Parking Pass Required In 2023 In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Effective March 1, 2023, a parking tag will be required for any vehicle parking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

All revenue generated through these user fees will remain in the Smokies to directly support operational costs for managing and improving services for visitors including trail maintenance, custodial services, trash removal, and supporting more staffing to increase the presence of personnel across the park.

Parking tags will not guarantee a specific parking spot in a specific location or for a specific time frame. Parking at the busiest areas will require visitors to plan ahead to choose off-peak hours, days, and seasons to better the chances of parking availability.

Parking tag sales will not be limited or capped and parking tag revenue will be used to improve visitor experience. The Smokies that we love to call home is the most visited national park in the United States! Although the congressionally authorized budget for the National Park Service helps to cover the costs of preserving parks, those funds do not cover all of the operating costs associated with millions and millions of visitors who drive park roads, flush park toilets, and use park services annually.

All in all, be sure to grab your parking pass in order to help ensure our Smokies stay beautiful and preserved.

Parking Pass Quick Facts

• Parking tags will not be required for motorists who pass through the area or who park for less than 15 minutes.
• Display of physical parking tags in each vehicle will be required. Digital representations will not be accepted.
• Three tag durations will be available for purchase for all vehicle sizes and types:
  • Daily – $5
  • Weekly – $15
  • Annual – $40
• Parking tags will not be replaceable, refundable, transferable, or upgradable.
• Each tag will be valid for a single vehicle.
• Parking tags will be available for purchase both online and onsite.
• Parking tags will not be location-specific. A parking tag will be required to park in any designated parking spot anywhere within the boundaries of the Smokies.

All information was taken directly from NPS.gov