Supporting Great Smoky Mountains
National Park since 1953

Photo courtesy of Paul Driessche

The latest from Smokies LIVE

Visitors use automated fee machines to pay for parking. Photo provided by Emma Oxford.

Park puts first year of parking tag proceeds to work

More than a year has passed since Great Smoky Mountains National Park launched its parking tag program March 1, 2023, and the park is spending the more than $12 million raised since then—by the parking tags and higher camping and backpacking fees approved at the same time—to significantly improve the

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Great Smokies

Welcome Center

Hours of Operation

(subject to change)

Open year round (closed December 25)


January - February

Open Daily 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

March - November

Open Daily 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
December

Open Daily 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

The Great Smokies Welcome Center is located on U.S. 321 in Townsend, TN, 2 miles from the west entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can get information about things to see and do in and around the national park and shop from a wide selection of books, gifts, and other Smokies merchandise. Daily, weekly, and annual parking tags for the national park are also available.

Physical Address

7929 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway Townsend TN 37882

Contact

865.436.7318 Ext 320