Morning all - as a follow up to this thread, my husband went up early and is now being evicted from Elkmont. The rangers indicated the campers have to leave in a timely fashion, which translates to 48 hours from 12:01 Am this morning. The rangers also indicated that all three campgrounds in the Smokies that have not already been closed due to sequester (Elkmont, Cades Cove and Smokemont) are booked full this weekend, which translates to 501 campsites being emptied and spilled into the surrounding area, which is also booked full due to this being high season.
So, long story short - If you were planning a trip to the area for the next two weeks and don't already have alternate plans, I'd probably just cancel. Everything I heard on the news indicates the shutdown will last, at the minimum, one week, but more than likely will extend until the 17th.
This will be devastating to the area. What a shame.
