Is there an entrance fee for Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

No. NPS lists the park as fee-free with no entrance fee. NPS does note that vehicles parked longer than 15 minutes need a parking tag.

What is the busiest month at Great Smoky Mountains?

In 2025 the busiest month was October with 1,561,683 recreation visits. January was the quietest with 276,999.

Are dogs allowed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

NPS lists pets as permitted on some activities, such as the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee River Trail. In places open to pets, they need a leash of six feet or less, or a crate or cage.

How many campgrounds are in Great Smoky Mountains?

NPS and Recreation.gov list 30 campgrounds. NPS lists nightly fees of $26 to $53 for individual sites.

Are the roads open all year?

NPS says primary roads like Newfound Gap Road are open 24 hours a day year-round, weather permitting. Secondary roads close for part of the year.

All parks › Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: fees, hours, camping and when to visit

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on National Park Service data. Published by Humblebee.

Entrance fee: None^[1]
Busiest month (2025): October^[2]
Recreation visits, 2025: 11,527,939^[3]
Campgrounds: 30^[4]

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a national park in North Carolina and Tennessee^[5]. NPS lists it as fee-free with no entrance fee^[1], but a parking tag is needed for any vehicle left parked over 15 minutes^[6].

Entrance fees and passes

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for Great Smoky Mountains National Park^[1]. Some tours, campgrounds or permits inside a park can still have their own fees.

When to visit and hours

NPS says the primary roads stay open 24 hours a day all year when weather allows^[7]. These include Laurel Creek Road, Little River Road and Newfound Gap Road (US-441)^[7]. Secondary roads close for part of the year^[7]. In 2025 the busiest month was October with 1,561,683 recreation visits, and the quietest was January with 276,999^[2]. NPS notes that temperatures can differ by 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit between the base and the top of the mountains^[8]. Clear weather in the valleys does not mean the high areas will be clear too, so plan for changing conditions^[8].

Recreation visits counted by the National Park Service in each month of 2025. The busiest month, October, is highlighted^[2].

Show visits by month

Month, 2025	Recreation visits
January	276,999
February	409,449
March	845,724
April	986,442
May	1,114,160
June	1,336,144
July	1,435,337
August	998,056
September	981,366
October	1,561,683
November	867,677
December	714,902

Show visits by year

Year	Recreation visits
2021^[3]	14,161,548
2022^[3]	12,937,633
2023^[3]	13,297,647
2024^[3]	12,191,834
2025^[3]	11,527,939

Camping

NPS and Recreation.gov list 30 campgrounds in the park^[4]. The largest is Elkmont Campground with 217 sites, followed by Cades Cove Campground with 164 sites^[4]. Nightly fees for individual sites listed by NPS run from $26 to $53^[4]. The list also includes horse camps such as Cataloochee Horse Camp and a group camp at Elkmont^[4].

Elkmont Campground, 217 sites^[4]
Cades Cove Campground, 164 sites
Cosby Campground, 157 sites
Smokemont Campground, 142 sites
Deep Creek Campground, 92 sites
Look Rock Campground, 69 sites
Balsam Mountain Campground, 43 sites
Balsam Mountain Campground, 43 sites
Cataloochee Campground, 27 sites
Abram's Creek Campground, 16 sites
Big Creek Campground, 12 sites
Cataloochee Horse Camp, 7 sites
Round Bottom Horse Camp, 5 sites
Big Creek Horse Camp, 5 sites
Elkmont Group Camp, 4 sites
Cades Cove Group, 4 sites
Cataloochee Group Camp, 3 sites
Cosby Group Camp, 3 sites
Smokemont Group Camp, 3 sites
Deep Creek Group Camp, 3 sites
Tow String Horse Camp, 3 sites
Anthony Creek Horse Camp, 3 sites
Deep Creek Picnic Pavilion, 2 sites
Cosby Picnic Pavilion, 2 sites
Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion, 2 sites
Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion, 2 sites
Collins Creek Picnic Pavilion, 2 sites
Big Creek Group Camp, 1 sites
Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion, 1 sites
Appalachian Clubhouse, 1 sites

Pets and dogs

Under the national rule, pets must be on a leash of six feet or less, or crated or caged, wherever they are allowed^[9]. Pets are barred from public buildings, park transit and designated beaches for swimming, with an exception for service animals^[9]. NPS lists pets as permitted on some things to do here, including the Gatlinburg Trail, the Oconaluftee River Trail and drives on the Foothills Parkway^[10].

Before you go

There is no entrance fee, according to NPS^[1].
Plan for a parking tag if your vehicle will stay parked more than 15 minutes^[6].
NPS lists 4 visitor centers, including Sugarlands and Oconaluftee^[11].
Secondary roads close seasonally, so check road status before you drive^[7].
Fees and hours change, so confirm details on the official NPS park page before your trip.

Questions people ask

Is there an entrance fee for Great Smoky Mountains National Park?: No. NPS lists the park as fee-free with no entrance fee^[1]. NPS does note that vehicles parked longer than 15 minutes need a parking tag^[6].
What is the busiest month at Great Smoky Mountains?: In 2025 the busiest month was October with 1,561,683 recreation visits^[2]. January was the quietest with 276,999^[2].
Are dogs allowed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?: NPS lists pets as permitted on some activities, such as the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee River Trail^[10]. In places open to pets, they need a leash of six feet or less, or a crate or cage^[9].
How many campgrounds are in Great Smoky Mountains?: NPS and Recreation.gov list 30 campgrounds^[4]. NPS lists nightly fees of $26 to $53 for individual sites^[4].
Are the roads open all year?: NPS says primary roads like Newfound Gap Road are open 24 hours a day year-round, weather permitting^[7]. Secondary roads close for part of the year^[7].

Facts and sources

NPS lists Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a fee-free park: there is no entrance fee. National Park Service
NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 14,161,548, 2022: 12,937,633, 2023: 13,297,647, 2024: 12,191,834, 2025: 11,527,939. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
Campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (list on this page). National Park Service
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Park) in North Carolina and Tennessee. National Park Service
Parking or transportation fee note from NPS: Parking tags are required for all vehicles parking for longer than 15 minutes. National Park Service
Operating hours, Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Primary roads are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round, weather permitting. This includes Newfound Gap Road (US-441), Little River Road, and Laurel Creek Road. Secondary roads are closed... National Park Service
NPS weather and seasons overview for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. National Park Service
National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
NPS lists 45 things to do at Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Hike to Abrams Falls, Hike the Gatlinburg Trail, Hike to Chimney Tops Overlook, Hike to Mount Le Conte on Bullhead Trail, Hike Smokemont Nature Trail, Hike Bradley Fork Trail, Hike to... National Park Service
Visitor centers listed by NPS: 4 (Sugarlands Visitor Center, Cades Cove Visitor Center, Kuwohi Visitor Center, Oconaluftee Visitor Center). National Park Service

Fees and hours are what NPS lists in its data at the snapshot date. They change: tell readers to confirm on the official park page before a trip. Visits are NPS recreation visits (counted entries, not unique people). Use them only for this park's own months and years, never to rank parks. Campground list and site counts come from NPS and Recreation.gov records. Count fields can differ slightly between the two. The pet rule is the national baseline (36 CFR 2.15). The park may close more areas to pets. Do not claim specific trails allow dogs unless a fact says so.