10/03/2025
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park will resume full operations beginning Saturday morning, October 4, despite the federal government shutdown. This effort is made possible through a partnership among local and state governments, as well as the Friends of the Smokies and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
In anticipation of the federal government shutdown, Sevier County, the cities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Pittman Center, Blount County, Cocke County, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Friends of the Smokies, along with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, began working together on a plan to provide financial support to keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park fully operational in the event of a federal government shutdown. Once the shutdown commenced on Wednesday, October 1, the local and state partners began discussions with the U.S. Department of Interior and the National Park Service.
As of 12:01 AM on Saturday, October 4, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is fully open and operational, per an agreement with the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior, and Sevier County, Tennessee. Under the agreement, areas that were previously closed, such as Sugarlands Visitor Center, Chimneys Picnic Area, and Cades Cove Loop Road, Visitor Center, and Picnic Area, will be open and operational beginning Saturday morning. Importantly, this funding also ensures that staff are on duty to service restrooms, respond to visitors in need, and provide essential services to protect wildlife during this peak visitor season. Per the terms of the agreement, local and state partners will fund $61,703.18 each day to ensure full operations of the national park. Additionally, the national park will fund remaining daily operational costs through recreation fee revenue, which includes revenue from campgrounds and parking tags.
Full release: https://shorturl.at/n7UOK
