All You Need to Know About "Park it Forward"- Paid Parking is Coming to the GSMNP!

The "Park it Forward" program is a new initiative from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving the visitor experience. Under this program, all visitors who park their vehicles in the park for more than 15 minutes will be required to purchase and display a valid parking tag. This program is being launched on March 1, 2023. This means that if you are visiting the park and plan to stop and enjoy the sights, hike a trail, or visit a picnic area, you will need to have a valid parking tag displayed in your vehicle.

Source: National Park Service

Annual "Park it Forward" passes for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be purchased online at a cost of $40. The annual pass provides unlimited parking for one year from the date of purchase. Daily ($5) and weekly ($15) parking passes are also available online. All passes purchased online require a printer, digital representations will not be accepted. If you don't have access to a printer, all passes can also be purchased from any of the visitor centers. Keep in mind that these centers are extremely busy during peak travel periods to purchase the pass online if possible.

Keep in mind that all passes are tied to the vehicle's license plate number and are therefore non-transferrable. If you rent a vehicle to visit the park, you will likely need to purchase the pass from the visitor center after your car is assigned at your rental location.

The number of visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has increased dramatically over the last several years. This increase in visitors has placed a significant strain on park resources and infrastructure. Appropriations by Congress for national parks are not tied to the number of visitors. This means that the amount of funding the park receives from the federal government does not increase as the number of visitors increases.

To address this challenge, the "Park it Forward" program has been established. The purpose of this program is to provide additional funding to the park to help maintain and improve park infrastructure and guest services. All proceeds from the sale of parking tags under the "Park it Forward" program will be reinvested in the park to improve visitor experiences, protect natural resources, and enhance park facilities. By purchasing a parking tag, visitors are directly supporting the park and helping to ensure that it remains a beautiful and enjoyable place for generations to come.