Scores of nature lovers from two dozen states descended on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee on Saturday as it reopened...
Scores of nature lovers from two dozen states descended on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee on Saturday as it reopened following coronavirus restrictions.
But officials blasted visitors for ignoring social distancing guidelines on crowded trails, trekking into blocked-off areas, and not wearing masks.
Even with some of the most popular trails closed, parking lots were packed and lines of cars snaked down tree-lined streets, in one case for about a mile leading up to a waterfall path, according to park spokeswoman Dana Soehn.
'It seemed like people were not respecting our suggestion that they avoid crowded areas,' said Soehn, adding that she counted license plates from 24 different states in one visitor center parking lot.
Even with some of the most popular trails closed, parking lots were packed and lines of cars snaked down tree-lined streets, in one case for about a mile leading up to a waterfall path. Lines of cars are seen in Sevier County after the park's reopening Friday
The reopening of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee this weekend drew scores of nature lovers from dozens of states who crowded trails and trekked into blocked-off areas, and many without wearing masks. A crowded parking lot at the park is shown on Friday
Visitors (pictured) also walked past heavy barricades on one of the park´s most trafficked trails, Laurel Falls, which was closed off to heed federal social distancing guidelines
Pictured are visitors who came to the park and were not wearing masks
Visitors also walked past heavy barricades on one of the park´s most trafficked trails, Laurel Falls, which was closed off to heed federal social distancing guidelines, she said.
The exact numbers of visitors who returned to the park were not immediately available, when DailyMail.com reached out to the parks service.
On the Tennessee-North Carolina border, the Great Smoky Mountains is the county's most visited national park, with 4.67 million visitors in 2019. It was closed March 24 after officials said it was becoming too congested during the coronavirus pandemic.
So far, there have been 1,348,761 confirmed cases in the US of the coronavirus, which was blamed for 79,892 deaths.
The reopening was announced after park officials said they made sure the park was aligned with federal, state and local authorities and that employees had enough personal protective gear.
Authorities have stressed that visitors must also practice social distancing.
At the Smokies, officials have said rangers will monitor roads and emergency situations, but won't be specifically policing people. Instead, Soehn has said she hopes people will visit the park in a way that keeps staffers safe.
On the Tennessee-North Carolina border, the Great Smoky Mountains is the county's most visited national park. It was closed March 24 after officials said it was becoming too congested during the coronavirus pandemic. A visitor (pictured) enters the reopened park this weekend
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt (right) talks with Cassius Cash, the park superintendent, as he visits National Parks Service employees at Great Smoky Mountains National Park prior to the park's reopening
'We´ll continue to push out our messaging that we want them to be responsible,' Soehn said. 'We would encourage them to make choices to keep themselves safe.'
President Donald Trump has prioritized reopening national parks as a sign of 'significant progress against the invisible enemy' of the pandemic, even as cases rise in an outbreak that has devastated the U.S. economy.
Park officials said the first phase of restrictions will last at least two weeks. Management will then decide whether to reopen secondary roads and campgrounds, and later, lift all restrictions.
Many national parks remain fully or partially closed, though Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Utah and the Everglades National Park in Florida have also announced phased reopenings.
Federal authorities have yet to publicly announce timelines for other closed parks to reopen.
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