When to buy a Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking pass - and when to skip it

If you're going to stop and enjoy the amazing views in the Smokies, be prepared to pay to park for the first time ever.

With the new parking tag system at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which starts March 1, visitors to the country’s most-visited national park must buy and display a valid parking tag for any vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes.

Through the Park It Forward program, visitors can buy a $5 tag for the day, a weekly tag for $15 or opt for the $40 annual tag.

The system is designed to increase safety and decrease traffic jams and damage to the park, which has seen an increasing number of visitors over the past decade. Nearly 13 million people flocked to the Smokies in 2022 and a record 14 million explored the park in 2021.

“Park it Forward will undoubtedly help protect the park resources and enhance visitors’ experiences in a substantial way now and into the future,” Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash said in a press release.

The Smokies is one of just a few national parks without an entrance fee. Officials say the added revenue from the parking tags will remain in the park for operational and preservation costs such as maintaining trails, roads, historic structures and facilities.

Here's what you need to know before you go to the park.

How much do GSMNP parking tags cost?

• Daily, $5

• Weekly, $15

• Annual, $40

• Parking tag options and prices apply to all motor vehicles, including motorcycles and recreational vehicles, regardless of size. The park's website warns that parking available for oversized vehicles is extremely limited.

More: Avid hikers share tips for the new Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking rules

How do you get parking tags?

• Daily and weekly parking tags are available online at recreation.gov and at machines on-site. The machines only take card payment.

• Annual tags are available online through Great Smoky Mountains Association at smokiesinformation.org or in person at the park's visitor centers.

• Parking spots are first-come, first-served. Parking spots are not guaranteed at the most popular sites, officials warn.

• Parking tags are not location-specific. A parking tag will be required to park in any designated parking spot anywhere within the boundaries of the national park.

• The park will not limit the number of parking tags available per day, so availability of parking space is not guaranteed even after buying a pass.

• Daily and weekly parking tags expire at 11:59 p.m. on the date printed on the tag.

What are the rules for parking tags?

• Parking tags are required for all vehicles that will parked for 15 minutes or more.

• Failure to comply with the parking tag requirements can result in a warning, citation or the vehicle being towed at the owner's expense.

• Annual parking tags must be displayed in the front, lower passenger side windshield.

• Daily and weekly parking tags must be placed face-up on the front, lower passenger side dashboard.

• Motorcyclists should hang annual tags on their windshield or another highly visible surface. Paper daily and weekly tags need to be prominently displayed and secured.

• Parking tags are not replaceable, refundable, transferable or upgradable. There is no cap on how many tags can be purchased.

• Each tag will be valid for a single vehicle and must include a license plate number matching the vehicle in which it is displayed.

• Backcountry campers and those with picnic pavilion reservation must have parking tags, according to the park’s website.

• Frontcountry campers will need tags if parked outside of their designated campsite.

Who doesn’t need a parking tag?

• Visitors who simply drive through the park will not need a parking tag, and there still is no entrance fee.

• Vehicles with valid, state-issued handicapped parking permits or license plates are exempt from the parking tag requirement, according to the website.

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park will participate in scheduled National Park Service fee-free days throughout the year. Visitors will not need to display a valid parking tag on these days: April 22, the first day of National Park Week; Aug. 4, the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act; Sept. 23, National Public Lands Day; and Nov. 11, Veterans Day.

• School groups and international educational institutions will be exempt with two-week notice. Permitted researchers also will be exempt while conducting work.

• Frontcountry campers parked at their designated campsite will not be required to have a parking tag, but will need a tag if they are parked elsewhere in the park.

• Only three special use permit types are exempt from the parking tag requirement: burials, cemetery visits including Decoration Days and First Amendment activities such as political events, demonstrations and church services.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking tag tips

• Plan ahead of your visit, especially when going to busy locations like Cades Cove, Chimney Tops, Clingmans Dome or Laurel Falls Trail. Consider visiting during off-peak hours, midweek and during the cooler months.

• Have other destination options in mind, including less congested areas.

• Visitors with rental vehicles will have to wait until they know the rental’s license plate number before purchasing a tag.

More information regarding Great Smoky Mountain National Park parking tags and 2023 fees can be found at nps.gov/grsm.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter for Knox News. He can be reached by email at devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Follow Devarrick on Twitter @dturner1208. Enjoy exclusive content and premium perks while supporting strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking fees: Here are the rules