The Great Smoky Mountains are ranked among America's most beautiful places and we are blessed to claim this place as ours. However, this fan-favorite park has seen a huge influx of visitors in the past few years, making it necessary to establish rules to keep the park as pristine and enjoyable as possible. The new parking rule in the Smokies has been instituted as of March 1, 2023. It's called Park it Forward and here is everything you need to know:
More than 14 million visitors visited The Great Smoky Mountains in 2021; a record-breaking number of guests that solidified something we've known for many years now: the Smokies are certainly special.
In 2022, attendance to the park dropped slightly -- but still saw 12,937,633 visitors, making 2022 the second-highest amount of guests ever recorded. With all of those people, it was inevitable that there was a need for a couple of changes.
We absolutely love the Smokies for the natural beauty, variety of wildlife, and scenic hiking trails.
There seems to be no end to the things you can do in the park, but there have been some serious needs for upgrades. The park historically has been free to visit and there still will be no entry fee, but a new parking rule will help bring in some much-needed revenue to the park.
"Park it Forward" has been instituted and here is what you need to know about this new rule at Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
Entry to the park is still free, but if you plan on parking for more than 15 minutes you will need a pass. There are three different passes you can purchase: a daily pass for $5, a weekly pass for $15, and an annual pass for $40.
Passes can be purchased online, at visitor centers, and kiosks throughout the park.
Your license plate must be displayed on the tag and will be specific for the time slot you choose. For an annual pass, the sticker must be placed on the lower passenger side of your windshield. For daily and weekly passes they should be placed face up on the dash on the passenger side.
The good news is, 100% of the revenue for the passes will stay within the park for improvements for our national treasure.
The budget for the national park has not changed based on the increase in visitors, so acting now will help make preparations for many years to come. The money made from this new program will allow for improvements to trails and the facilities in the park as well as restoration of wildlife habitats and an increased number of rangers for safety.
The "Park it Forward" program isn’t suspected to affect the number of visitors in the park.
Since 2012, The Great Smoky Mountains have seen an average of 11.5 million visitors each year. Our national park is the most-visited park in our country by far, so know that the roads tend to be congested. The busiest time of the year is May through October, so make sure you plan ahead to make the most of your time in the park.
Park it Forward is the new parking rule in the smokies so if you plan on parking for longer than 15 minutes then you will need to buy a pass. We look forward in the years to come to what kind of improvements will be made to the Smokies. For more information or to buy your pass online please visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park page.
The Smokies are filled with amazing hikes and this hike to Grotto Falls just might be one of the most unique
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