Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Visitor Information
Great Smoky Mountains straddles the Tennessee–North Carolina line and sees more visitors than any other national park — over 12 million a year. Unlike most parks, there's no traditional entrance fee. Instead, since 2023 every vehicle needs a parking tag. Here's what else to know before you go.
Page content last verified: July 2026
Visitor Centers
Tap a visitor center for its official NPS hours & facility info.
Hours vary seasonally — confirm current hours on the official NPS hours page before you go.
Fees & Parking Tags
There's no per-person or per-vehicle entrance fee at Great Smoky Mountains. Instead, any vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes anywhere in the park needs a parking tag:
- Daily: $5
- Weekly: $15
- Annual: $40
Tags aren't location-specific — one tag covers the whole park. Buy online in advance via recreation.gov, at machines throughout the park (most trailheads don't have one, so plan ahead), or at any visitor center. Note: America the Beautiful passes do not substitute for a parking tag.
Parking tags aren't required on 2026's federal free entrance days (Feb 16 · May 25 · Jun 14 · Jul 3–5 · Aug 25 · Sep 17 · Oct 27 · Nov 11).
Every Kid Outdoors — Free 4th Grade Pass
Since GRSM has no entrance fee, this pass doesn't apply here directly — but it's still worth grabbing at everykidoutdoors.gov for entry to every other fee-charging federal site on the same trip.
Permits & Reservations
You do not need a permit or reservation to enter the park or day-hike. You do need one for:
Backcountry Camping
Every overnight backpacking trip needs a permit — no exceptions. Permits are booked up to one month ahead, site- and date-specific, for up to 7 nights.
- Fees: $6 non-refundable permit fee + $8 per person, per night
- Apply for a backcountry permit on recreation.gov →
- Backcountry camping rules & planning info →
Campgrounds & RV Options
GRSM has 10 frontcountry campground locations park-wide, all reservation-based via recreation.gov. Cades Cove and Smokemont are open year-round; the rest are seasonal. No campground in the park has showers. Stays are limited to 14 consecutive days, 60 days per year. Fees change year to year — use the link below for current pricing.
GRSM has 4 additional frontcountry campgrounds beyond those listed above — see the full current list and book any site via recreation.gov. A parking tag is required if you park anywhere other than your own campsite.
Good to Know
- No park-wide shuttle: unlike some western parks, GRSM has no mandatory shuttle system — you drive yourself, though Cades Cove Loop Road occasionally runs vehicle-free for bikes/pedestrians on select mornings.
- Cell service: spotty to nonexistent through most of the park.
- Bears: GRSM has one of the densest black bear populations in the East — store food properly and keep distance.
- Pets: allowed only in campgrounds and along two short paved paths; not permitted on backcountry trails.
More National Parks
See our other National Park visitor guides, or browse the full National Parks guide.
Parking tag prices, permit fees, road closures, and visitor center hours change from year to year. This page is a starting point for trip planning — always confirm current details on the official Great Smoky Mountains National Park site before you go.
Sources: NPS – Fees & Passes · NPS – Visitor Centers · NPS – Permits & Reservations · NPS – Backcountry Camping · NPS – Frontcountry Camping · NPS – Current Conditions & Alerts
