Great Smoky Mountains National Park closes at busiest time of year.

Every year, thousands flock to the Smoky Mountains on the first weekend in October to take in its famous array of orange and other Autumn colors.

But this year, tourists will see a lot more orange than they’d planned — mostly in the form of traffic cones blocking off roads, trails and other attractions.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed for business Tuesday, along with nonessential government agencies across the nation, displacing hordes of tourists already camping inside the park.

“This weekend, we’re going to lose well over $10,000 in revenue,” said Vesna Plakanis, owner of A Walk in the Woods guide service. “And I’m not even talking about into next week, I’m saying $10,000 just this weekend.”

Plakanis, along with her husband, Erik, operates one of several privately owned business at the park. The Plakanises are not government employees, but they — along with private guides, stables and concessions — are prohibited from operating inside the park during the shutdown.

“October is our busiest month, and coming up is our busiest weekend,” she said. “This is how we make our money for the wintertime, and we’re shut down. We rely on the month of October to survive.”

She blamed federal law- makers. “They’re literally messing with people’s lives over ideology,” she said. “It’s economic terrorism.”

The park injects roughly $1 billion into the local economy annually, Erik Plakanis said, and the restaurants, retail outlets and other tourist attractions in the area are going to take a big hit this month.

The Plakanises spent Tuesday making and fielding cancellation calls from travelers no doubt wishing they’d opted to spring for refundable airfare.