Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This 520,000-acre oasis is known for bio-diversity, beauty, and remnants of Southern Appalachian culture.
Nearly 850 miles of trails and free entrance help make Great Smoky Mountain National Park a popular choice for hiking, waterfalls, camping and more.
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Beginning March 1, 2023, a valid parking tag will be required for all visitors parking for more than fifteen minutes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Three parking tag durations will be available for purchase for all vehicle types and sizes:
Daily – $5
Up to 7 Days – $15
Annual – $40
Parking tags will be per vehicle, not per person. 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 revenue generated through parking tag sales will stay in the Smokies to provide sustainable, year-round support for America’s most visited national park.
Operational details, including how to purchase parking tags, will be posted on the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fees.htm.
Contact Information
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s entrance, located in Cherokee, NC, lets you access the 520,000-acre national park that straddles the North Carolina/Tennessee border.
Created in 1934 and opened in 1940, the park has a new visitor center on the North Carolina side, located at 1194 Newfound Gap Road, Cherokee, NC 28719 (2 miles north of Cherokee on U.S. 441).
Museum exhibits at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center tell the story of life in these mountains from the Native Americans and early European settlement time periods through the Civilian Conservation Corp and the development of the national park.
The adjacent Mountain Farm Museum contains a fascinating collection of log structures including a farmhouse, barn, smokehouse, apple house, corn cribs and others. Demonstrations of farm life are conducted seasonally.
Variations in elevation, rainfall, temperature, and geology provide ideal habitats for over 1,600 species of flowering plants, including over 200 native tree species and shrub species.
The park also boasts a diverse wildlife. Protected in the park are some 65 species of mammals, over 200 varieties of birds, 67 native fish species, and more than 80 types of reptiles and amphibians. This includes an estimated 1,500 black bears and a small herd of elk.
Fishing is allowed in the 1,073 miles of fish-bearing streams with a North Carolina or Tennessee fishing license.
For detailed information and regulations: www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fishing.htm or call (865) 436-1200.
Learn more about Great Smoky Mountains National Park here: www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/index.htm
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