KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Big Creek Trail has reopened after an eight-week closure to repair the trail a week ahead of schedule.

The park trail crew made several improvements along the 5.6-mile trail by repairing the tread surface and removing hazard trees.

The improvements include:

  • Rehabilitating 97 drainage structures
  • Reshaping 1,040 linear feet of trailside ditches
  • Constructing a 24-foot bridge
  • Rehabilitating 530 feet of the trail tread
  • Drainage improvement made on Big Creek Trail (Photo via NPS)
  • Rehabbed surface on Big Creek Trail (Photo via NPS)
  • Big Creek Trail before rehabilitation work. (Photo via NPS)
  • Big Creek Trail before rehabilitation work. (Photo via NPS)

According to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the renovation improves trail safety and helps to ensure the protection of natural resources along the trail.

The trail leads to Mouse Creek Falls and follows a railroad grade used to haul lumber out of the mountains at the start of the 20th century. It is a widely popular trail with both hikers and horseback riders.