travelers with cell phones or access to the
Internet can now obtain information on road status changes immediately,” said
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson.
“While better serving the public, we can also
reduce the workload to the Park’s Communications Center.”
The
Park’s recorded information line
receives more than 1,000 calls per day during the severe winter weather from
people inquiring about road conditions. When all of the incoming lines are in-use, the calls rollover to the
park’s Communications Center staff, often resulting in more than 600 calls to
be answered, hampering staff from responding to calls requesting park
information and emergency assistance.
Those
who wish to be notified of the status of the Park’s four most popular roads -
Newfound Gap (U.S. 441), Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road, and Cades Cove
Loop Road – can opt to get text messages to their cell phones by texting: follow
smokiesroadsnps to 40404. To stop
receiving the text message alerts, text stop
smokiesroadsnps to the same number.
Standard text rates will apply.
The Twitter website is maintained by the Park, but anybody can access it at any
time, without having to establish a Twitter account.
Anyone
having a Twitter account can go an extra step and choose to have updates set to
them by going to the site listed above and clicking the “follow” button to see
the updates on their own account page and receive the notifications in the
manner they specify.
In
addition to notifications of winter road conditions, Park officials plan to notify travelers
throughout the year of road openings and closings due to rock slides, fallen
trees, and accidents.
Anytime the status of one of the listed roads changes, a
message will be sent.
As the
National Park Service prepares for its 2016 centennial celebration, officials
are increasingly utilizing technology to connect the American people to their
national parks. For more information
about Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and for a link to the Twitter site,
go to www.nps.gov/grsm.
Information on all of the roads in the Park as
well as other Park information may be obtained by calling the park’s
information line at (865) 436-1200 and follow the prompts.
