A winter storm that swept across parts of the U.S. dropped snow on the dunes of White Sands National Park, ripped down trees in the Great Smoky Mountains, and shut down the Washington Monument along with dozens of other popular sites.
Several remained closed Tuesday, while others were only partially open.
Messages similar to this one, posted by Stones River National Battlefield, appeared on several Park Service social media accounts over the weekend and Monday morning:
"Due to the prolonged winter weather event, with significant ice and tree debris throughout the park and dangerously low temperatures forecast, all park areas will remain closed through Monday, January 26. The Tennessee Department of Transportation continues to strongly urge motorists to stay home as road conditions will remain hazardous for at least the next 24 - 48 hours."
And rangers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park had this to say:
"Most park roads remain closed due to extremely icy conditions. Visitor centers will also be closed today. Temperatures are expected to stay below freezing through today. Crews continue to address downed trees and spread sand on sidewalks and parking lots at lower elevations, but any open roads will still be icy."
The wicked winter weather continued to impact a huge swath of the United States from New Mexico into the Northeast. Visitors to parks in areas hit by the storm should check park websites and social media pages for the latest updates, as well as local sources for road conditions and weather updates. Note that travel is not advised in many areas.
Sites that remained closed as of Monday morning included:
- Washington Monument, Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, and Belmont Paul Women's Equality National Monument, all located in Washington, D.C.
- Bandy Creek Visitor Center and the Road to the Blue Heron area of Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, located in Tennessee and Kentucky.
- In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, roads including US 441/Newfound Gap Road between Cherokee, NC and Gatlinburg, TN; Lakeview Drive; Laurel Creek Road; Little River Road; Cades Cove Loop Road; All sections of Foothills Parkway; Tom Branch Road; Wear Cove Gap Road; Cherokee Orchard Road at the boundary; Cosby; Greenbrier; Big Creek, and Gatlinburg Bypass.
- Portions of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
- Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi and Louisiana.
- The Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia and North Carolina.
- Russell Cave National Monument in Alabama.
- Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.
- In Arkansas, several roads and all public buildings at Hot Springs National Park as well as Arkansas Post National Memorial,
- Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District in Georgia.
- Visitor center at Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas.
- In Pennsylvania, Gettysburg National Military Park museum, visitor center, all observation towers, the observation level of the Pennsylvania Memorial, and Eisenhower National Historic Site.
- The Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center, Bunker Hill Monument and Museum, and Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and Great Hall in Boston.
- Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
- Ellis Island, General Grant National Memorial, and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in New York City.
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