Soon you'll pay a fee to park in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here's when and why.

During current morning closures for bike and pedestrian access to Cades Cove, access to the employee housing area, campground, picnic area, horse concession operation, campground store, and trails is blocked for hours. The park is trying to alleviate these problems by charging a fee for parking, which it will start doing in 2023.
During current morning closures for bike and pedestrian access to Cades Cove, access to the employee housing area, campground, picnic area, horse concession operation, campground store, and trails is blocked for hours. The park is trying to alleviate these problems by charging a fee for parking, which it will start doing in 2023.

ASHEVILLE - Visitors at the nation's most-visited national park will soon be paying a fee for parking.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced in a news release Aug. 15 that cars parking anywhere inside park boundaries must have a tag.

This program will take effect March 1.

The costs will be $5 for daily parking tag, $15 for a seven-day parking tag and $40 for an annual parking tag.

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None of these will be refundable, transferable or upgradable. Each tag will be valid for a single vehicle and will be available for purchase both online and onsite, according to the park's website.

They will not be required for motorists passing through the area parking less than 15 minutes.

Revenue from the tags will go toward improvements to visitor experiences, protecting resources and maintenance, according to the release.

The park had a record 14.1 million visits in 2021.

GSMNP will also raise camping fees.

Cars can back up for a half-mile from the Clingman's Dome parking area during peak visitation times in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park reached a record-high of 12.5 million visitors in 2019.
Cars can back up for a half-mile from the Clingman's Dome parking area during peak visitation times in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park reached a record-high of 12.5 million visitors in 2019.

Backcountry camping fees will be $8 per night, with a maximum of $40 per camper, the release stated. Frontcountry family campsite fees will be $30 per night for primitive sites and $36 per night for sites with electrical hookups.

Additionally, the park expects picnic pavilion fees will increase between 20%-30%.

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Proposed in April, the parking fee — which GSNMP is calling "Park it Forward" — the plan to charge visitors for parking got sparked tens of thousands of comments and correspondence from all 50 states. About 41% and 16% of all correspondence was from Tennessee and North Carolina residents, respectively.

The park said of residents who submitted feedback, 60% of those from Graham County, 60% from Swain County and 85% from Haywood County expressed either support or neutrality for the parking fee idea.

Laurel Creek Road on vehicle-free days in the Smokies can be backed up for hours waiting for gates to open to vehicles.
Laurel Creek Road on vehicle-free days in the Smokies can be backed up for hours waiting for gates to open to vehicles.

According to the release, 85% of responses, "expressed either strong support or included constructive ideas to improve the program," the release stated, adding none of them voiced opposition to the fee itself.

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“I have been incredibly encouraged by all the support, from across the country, and especially here in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, for the opportunity to invest in the future care of this treasured park," GSMNP Superintendent Cassius Cash said. "We take great pride in being the country’s most visited national park, but that distinction comes with tremendous strain on our infrastructure. Now we will have sustained resources to ensure this sacred place is protected for visitors to enjoy for generations to come.”  

This story will be updated.

Andrew Jones is Buncombe County government and health care reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at @arjonesreports on Facebook and Twitter, 828-226-6203 or arjones@citizentimes.com. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Great Smoky Mountains National Park adds parking fee, hikes camp costs