Public Comment Period Oconaluftee River Trail

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public input on proposed improvements to the Oconaluftee River Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through this project, the park would improve connectivity with the gateway community of Cherokee, increase accessibility, repair riverbank erosion, and enhance safety and the visitor experience. Comments will be accepted through April 22.

The Oconaluftee River Trail is a 1.6-mile-long pedestrian and bike trail that connects the park's Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum to downtown Cherokee. The trail is used by more than 100,000 people each year. Starting at the northern trailhead near the visitor center, the trail generally parallels the Oconaluftee River as it travels through an open field at the Mountain Farm Museum for 0.2 miles. At this point the trail enters a mature floodplain forest and travels 1.4 miles to the park boundary at Cherokee. The existing trail surface consists of compacted soil and gravel ranging from approximately 6 to 10 feet wide. Trail photos and maps showing the project area and proposed trail improvements are available at the links below.

Proposed trail improvements include:

• Improving accessibility and trail surface durability by paving portions of the trail. The 0.2-mile section near the Mountain Farm Museum would remain gravel and the remainder would be paved with asphalt. Gravel would be placed on the existing trail to create a level surface prior to paving, minimizing the need for grading and protecting natural and cultural resources.
• Repairing approximately 275 feet of eroded bank along the Oconaluftee River using natural stream bank restoration techniques.
• Replacing or repairing four existing footbridges.
• Improving access by building a new accessible riverside viewing area along the Oconaluftee River approximately 150 feet northeast of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
• Creating a new connection between the park and Cherokee by building a spur trail from the Oconaluftee River Trail to Saunooke Bridge Road. This spur would connect trail users to the sidewalk network on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Qualla Boundary.

We are initiating a comment period to gather public input as part of the planning, environmental compliance, and cultural resources compliance process for the project. You are encouraged to share information about the project area and your observations, ideas, and possible concerns about the proposal. The information obtained during this comment period will be considered as the park moves forward with planning, design, and compliance, which will include continued National Historic Preservation Act consultation with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, other traditionally associated tribes, and the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office; Endangered Species Act consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and completion of National Environmental Policy Act documentation.

Public input is an important part of the planning, environmental compliance, and cultural resources compliance process for this project. After considering public input, the NPS will complete the design and compliance processes. Work on some or all the proposed improvements could begin in late 2026 or 2027. The park anticipates a series of partial and full trail closures to accomplish the work, which is estimated to take 12 months to complete. The park will keep the public informed of progress and pending trail closures through future news releases.

Document Content:

Oconaluftee River Trail Maps.pdf   (812.7 KB, PDF file) https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?pg=7926519&id=9EECA600-0A45-45F9-BA90-21A45E4D3447    Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.