Winter Road Management Schedule for the North Zone of the Cherokee National Forest
Contact Information: Christopher Joyner, Public Affairs (423) 819-0233 christopher.joyner@usda.gov
UNICOI, Tenn., Dec. 16, 2024 — Cherokee National Forest officials announced the annual schedule for temporary disrupted access to motorized vehicles on the northern portion of the forest to protect wildlife habitat, decrease wildlife disturbance, reduce road maintenance costs and public safety.
These disrupted road access are from Dec. 20 through March 18, 2025, in Cocke, Greene, Washington, Unicoi, Carter, Sullivan, and Johnson counties. However, some of these roads are temporarily opened for short periods to provide seasonal public access for various uses including fall color viewing, hunting, and other uses.
Roads may be closed earlier than scheduled due to poor road conditions brought on by extreme weather. These weather conditions may include freezing/thawing, extreme drought, fire danger, or storm damage. In some cases, roads sustain severe damage from vehicle use and are closed to protect the various resources.
Forest visitors are asked to leave all gates free of obstructions and to not block gates when parking. Hunters are reminded it is illegal to discharge firearms from or across a National Forest System Road. For additional information, contact the following Forest Service offices: Unaka Ranger Station, Greeneville, TN at (423) 638-4109; Watauga Ranger Station, Unicoi, TN at (423) 735-1500.
For information regarding hunting seasons and regulations, contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Region IV, Morristown, TN at 1 (800) 332-0900.
Cherokee National Forest
Unaka and Watauga Ranger Districts
Road Disrupted Access for Winter 2024-2025
Winter Seasonal Temporary Access Road Closures
Roads closed Dec. 20, 2024 – March 18, 2025
| ROAD | NUMBER | COUNTY | DISCTRICT | COMMENTS |
| Moffett Laurel | 4331 | Carter | Watauga | Open to second gate |
| Jenkins Mountain | 53102 | Carter | Watauga | |
| Piney Grove | 53351 | Carter | Watauga | Open to second gate |
| Cedar Gap | 293A | Carter | Watauga | Open to double gate |
| Little Pond Mountain | 6034 | Carter | Watauga | |
| Frog Level | 50F | Carter | Watauga | |
| Holston Mountain | 202 | Carter | Watauga | |
| Mill Creek (Panhandle Road) | 56 | Carter | Watauga | |
| Bitter End | 293 | Carter | Watauga | |
| White Rock | 5314 | Carter | Watauga | |
| Big Clifty | 404 | Cocke | Unaka | |
| Meadow Creek Mountain | 142 | Cocke | Unaka | |
| Weaver Bend Road | 209C | Cocke | Unaka | |
| Middle | 2251 | Cocke | Unaka | Construction closure in Spring 2025 |
| Chestnut Ridge | 22501 | Cocke | Unaka | Construction closure in Spring 2025 |
| Little Paint Creek | 31B | Greene | Unaka | |
| Old Forge (Jennings Creek) | 331 | Greene | Unaka | |
| Shad Road | 422 | Greene | Unaka | |
| Upper Rough Branch | 93D | Greene | Unaka | |
| Firescald (Kennedy Cabin) | 358/358A | Greene | Unaka | |
| Greystone | 88 | Greene | Unaka | Open from Round Knob Picnic Area to dead end |
| Rough Branch | 422A | Greene | Unaka | Dead end at MP 2.6 due to road failure. No access to Shad Rd (NFSR 422) |
| Devils Kitchen | 93B | Greene | Unaka | |
| Cemetery Road | 93C | Greene | Unaka | |
| Devils Kitchen Spur | 93E | Greene | Unaka | |
| Gouge Tract (Colorado Gap) | 602101 | Johnson | Watauga | |
| Parks Branch | 6049 | Johnson | Watauga | 1.0 mile to second gate |
| Robbins Hollow | 4052 | Johnson | Watauga | Open 4.6 miles to second gate. In Bear Reserve |
| Little Oak | 87G | Sullivan | Watauga | |
| Pine Mountain | 4002 | Sullivan | Watauga | From US Highway 421 to middle gate. From Wyatt Hollow side to second gate |
| Irishman’s Branch | 313 | Unicoi | Unaka | |
| Little Mountain | 359 | Unicoi | Unaka | |
| Unaka Mountain | 230 | Unicoi | Unaka | |
| Long Branch/Dark Hollow | 4365 | Unicoi | Unaka | |
| Briar Creek (Pinnacle Mountain) | 188 | Washington | Unaka | And all spurs |
| Rich Mountain | 190 | Washington | Unaka | |
| Horse Cove Gap | 5352 | Washington | Unaka | |
| Ramsey Creek | 4355 | Washington | Unaka | Spur (NFSR 4355A) is closed |
| Tellico Branch | 53711 | Washington | Unaka | Open to second gate |
Temporary Access Disrupted
| ROAD | NUMBER | COUNTY | DISTRICT | COMMENTS |
| Wolf Creek South | 96-1 | Cocke | Unaka | Closed for construction |
| Rattlesnake | 3242 | Cocke | Unaka | Closed for construction |
| George Creek | 53301 | Carter | Watauga | Closed for timber sale |
| Sink Mountain | 298 | Johnson | Watauga | Closed for construction |
| Camp Ahistada | 60101 | Johnson | Watauga | Closed due to resource damage |
| Fishdam SE | 87A | Sullivan | Watauga | Closed for timber sale |
| Fishdam NE | 87B | Sullivan | Watauga | Closed for timber sale |
| Camp Tom Howard | 6099 | Sullivan | Watauga | Closed for timber sale |
| Rich Mountain (Mp 7.33 – MP 11.1) | 190 | Washington | Unaka | Closed due to resource damage |
| Chestoa Boating Area | 503 | Unicoi | Unaka | Closed due to resource damage |
| ROAD | NUMBER | COUNTY | DISTRICT | COMMENTS |
| Rocky Top | 249 | Cocke | Unaka | Not recommended/impassable for vehicle usage until repairs are complete |
| Brown Gap | 2250 | Cocke | Unaka | Not recommended for highway legal vehicles until repairs are complete |
| Hall Top (From MP 4.06 to 7.28) | 207 | Cocke | Unaka | Not recommended for highway legal vehicles until repairs are complete |
| Long Branch/Dark Hollow | 4365 | Unicoi | Unaka | Not recommended for highway legal vehicles until repairs are complete |
The following National Forest System Roads are not scheduled to be opened due to resource or storm damage:
Sullivan County: Dogwood Bench (NFSR 4431)
Johnson County: Whetstone Branch (NFSR 124)
Unicoi County: Martin Creek (NFSR 410) and Rocky Branch (NFSR 4343)
Carter County: Cherry Flats (NFSR 50A) – Permanently Closed
For road designations, please reference the Motor Vehicle User Map (MVUM) for additional information: Cherokee National Forest - Maps & Publications (usda.gov)
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