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Valid parking tags are required on any vehicles parking for longer than 15 minutes. Approved parking rates are $5 for a daily parking tag, $15 for a weekly parking tag, and $40 for an annual parking tag. All revenue stays in the park to provide sustainable, year-round support focusing on improving the visitor experience, protecting resources, and maintaining trails, roads, historic structures, and facilities. Visitors who simply drive through the park will not need a parking tag.
Park it Forward Messaging
Valid parking tags are required for any vehicles parking in the park.
Display of physical parking tags in each vehicle is required.
Three tag durations are available for purchase for all vehicle sizes and types:
Daily - $5
Weekly - $15
Annual - $40
Parking tags are not refundable, replaceable, transferable, or upgradable.
Each tag is valid for a single vehicle.
Parking tags are available for purchase both online and onsite.
Parking tags are required for motorists who pass through the area or who park for less than 15 minutes.
Parking tags are not location specific. A parking tag is required to park in any designated parking spot anywhere within park boundaries.
The annual parking tag is in the form of a cling that will be adhered to the vehicle’s windshield in the front, lower, passenger side.
The daily and weekly tags are paper and should also be displayed in the front, lower, passenger side of the dashboard.
Visit our Flickr album for graphics and logos. These are all in the public domain. They are various sizes and styles for social media, webpages, or print.
Daily ($5), weekly ($15), and annual ($40) parking tags are available for purchase at kiosks and visitor centers as well as online at recreation.gov or smokiesinformation.org. Each tag is valid for use in a single vehicle and must include a license plate number matching the vehicle in which it is displayed. Tags must be displayed physically in vehicles; digital representations will not be accepted. Parking tags do not guarantee a parking spot in a specific location or at a specific time.
By purchasing a parking tag, you’ll be helping to improve visitor services in the park and preserve the Smokies for generations to come. All revenue generated through the sales of parking tags stays in the Smokies to directly improve visitor experiences and help fund things like trail maintenance, custodial services, trash removal, historic cabin preservation, and staffing for increased ranger presence across the park.
Annual parking tags ($40) are available for purchase through Smokies Life in store (smokiesinformation.org/locations/) and online (smokiesinformation.org/shop/). Daily ($5) and weekly ($15) parking tags are available for sale via recreation.gov. Parking tags purchased on recreation.gov will be received via email and must be printed by the visitor and displayed in their vehicle. Annual parking tags purchased online via Great Smoky Mountains Association will be shipped right to your door! Please allow 2 weeks shipping time.
History of why the park does not charge an entrance fee.
Visit the fees & passes page for more information about parking tags.
A black header with white text, "Parking tags: Know before you go" and "Great Smoky Mountains National Park". The brown National Park Service arrowhead logo is at the top right. The rest of the page is filled with a blue background that fades into the silhouette of rolling Appalachian mountains and pine trees.
A white text box reads, “A valid parking tag must be displayed when parked for more than 15 minutes anywhere in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can purchase your tag online or in person.” A black silhouette graphic of the front of a car is right of the text box, with a white parking tag on the passenger side of the window circled in orange.
Black text on the light blue background lists guidelines:
"Three tag durations will be available for purchase for all vehicle sizes and types (Daily – $5, Weekly – $15, and Annual – $40).
Interagency passes (Senior Pass, Access Pass, etc.) are not accepted in lieu of parking tags.
Parking tags are not replaceable, refundable, transferable, or upgradeable.
Each tag is valid for a single vehicle and must include a license plate number matching the vehicle in which it is displayed.
Backcountry campers, picnic pavilion reservation holders, and concession customers are not exempt from the parking tag requirement.
Registered frontcountry campers do not need a parking tag to park at their campsite.
Visitors with a handicap license plate or placard do not need a parking tag.”
QR code is at the bottom of the poster with text to its right, “SCAN ME or visit go.nps.gov/GRSMfees for more information on fees.”
A black header with white text, "Where can I get a parking tag?" and "Great Smoky Mountains National Park". The brown National Park Service arrowhead logo is at the top right.
A dark blue text box with white text reads, “For the plan-ahead visitor. Not to worry—you can purchase all tag types online ahead of your visit.” Below the text is an illustration of a turtle.
Right of the blue box and turtle, black text on a white background says, “Annual tags can be purchased through Great Smoky Mountains Association at SmokiesInformation.org. The tag will be mailed to you, so leave at least 14 days for it to arrive before your planned visit. Daily and weekly tags can be purchased at recreation.gov. You will receive your tag via email. You must print your tag and display it in your vehicle; park staff will not print it for you, and digital representations will not be accepted. You must know the license plate number of the vehicle(s) you will be visiting in.”
Another dark blue text box with white text reads “For the spontaneous visitor. We’ve got you covered! Tags are for sale in-person and on-demand.” Below the text is an illustration of a rabbit.
Left of the blue box and rabbit, black text on a white background reads: “Automated fee machines (daily and weekly tags)". Year-round, 24 hours/day. Credit card only.” Below it, automated machine locations are listed with bullets.
“Cades Cove entrance parking area
Deep Creek parking area
Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area
Oconaluftee Visitor Center
Sugarlands Visitor Center
Newfound Gap overlook.
Black text below says, "Visitor Centers (daily, weekly, and annual tags). Be sure to check hours of operation.” Visitors centers are listed with bullets.
“Sugarlands Visitor Center
Oconaluftee Visitor Center
Cades Cove Visitor Center
Clingmans Dome Visitor Center
Gatlinburg Welcome Center
Swain County Visitor Center
Townsend Visitor Center.”
A white background with bold, green and brown capital text in two lines that says, "Park it Forward". "PARK" is green, and the 'A' has the National Park Service logo in it. "IT FORWARD" is brown.
At the bottom, thinner green text says, “Great Smoky Mountains National Park”.
