My Thoughts on the “Park it Forward” Parking Tags
- Tenn-I-See
- Jan 14, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 15, 2023
What We Know
Beginning March 1, 2023, parking tags will be required to park in any designated parking spot in the Smokies. The tags must be displayed on the lower, passenger side of your windshield and failure to do so could result in a warning, citation, or your vehicle being towed.
Parking tags can be purchased onsite or online. There are three options:
- Daily - $5
- Weekly - $15
- Annual - $40
These prices are for all vehicle types and sizes. One tag will be good for one vehicle and must include a license plate number matching the vehicle it is displayed on. Tags will not be replaceable, refundable, transferable, or upgradeable.
Tags are not location-specific. Parking spots are not guaranteed.
Parking tags will not be required for vehicles passing through the area or that are parked for less than 15 minutes.
There is a lot more to this. I’ve barely scratched the surface. For more information on this, visit:
And
What’s the Purpose?
All revenue generated through these fees directly support operational costs for managing and improving services for visitors including trail maintenance, custodial services, trash removal, and supporting more staffing to increase the presence of personnel across the park.
My Thoughts
Being born and raised in East Tennessee, I visit the Smokies very often. I hike, visit historical sites, and sometimes just go for drives and find places to park and explore.
At first, the idea of now having to pay to park made me angry. Something that was always free to me now requires a paid parking tag?! I also saw this as government overreach. The Great Smoky Mountains belong to the people, but now I have to pay the government to visit? This is outrageous!
I was mad, but then I started to think more about it. I do visit a lot. I never had to pay. Most locations accepted donations, but let’s be real, not everyone donates, and sometimes the donations amount to a few cents found in the car cup holder.
It’s no secret the National Park Service is underfunded. While we have enjoyed our free parking, it’s important to remember that maintaining the park costs money. I can think of many times I’ve visited the Smokies and noticed restrooms either out of service or so nasty I didn’t want to step in there, trash lining the roads, roads in desperate need of repair, and historic sites closed off to visitors due to disrepair and/or lack of employees. These are just a few issues facing the Smokies today.
Paying for these tags will help fund the National Park Service to be able to address these issues and improve, not just our visits to the Smokies, but the lives of the animals and plants, which I’d argue is the most important aspect of our national parks. I believe we need to protect these parks at all costs, and if that cost is $40 a year, so be it. Being a local, the annual tag for $40 is the obvious choice.
Some won’t be happy about this, but remember why it’s being done. The preservation of the Smokies and improvements to the visitor experience is worth it! Our payments now, help to ensure future generations get to enjoy the beautiful Smoky Mountains! I know nowadays everything is more expensive, and having another fee, especially for something that was always free, isn’t going to be popular, but knowing that my children, grandchildren, and beyond, will not only get to enjoy the Smokies that I love, but maybe even a better, cleaner, healthier Smokies, makes me more than happy to pay for the tags and “Park it Forward”!
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