Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced a plan Wednesday to start charging parking fees along with higher rates for campsites, day-use cabin rentals and picnic pavilions starting next year.
Visits to the park have increased 57% over the past decade to a record 14.1 million last year and have taken a toll on facilities, the park said in a news release. Additional revenue from the changes would allow the park to address renovations along with law enforcement staffing challenges and services including trail maintenance and trash removal.
