If you are coming to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park we hope this video better helps you understand their fees with associated with parking. If you have any questions about the Parking Tag, feel free to ask in the comments & be sure to SUBSCRIBE Here ► bit.ly/3AI411H 🔔
My understanding is that when the park was established the deal with obtaining the land was that there would never be an entrance fee but I am not sure that is true and if it is, I don’t know how the “fee” is described in the deal. It could be argued that the parking fee is a usage fee, maybe even an entrance fee. I don’t know if it’s legality has been tested in court, or the legality of not recognizing NPS annual park passes. I can sympathize with the need to pay for park upkeep but the National Parks were established long ago as something anyone could enter and use, not just something that only people with enough money can use. When I was a kid you didn’t pay fees to get into Shenandoah or Civil War battlefields, for instance. They were free to everyone.
@@mlbrooks4066 GSMNP gets over 14 Million visitors a year. The closest in attendance (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc) gets no more than 4 million. Yet the federal money they all get is not much different. GSMNP got about 30 million & Those other parks got about 20 Million each in 2021. I see it as a federal distribution issue, not something that needs to be put right back on the taxpayer. But it's here and not going away anytime soon, so I figured might as well make a helpful guide so people know how the new Parking Tag program works.
Thanks Wm. W, that is very encouraging! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how their parking tag (fees) work!
Excellent information about the new parking tags and a FAQ all in one professionally edited video with beautiful park footage. Thanks for making this great video Ryan!
Thanks Cabo! It took a bit of time to put together, but tried to be as clear and concise as can be on helping people better understand the Parking Tag (fee) requirements now at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park!
Probably a good thing it doesn't show how many dislikes this video has I haven't been back to the park since they started this. TN and NC should be exempt from this . Or remove all together....
Don't shoot the messenger. We are simply content creators trying to help educate people how the program works and try to help people save time & money for those traveling to the Smoky Mountains or any destinations we travel to that we make guides for.
Thanks Popular Adventures! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how their parking tag (fees) work!
Didn’t they sign a treaty and were to never charge to enter the park? Seems like a sneaky way to charge. Also, I will Say, they know all good and well this is one of the most popular park in America, and they’re going to make serious BANK! I know you’re just the messenger, no hate for you, and you’re just making an informative video. But this really is nonsense.
Thanks for not shooting the messenger...LOL! It's a federal government miss allocation of funds problem IMO. I certainly don't agree with some aspects of the program, but I can't do anything about it. I am just trying help people better know how to the program works when they come.
@@curtisball4437 It's a small price to pay for all the enjoyment the Park has given me over the years, and maybe this will help preserve it for future folks to enjoy.
Ryan, This was very informative, Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for the people, You have answer a lot of questions, Hugs n Love to you all, and God Bless, I hope Brie is feeling a lot better.
Our pleasure MsSusie! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how their parking tag (fees) work!
Informative video! Im just going to get the whole week one online for our trip even though I think we would only need it 2 days …I don’t want to think about it! Plus I like supporting the upkeep of the National Parks so this will be a donation in my mind. I actually had planned on buying Annual America the Beautiful pass if this was included just for the ease of it all. Strange system
Thanks Carol! Buying a Great Smoky Mountain National Park Parking Tag online in advance is ideal to avoid lines during busy times & enable you to go straight to your destination. You just need to plan ahead & be able to have a physical copy printed out. We hope you have a wonderful time when you visit & thanks for stopping by!
Thanks David! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how the parking tag (fees) work!
Thank you Ryan for this informational video on the Parking Tag situation. Can't wait to be in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg/Great Smoky Mountain National Park area at the end of the month.
Our pleasure Levi We hope you have a great time at the end of the month & this video helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how their parking tag (fees) work!
Great tips indeed. Forgive me if I didn’t hear this in the video, but do you need a parking pass for every visitor center If you’re going to be there more than 15 minutes? Secondly, the easy hike at the Sugarland visitor center. Is it recommended to wear hiking boots or can we just wear our sneakers?
Thanks Dawn! 4:49 in the video I mention that I wouldn't stress about parking at a visitor center without a parking tag while in the process of buying one. Anywhere you do stop beyond that, if more than 15 minutes on Great Smoky Mountain National Park property, you would want to have your parking tag displayed. I think sneakers are fine for the Cataract Falls hike. Here is a full video of a time we did it so you can better see what it is like: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y1jc_AX5n34.html
HOW ABOUT CAMERAS TO CATCH THOSE LITTERING AND PUTTING GRAFFITI ON OBJECTS AND GO AFTER THEM INSTEAD OF CHARGING THE TAXPAYERS DOUBLE TAXATION ON THE LAND THAT "WE THE PEOPLE" OWN!
Just got back April 30-May3. The parking meter were't really that hard you pick a pass, enter plate, tap CC and it prints your pass. Bought 2 $5 passes as I only had 2 full days. 3 or more a $15 is perfect. It's even easier than the parking meters at the Florida parks like Ft. DeSoto.
I know Ft. DeSoto well! I camped there many times as a kid (born in Tampa) and used to LOVE spear fishing at night there before we moved up here to TN!
Our pleasure Pamela! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how the parking tag (fees) work!
Georgia state parks have been charging the $5 parking fee as long as I can remember. I haven't kept up with things so I don't know the reasons behind why the National parks are charging parking fees now. Is it just the Smoky Mountains National Park that is charging now, or as I mentioned, all national parks? I haven't had the opportunity to venture to any other national parks besides the Smoky Mountains. I mean, if the money will stay right there to help clean up graffiti, among many other things, then I guess it's not a bad thing. But growing up and coming up there with my grand parents as a kid and even now as an adult, we have never had to pay any parking fees. So I guess after all these years, I just don't get it. Not complaining, just don't understand why.
Other national parks charge admission. When we went to the Rocky Mountain National Park a year ago, it cost us $25 to get in for the day: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nAJ0CBcKGxE.html They way the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was set up as a "Park for the People" they can't charge admission with certain road access & other conflicting federal laws. GSMNP gets over 14 Million visitors a year. The closest in attendance (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc) gets no more than 4 million. Yet the federal money they all get is not much different. GSMNP got about 30 million & Those other parks got about 20 Million each. I see it as a federal distribution issue, not something that needs to be put right back on the taxpayer. But it's here and not going away, so I figured might as well make a helpful guide so people know how the new Parking Tag program works. Thanks for stopping by TCD!
@@AdventureIsOutThere Thanks for more info on the charging. When you are "out of the loop", LOL, you don't necessarily know what's going on and the changes. I am glad you uploaded this video, to inform us about the parking fees. I'll be sure to get one on our next trip up there. Because I can't think of anyone that would drive straight through the Smoky Mountains and absolutely not stop anywhere to enjoy the views. LOL.
Thanks for the informative Vlog -- Where do I get my FREE Annual Parking Pass since I am a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee? Thank You GSMNP for not creating an Entrance Gate Fee so that vacationers from TN can drive over to our Casino everyday without paying a fee...and to guarantee that the upper Admin folks working for the park can get future salary raises.
Our pleasure Woody! I don’t see anything where it specifically states where you have to go to get yours. I would assume you could show proof at any visitor center & they could assist you. The park website states “The National Park Service does provide parking tags at no cost to Tribal leaders who will then distribute the tags to Tribal citizens who are coming to the park for traditional activities. The National Park Service expressly allows citizens of American Indian Tribes to enter parks for traditional activities without paying fees. The NPS acknowledges that the phrase “’traditional’ activities” is neither a static concept nor is it a set of neatly listed activities that can be defined by the NPS but should be defined by the member of the respective communities themselves.”
IF ONLY the parking decals were this well done. We purchased two annual passes. Within a week of sitting in the March sun they started to curl and come off. Same has happened to everyone we know. Imagine what will happen this summer! It's Ridiculous! A hanging tag would have been a better solution.
We had a hanging tag when our daughter worked at Dollywood this past season. It was nice to just grab the tag and put it in the car we were taking her in. Its hard plastic and never had any issues & we only needed 1 between both cars. Hopefully they can take the feedback & improve them going forward!
Thanks KR! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how their parking tag (fees) work!
@@americafirst5453 I’m sorry. I still don’t understand your message. Is it that the video is wrong? Is it that there shouldn’t be charges for parking? I’m really not trying to be rude. I see that the poster gave you kudos
@CreachterZ it's the fact that the smokey mountains where given more money than any other park in the country. And they turn it in to a cash cow and put cameras up on 441. It's BS. If you don't get that I'm sorry you're hopeless.
Good question Reba. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park website states "Parking tags are non-transferable. Each parking tag must include a license plate number matching the vehicle in which it is displayed. If your license plate number changes for any reason, you will need to purchase a new annual parking tag."
Hey Michael. The National Park website states “The annual parking tag is a cling and can be adhered to the motorcycle windshield or other highly-visible surface. The daily and weekly tags are paper but also need to be prominently displayed. Making sure the tag does not blow away or fall off is the responsibility of the visitor. One option is to tape the tag to the inside of the motorcycle windshield or instrument display. Motorcyclists should plan ahead and come prepared to adequately display their parking tag.”
I've always entered through the Cherokee side and that sign looks good. I've never seen the other entrance signs. Thanks for the parking guide by the way. It definitely helped me and did not feel "lost". I just got back from a trip to The Great Smoky Mountains today.@@AdventureIsOutThere
This hardly warrants a video. The day pass is only if you're passing through the area. The week pass for $15 is very common, and the annual pass if you're coming back. Simple.
Great info, thank you! I do have a question - we have an America the Beautiful Disability hang tag. You said disability tags can park free, but America the Beautiful cannot. I'm wondering about the combo tag we have that is both? (we do not have a regular disability tag)
National Parks are taxpayers funded. Therefore, their use is free to taxpayers because they pay for it via taxes. So, any additional fees are illegal for taxpayers.
Our pleasure SMD, that's what we did! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how their parking tag (fees) work!
Hey Wayne! They way the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was set up as a "Park for the People" & they can't charge admission with certain road access & other conflicting federal laws. GSMNP gets over 14 Million visitors a year. The closest in attendance (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc) gets no more than 4 million. Yet the federal money given to each park is not much different. GSMNP got about 30 million & Those other parks got about 20 Million each. I see it as a federal distribution issue, if the tax payer money was properly allocated based on park attendance, they would be doing this IMO.
Is a pass needed for the buildings along the Cades Cove drive? I know one area along there has a large parking lot and several buildings, public restrooms, info building with a gift shop, etc. Do we need a pass if we are going to park in their parking lot?
If your stop is less than 15 minutes, than no you won't need one. If you don't want to feel rushed or stressed about running back to the car getting a Great Smoky Mountain National Park Parking Tag might be the way to go Tori.
@@AdventureIsOutThere Ok, thank you. Looks like no matter where you stop your car within the park, you’ll need a pass if it’s more than 15 minutes. At first I thought they were mainly for pull off areas. Basically charging admission now for the buildings in Cades Cove. Doesn’t seem right to me that you have to pay to park in a huge parking lot. But what do I know. Thanks again.
Thanks keyman...I really appreciate that! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how the parking tag (fees) work!
@@AdventureIsOutThere Yes, we're a stop and take a picture in less than 15 minutes kind of people. But if we ever feel adventurous and want to hike to that waterfall, $5 is very reasonable.
@@keyman6689 I want to take the kids to more bike rides in Cades Cove when they close it down for cars this fall, we really enjoyed it last time we did it. Hope all is well on the road!
Our pleasure Cheryl! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how the parking tag (fees) work!
@@AdventureIsOutThere Yes, we plan to be in the Smokey's in June. We've been waiting for a good video explaining how to get the pass, and your vlog did that. Thanks again!
We saw on the news that National Parks in Ga will now be getting motor wheelchairs for handicapped people. Do you know if they are available there yet?
Glory to God for this info lol. Thank you for your vids. They're really helpful with planning a va in Gatlinburg. I didn't know ya would need a parking pass if you parked there. I'm glad that I saw this cuz I was planning on going on some trails and see some waterfalls.
Thank you for your very informative review. I do have a gripe. As I understand from my research Seniors and Veterans are no longer exempt from National parks fees. Or is it just the Great Smokey Mtn National park, Parking tag?. As a retired Vet I looked forward to using this benefit. Silly note - Humans have embellished walls at gathering places since recorded history. But doing such on tax payer dollar property that will need repair, nope. Same with the stickers that blow off in the wind and litter the landscape. Have the Rangers hand out hammers and chisels and point to a large stone 500 yards down the valley. Charge those who can't carry and then discard the tools on the way up. Probably make more than charging parking fees. More fun too!. ;-)
You're welcome & first of all thank you for your service! I wish existing veterans passes would have carried over to this program, but unfortunately they do not. There is a handicap placard/license plate exemption, but not a veteran one Jim.
Yes, the National Park Service does provide parking tags at no cost to Tribal leaders who will then distribute the tags to Tribal citizens who are coming to the park for traditional activities. The National Park Service expressly allows citizens of American Indian Tribes to enter parks for traditional activities without paying fees. The NPS acknowledges that the phrase “’traditional’ activities” is neither a static concept nor is it a set of neatly listed activities that can be defined by the NPS but should be defined by the member of the respective communities themselves.
So a person with a handicap parking sign does not need a parking pass BUT a family with more than one vehicle needs to purchase a parking pass for each vehicle??? People can borrow handicap parking signs from someone, they do it all the time. Can't borrow a parking pass from someone, because of having to match up the tag # on the pass to the tag # on the vehicle. Does not make sense. People will be using other's handicap sign to get out of paying the parking pass fee
I think they didn't think through families having multiple vehicles through & will hopefully adjust the type of annual pass to a hangtag that can more easily switch between vehicles.
Thanks for the info. Just a couple questions: 1) The parking pass is placed on the bottom corner of the dash on the passenger side, not the driver side? That is different than most places. 2) None of the parking lots like Laurel Falls have timed entry for parking or a reservation required? I thought I heard they were going to go to some type of reservation system at some of the more popular locations?
1) "Annual parking tags must be displayed in the front, lower passenger side windshield. Daily and weekly parking tags must be placed face-up on the front, lower passenger side dashboard." 2) No form of timed entry at this point in time. Hope this helps!
Our pleasure kryangerman! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how the parking tag (fees) work!
Ryan, Very helpful video. As always this was a very informative video full of very helpful information. This helped me a lot to know where to get a parking pass and what kind we may need. Very well done. God bless brother
Thanks Smoky Mountain Man...I really appreciate that! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how the parking tag (fees) work!
Thanks Amanda! If the federal funds were distributed to parks based on attendance, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park would not be doing this IMO. In 2021 with 14+ million visitors they received about 30 million. The next busiest park saw 4 million visitors and received 20 million dollars. The federal government takes plenty of money from taxpayers, they just are terrible at managing it. It is what it is at this point and wanted to try to make a simple video helping people to prepare their upcoming visit.
Backcountry campers are not exempt from the parking tag requirement. Frontcountry campers parked at their designated campsite are not required to have a parking tag. If they park elsewhere in the park, a parking tag is required. Please note that parking tags are required for vehicles in excess of what is allowable for each campsite. Information about how many vehicles are allowed at each facility is available on recreation.gov.
“The annual parking tag is a cling and can be adhered to the motorcycle windshield or other highly-visible surface. The daily and weekly tags are paper but also need to be prominently displayed. Making sure the tag does not blow away or fall off is the responsibility of the visitor.”
No type of "interagency" membership would work for this. It is a completely separate program, so no existing membership would work in its place. The only thing that would is a handicap placard/license plate.
Our pleasure Randall! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how the parking tag (fees) work!
Good video - - if I’m camping at Smoky Mountains NP, will my camping tag cover parking at other parts of the park as well? Or, do I need to purchase an additional parking tag?
I was wondering the same thing. Everything I Read saying that you can park at your site for free obviously but if you leave your site and park anywhere, tag must be purchased. Wish that parking tag was included or discounted if you have booked a stay in the parks. I'm staying 2 weeks and have to dish out $30 more. At least the money goes to the parks.
Thanks Bruce! Backcountry campers are not exempt from the parking tag requirement. Frontcountry campers parked at their designated campsite are not required to have a parking tag. If they park elsewhere in the park, a parking tag is required. Please note that parking tags are required for vehicles in excess of what is allowable for each campsite. Information about how many vehicles are allowed at each facility is available on recreation.gov. So if you were staying at Elkmont Campground as we did in this video you would not need a tag at our campsite: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vpFgZwX5VuY.html But if you left the frontcountry campsite and parked somewhere in the national park like we did the next morning at Cades Cove (see this video), then you would need one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3apEWzfMIC4.html
They do. The annual parking tag is a cling and can be adhered to the motorcycle windshield or other highly-visible surface. The daily and weekly tags are paper but also need to be prominently displayed. Making sure the tag does not blow away or fall off is the responsibility of the visitor. One option is to tape the tag to the inside of the motorcycle windshield or instrument display. Motorcyclists should plan ahead and come prepared to adequately display their parking tag.
My family and I always love to take our kids to Herbert Holt park and would love to check out Mynatt park on our next visit. Would visiting a park like those require a parking pass? Thanks so much!
Hey Caitlyn! Mynatt Park would be considered a city of Gatlinburg park and therefore not need a Great Smoky Mountain National Park Parking TAG. We will be doing a fishing tournament on April 1st there: www.gatlinburgtn.gov/departments/recreation/city_parks.php
We are heading to tn from Missouri in august, if we buy a week long past from the automated kiosks , will it be a sticker for the windshield? Or will it be paper that lays on the dash? Thanks for all the great videos!
I heard your voice today! You should had introduced yourself and your channel!!!!!!! Let me know if that was you in the audience when Dolly Parton ask if there was any questions. You probably was nervous!!!!
@@piedmontpengwing I had a friend named Jordan who is waiting for her question and just didn’t get a chance to ask it. I’ve been told I have a great face for radio, whatever that means.
You can get one at Clingmans Dome Visitor Center - 7078 Clingmans Dome Road, Cherokee, NC 28719 You can always buy online in advance & print out your tag.
Our pleasure Janice! We hope it helps people better plan for their upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park & know how their parking tag (fees) work!
Do you need a parking pass to park and picnic/grill at any of the picnic areas like Chimney Tops picnic area? I'm assuming yes but there's not a ticket machine there. But I guess that's well worth it for $5
Since they sell them at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area (5:02 in the video) I would say yes. Anywhere inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park boundary will require one. I would also assume they have placed signage at areas such as Chimney Tops picnic area letting people know it is required.
@@AdventureIsOutThere Metcalf Bottoms has a hiking trail though. Just wondering if that was why. I'll just play it safe and spend the $5 when I picnic at Chimney Tops anyway.
@@CaboWabotv haven’t been to Chimney Tops since March 1st, but I would think there would be signs up on the parking tag if they are requiring it. It sounds like it is required anywhere’s in the GSMNP property.
You can go into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and drive through and not need to pay anything. But if you don't have a parking tag you run the risk of getting a citation.
The machines don't sell the annual tags. Annual parking tags are available for purchase at visitor centers & online through Great Smoky Mountains Association at smokiesinformation.org
@@AdventureIsOutThere Yeah but the government stalled my grandparents land I was born and raised in Swain County I shouldn’t have to pay to go in the park and I will not pay but I will go in the park they can kiss my you know what
If I don't buy a parking tag how much is the ticket? I would rather see money spent on a new sign than putting up barriers to parking. That sign is in millions of family photos.
Hey David! I would guess one would get a courtesy warning, then after repeat offenses they would begin to be fined but unsure on how much the cost of the ticket would be. I would hope they could find more ways to expand the parking at places like Laurel Falls & hopefully clean up things like welcome signs this year in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park!
