KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Parking tags for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are required starting on March 1.
Parking tags can be bought at any of the locations listed below. Daily and weekly parking tags bought in person must be used beginning on the date of purchase. Tags are required for any vehicle parked for more than 15 minutes.
- Gatlinburg Welcome Center: 1011 Banner Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
- 865-436-7318, EXT 323
- Sugarlands Visitor Center: 1420 Fighting Creek Gap Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
- 865-436-7318, EXT 347
- Townsend Visitor Center: 7606 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Townsend, TN 37882
- 865-436-7318, EXT 320
- Cades Cove Visitor Center: 686 Cades Cove Loop Road, Townsend, TN 37882
- 865-436-7318, EXT 321
- Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont Store: 9275 Tremont Road, Townsend, TN 37882
- 865-448-6709
- Clingmans Dome Visitor Center: 7078 Clingmans Dome Road, Cherokee, NC 28719
- 865-436-7318, EXT 326
- Oconaluftee Visitor Center: 1194 Newfound Gap Highway, Cherokee, NC 28719
- 865-436-7318, EXT 327
- Swain County Visitor Center: 2 Everett Street, Bryson City, NC 28713
- 828-488-7857
Daily parking tags expire at 11:59 p.m. the day they were bought and weekly parking tags expire at 11:59 p.m. seven days from the date of purchase.
Daily and weekly parking tags can also be bought online through recreation.gov. The tags must be printed and visitors need to enter the date of their visit and license plate number. Tags can be bought six months before the visit. Annual parking tags can be bought online through the Great Smoky Mountains Association.
Smokies officials said with rising costs and more visitation, “additional revenue is critical to support the upkeep of the park.” The parking fees are meant to give the “opportunity for park users to directly contribute towards protecting the park.”
The annual tag costs $40, the weekly pass costs $15 and the daily pass costs $5.
