By Mark Woolsey

If you’ve ever had a hankering to drive to the top of Kennesaw Mountain, it would be best to act quickly.

Effective January 6, 2026 the National Park Service will shut down the road that leads to the top of the mountain to private motor vehicles. The park ‘s shuttle service, bikes and pedestrians will still be allowed to use the winding thorofare.

“This change in use addresses growing safety concerns on a narrow, heavily used road,” said Acting Superintendent Beth Wheeler said in  news release/ She said the move is aimed at providing a safe and accessible experience for all visitors and is also designed to preserve the park’s natural and historic integrity.

As part of the change a striped pedestrian lane will be completed for walkers and bikers. Those who use the wooded trail leading to the top of the mountain will not be impacted.

 “We understand this change may impact how some visitors experience the park, and we are committed to prioritizing a safe and accessible experience for all visitors while also preserving the natural and historical integrity of the park,” Wheeler said.

Park officials point out the 1.5 mile road is steep and winding with several blind curves. They say as usage has grown, the mix  of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists has led to traffic problems and hassles between visitors

The park road will be closed at times beginning on or after Jan. 6 so the pavement striping  work can be done. They say closures will be intermittent through the end of March and possibly into the spring as well.

Cyclist access will be permitted daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (or 6:00 p.m. during winter hours) outside of shuttle operating times.Park officials say they did public outreach and conducted open houses in 2024 to gather feedback on the proposed closure.