GSMNP Back In Full Operation

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is back in full operation, despite the federal government shutdown. In anticipation of the federal government shutdown, Cocke County, Sevier County, Blount County along with the cities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Pittman Center plus the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Friends of the Smokies, along with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, began working together on a plan to provide financial support to keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park fully operational in the event of a federal government shutdown. Once the shutdown commenced on Wednesday, October 1, the local and state partners began discussions with the U.S. Department of Interior and the National Park Service.

Those discussions led to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park reopening in full as of 12:01 Saturday morning (10/4). Places like Sugarlands Visitor Center, Chimneys Picnic Area, and Cades Cove Loop Road are all back open this morning. Per the terms of the agreement, local and state partners will fund $61,703.18 each day to ensure full operations of the national park. Additionally, the national park will fund remaining daily operational costs through recreation fee revenue, which includes revenue from campgrounds and parking tags.

A recent National Park Service report shows that in 2024, the park welcomed approximately 12.2 million visitors who spent more than $2 billion in communities near the park. That spending supported thousands of jobs in gateway areas and provided a cumulative benefit of more than $2.8 billion to the local economy. Also October is the busiest month for the smokies.