KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park next year will pay more in fees to use the park, and must purchase a parking tag to stop inside its boundaries.

The “Park it Forward” program will include new parking fees plus an increase in camping fees beginning next year. The National Park Service approved the plan in order to implement a new fee system that will help cover the cost of operating and maintaining the park as visitation continues to increase.

The park shared the information about the decision on Monday. Here are the changes:

The annual tag will allow for parking throughout the park from the date of purchase and will be required to be displayed on any motor vehicle parked within the Smokies boundary starting on March 1, 2023.

The approved parking rates are $5 for a daily parking tag, $15 for a parking tag for up to seven days, and $40 for an annual parking tag.

Camping fees are also increasing. Backcountry camping fees will be $8 per night, with a maximum of $40 per camper. Frontcountry family campsite fees will be $30 per night for primitive sites and $36 per night for sites with electrical hookups. Group camps, horse camps, and picnic pavilions fees will primarily increase by between 20 and 30 percent depending on group size and location. Rates for daily rental of the Appalachian Clubhouse and Spence Cabin in Elkmont will be $300 and $200, respectively. For a complete listing of all frontcountry facility rates, visit the park website at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/2023-fees.htm

“Today marks a significant milestone in the history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and I’m honored to be a part of it,” Superintendent Cassius Cash said in the news release. “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. 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.”    

Officials say all revenue from the fees will stay in the park in order to “provide sustainable, year-round support focusing on improving the visitor experience, protecting resources, and maintaining trails, roads, historic structures, and facilities.”  

Smokies officials also confirmed in the news release that the use of all park roads will remain toll-free. Parking tags will not be required for motorists who pass through the area or who park vehicles for less than fifteen minutes. The tags will not guarantee a parking spot at a specific location. Parking will continue to be available on a first-come, first-serve basis throughout the park.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the National Park Service system. Officials say that over the last decade, visitation increased by 57% to a record 14.1 million visits in 2021.

Smokies officials say with rising costs and more visitation, “additional revenue is critical to support upkeep of the park. The new fee changes will provide an opportunity for park users to directly contribute towards protecting the park.”

“Funding from the new parking fee and from the Great American Outdoors Act enacted in 2020 will provide the most new financial support for the Great Smokies since the park was created in 1934,” retired U.S. Senator from Tennessee Lamar Alexander said. “Every penny raised from the fee will be spent on creating a better visitor experience in the Smokies. Superintendent Cassius Cash and the National Park Service deserve thanks from all of us who enjoy the Smokies for solving a big problem with an obvious solution.”