At this time, Congress has not passed legislation to continue funding the government. There is a legitimate possibility that the federal government shuts down at midnight Sunday, October 1, 2023. In the event of a shutdown, the National Park Service will modify its operations throughout the country, which directly affects the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If GSMNP implements a park-wide shutdown of concessions facilities and operations beginning on October 1st, LeConte Lodge would be closed, as we adhere to NPS regulations and policies. This means no visitor services for both overnight guests and day hikers will occur until a closure is lifted by GSMNP. Please note that anyone entering GSMNP property during a government shutdown does so at their sole risk, as NPS or LeConte Lodge personnel may not be available to provide assistance or emergency response. We will inform you as soon as NPS and GSMNP, provide us with their plan and directives.
In the event GSMNP closes LeConte Lodge during a federal government shutdown, each guest with reservations affected by the closure will have the opportunity to roll their reservation to the corresponding date in 2024, reserve other date(s) in 2024 that may be available, or request a refund. We will provide more details on these options if a shutdown does occur.
As our valued guest, we want to alert you to this possibility so that you can plan accordingly. We will post up-to-date information on our official website, www.lecontelodge.com, as well as this blog and social media pages, as more information becomes available. We apologize for any inconvenience this notice may have in your planning, but seek to give you as much notice as has been made possible in the event there is a federal government shutdown. Thank you for your understanding and support, as this matter is not in our control.
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