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Great Smoky Mountains National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park is named for the misty 'smoke' that often hangs over the park.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Why No Entrance Fee?
 
The reasons for free entry to the national park date back at least to the 1930s. The land that is today Great Smoky Mountains National Park was once privately owned. The states of Tennessee and North Carolina, as well as local communities, paid to construct Newfound Gap Road (US-441). When the state of Tennessee transferred ownership of Newfound Gap Road to the federal government in 1936, it stipulated that “no toll or license fee shall ever be imposed…” to travel the road.

At that time, Newfound Gap Road was one of the major routes crossing the southern Appalachian Mountains. It’s likely the state was concerned with maintaining free, easy interstate transportation for its citizens. North Carolina transferred its roads through abandonment, so no restrictions were imposed.  

Action by the Tennessee legislature would be required to lift this deed restriction if Great Smoky Mountains National Park ever wished to charge an entrance fee.
Elk were reintroduced to the park in 2001.
Elk
Elk were reintroduced to the park in 2001.
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Auto touring
Auto Touring
Auto Touring is a popular way to explore the park.
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Fall leaf colors are most vivid at low to mid elevations.  

Did You Know?
About 100 native tree species make their home in Great Smoky Mountains National Park—more than in all of northern Europe. The park also contains one of the largest blocks of old-growth temperate deciduous forest in North America.

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Last Updated: July 09, 2006 at 09:51 EST