GSMNP Now Requires Parking Tags

Starting March 1, 2023 visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park who will be parking longer than 15 minutes within park boundaries will need to purchase a parking tag.  Park officials call it the “Park It Forward” program.  Daily parking tags are $5, 7-day passes are $15 and annual passes are $40.  Tags may be purchased online, but remember they are vehicle specific and have an expiration date, so you’ll need to know what you will be driving and exactly when you will be visiting the Smokies.  You will also be able to buy parking tags at various Park Visitor Centers for those spur-of-the-moment trips. According to recreation.gov, 100% of the revenue generated from the parking tag program will stay in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to improve visitor services.  In 2022, the Smokies had 12.9 million visitors.  GSMNP officials said last August they expected the revenue collected from parking fees will bring in around $7 million annually.  The good news, it’s still free to get into the Great Smoky Mountains Nation Park.