To help fund future park upgrades and maintenance, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will begin charging for parking passes and increasing camping fees in 2019.

According to the National Park Service, from March 1, 2023, phrazle visitors will be required to display a tag on any motor vehicle parked within the park's limits. The daily rate for a parking tag is $5, the weekly rate is $15, and the annual rate is $40.

The park has also announced a hike in its camping costs.

The price of a frontcountry family campground will increase by $6 to $30 for a rustic site and $36 for a site with electricity beginning in 2019. Presently, the average cost of a night spent camping in the front country is less than $27. Camping in the backcountry will cost you $8 each night, up to $40 per group.

Superintendent Cassius Cash said in a statement, "Today represents an important milestone in the history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and I'm delighted to be a part of it." "Having the chance to invest in the future maintenance of this precious park has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm from people all around the country, but especially from those living in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. While it's an honor to serve as America's most frequented national park, the constant stream of visitors has put a serious dent in our facilities. We now have the means to ensure that this holy site is preserved for future generations to enjoy."

However, the actual usage of park roads by automobiles who are only passing through or parking for less than 15 minutes will continue to be free of charge. The National Park Service has stated that all fee revenue would be used to enhance the visitor experience, safeguard park resources, and repair and preserve park infrastructure like trails, roads, and historic buildings.

According to the NPS, 14.1 million people visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2016 in its two states of residence, North Carolina and Tennessee. It was second only to the adjacent Blue Ridge Parkway in terms of visitors, which attracted 15.9 million. Also, the park has seen a 57% rise in attendance over the past decade.