Thoughts and Reflections after attending August 2022's "Conservation on Tap" to Discuss The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Implementation of Parking Fees in March 2023
In August of 2022, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced that the Park would begin charging parking fees on March 1, 2023. As a hiking and backpacking guide within the Park, this topic has become something of local conversation and controversy. What will this increase in revenue mean for the Park? How will this affect locals who work and play in the Smokies?
In my opinion, the Park Service has been very transparent in this process and has presented the public with sound reasoning for moving forward in this decision. Part of this transparency can be seen in the Park Service’s effort to mingle with the public and answer questions and concerns on a personal level. Recently, local Smokies lovers gathered together to hear directly from Dana Soehn, National Park Service Management Assistant and Public Affairs Specialist, on changes coming to the GSMNP.
Albright Grove Brewing Company in Knoxville, TN regularly hosts “Conservation on Tap”, an informal meeting of like-minded individuals that usually centers around issues/happenings that are Smokies related. This was my first time attending Conservation on Tap and it will not be my last! Other topics have included “The Safe Passage Project with Jeff Hunter” and the 2020 recording setting Fastest Known Time (FKT) of the Smokies 900 with Nancy East and Chris Ford. Along with my coworkers, other folks from Save our Smokies and the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club were also present during the August event. Proceeds from these events go to Discover Life in America (DLiA), the National Park’s biological science and conservation partner.
As a guide within the Park, I pride myself on knowing statistics and information about the history of the Smokies and sharing the majesty and wonder with Park visitors. I am always eager to tell clients on my tours that the GSMNP is the most visited park in the US National Park System. There were specific facts and figures in Soehn’s presentation that blew me away. In 2021, there were over 14 million visits to the Smokies. Three of the other most popular and widely known National Parks, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone, received fewer combined visitors than the Smokies.
Other Parks that bring in more money through entry fees and expensive permits are able to spend more money on “guest experience”. The statistic Soehn shared was that Parks like Yellowstone spend $15 per person on guest experience, while the GSMNP only spends $2. That basically only covers the toilet paper, water, and electrical bills to keep the bathrooms functional. No wonder budget cuts within the Park have led to numerous Park Service personnel having to be let go over the years, according to Soehn.
During Soehn’s presentation, I learned that in the past 10 years, visitation to the GSMNP has increased by 57%. That number is staggering and puts into perspective the fact that the Park’s budget has not been adjusted adequately to account for the rise in popularity. Because of that, I can better understand why the Park Service has decided to move forward with parking fees. Parking tags will be offered depending on the length of visit: daily ($5), up to seven days ($15), or annually ($40).
Moving forward with parking fees was not an easy decision, Soehn reiterated multiple times during her presentation. Earlier this year, the Park opened public commenting to hear from the masses regarding proposed parking fees. The Park Service received 3,677 comments, one of which I’m proud to say was my own. Soehn presented various graphs containing the data collected from the comments. Most of the graphs were pie charts showing the “Parking Tag Sentiment Analysis” and illustrated percentages of “support” for the parking permits, “opposition”, or neutrality in the counties that contain the GSMNP. These charts, as well as a more detailed statistical analysis, can be found on the Park’s Park it Forward initiative announcement. This announcement also includes updated backcountry and frontcountry fees that will begin in March 2023.
Overall, I believe that the Park it Forward program will be a good thing for the Smokies. Other National Parks charge similar fees (that are usually more expensive), and I do not believe the new fee program will be a barrier to visiting the Park. Driving through the GSMNP to enjoy nature is still free, and $5 is a very reasonable price to park in my eyes. Folks pay four times that to park in downtown Gatlinburg every day.
My only issue with the new fees within the GSMNP is that the price for Appalachian Trail thru hiker permits doubled, while other backcountry and frontcountry permits barely increased. Approximately 75 miles of the AT travels through the Smokies, and this section of the trail is one of the few places where permits are required. Most thru hikers obtain their permits at Fontana Village in North Carolina if they are heading north, and southbound hikers usually pay for and print their Smokies permits in Hot Springs, NC. In 2022 thru hiker permits were $20, but as of March 1, 2023, thru hikers will have to pay $40.
Thru hikers are hard on the Smokies with thousands of backpackers packing into shelters as they head to Maine. Unfortunately, thru hikers (and all backpackers in general) don’t always practice Leave No Trace ethics and do not always respect amenities such as shelters, bear cables, or privies in the GSMNP. I do not think the increased permit price was issued to punish these unruly hikers, but as a way to compensate for the increase in resources being used when the thru hikers roll through this area. As a former thru hiker, it breaks my heart to see fellow hikers not being good stewards of our public lands, and I understand that the money from these permits goes directly back into the Park.
For more information about visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or about the Park it Forward fee changes, you can check out the Fees & Passes page on the National Parks Service website. There you can watch a video from Cassius Cash, Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, view the full list of updated parking, backcountry, and fountcountry fees, and read helpful Frequently Asked Questions.
I am glad that my first Conservation on Tap at Albright Grove Brewing Company was such an informative experience. I think it is a great way to discuss topics that affect the area that so many of us love and strive to protect. Being able to have these conversations while drinking a beer is just icing on the cake. I can’t wait to see what topics are discussed at the next Conservation on Tap!
