Laurel Falls Trail is moving closer to reopening after one of the most extensive rehabilitation projects in its history, but visitors should know that the trail remains closed for now.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed the popular trail on January 6, 2025, for approximately 18 months of construction. That schedule points toward a possible reopening around mid-2026, although the National Park Service has not announced a firm reopening date. Park visitors should continue checking official conditions before making plans.

The 1.3-mile trail to Laurel Falls has long been one of the Smokies’ most heavily visited destinations. Its relatively short distance, paved surface, and location near Gatlinburg made it especially popular with families and first-time park visitors. More than 300,000 people typically used the trail each year before the closure.

Crews are repaving and widening the aging asphalt trail, which was first paved in 1963 and had developed cracked, uneven, and missing sections. Plans also include new viewing platforms near the falls, improved signs, educational panels, and a wider bridge at the upper falls.

The trailhead area is also receiving major attention. The project includes roughly 50 additional parking spaces and a protected pedestrian route connecting the parking area to the trailhead. Parking-tag revenue is helping fund some of those improvements.

The work is intended to improve safety while reducing crowding and erosion around the waterfall. Laurel Falls became so popular that congestion, roadside parking, and visitors leaving designated areas created repeated safety and resource-management concerns.

Until the National Park Service announces that the trail has reopened, visitors should not attempt to reach Laurel Falls from Little River Road or through connecting trails. The closure also affects portions of Cove Mountain, Little Greenbrier, and Sugarlands Mountain trails near the project area.

When Laurel Falls finally welcomes hikers again, the experience should look familiar but function much better. The waterfall will remain the attraction, but the rebuilt trail, safer viewing areas, and expanded parking are designed to help one of the Smokies’ best-known destinations handle another generation of visitors.