GATLINBURG — The nonprofit Friends of the Smokies continues to provide funding to keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park fully open and operational through Nov. 2, 2025. This latest round of funding with a partnership of state and local entities follows two previous payments that reopened the park Oct. 4 and then extended the opening through Oct. 19.
This continued funding effort is supported by 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, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Friends of the Smokies.
Friends of the Smokies is among several partners that have provided support to fully open the park during the shutdown, including the state of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Sevier County, Blount County, Cocke County, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville.
Friends of the Smokies is a nonprofit partner of the national park funded by generous donations and specialty license plates. It funds projects, programs, equipment, and staffing the national park cannot afford with its normal annual budget.
A newly signed addendum extends the funding for an additional ten-day period, ensuring that Great Smoky Mountains National Park will remain open and fully operational through Sunday, October 19.
The local and state partners are committed to working together to keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park open through the end of October, while closely monitoring developments on the federal level regarding the status of the government shutdown.
This agreement ensures that Great Smoky Mountains National Park will continue to welcome visitors with all facilities, roadways, visitor centers, restrooms, campgrounds, and trails operating as normal.
The original story continues below:
GATLINBURG — The nonprofit Friends of the Smokies will help pay to fully reopen Great Smoky Mountains National Park for one week during the ongoing federal government shutdown. The park will be fully open and operational from Saturday, Oct. 4, through Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.
Closures have been in effect since the start of the shutdown Oct. 1 for Cades Cove Loop Road, visitor centers at Sugarlands and Cades Cove, and picnic areas at Chimneys and Cades Cove. All will reopen Saturday.
Friends of the Smokies joins the State of Tennessee, Sevier County, Blount County, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville to fund the resumption of full operations by park staff.
The partnership helps ensure the national park is fully operational during a critical tourism season for gateway communities — for one week.
"Importantly, this funding ensures that staff are on duty for servicing restrooms, responding to visitors in need, and providing essential services to protect wildlife during this peak visitor season," said Dana Soehn, President and CEO of Friends of the Smokies.
The State of Tennessee has agreed to provide $80,000 with all other entities contributing more than $45,500 each for the week. Some of the costs of operating the park are also offset by recreations fees from parking tags and campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Friends of the Smokies is a nonprofit partner of the national park, not a government agency. Friends pays for projects, programs, equipment, and staffing the national park cannot afford with its normal annual budget. We couldn't do it without your help.
Until the park fully reopens Saturday, the aforementioned closures remain in effect. Most roads, trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and restrooms are accessible. There are welcome and visitor centers open at Oconaluftee, Kuwohi, Swain County, Gatlinburg, and Townsend.
Check the park's Current Conditions page for the latest closures.
A full news release from Sevier County government continues below.
SEVIERVILLE — Great Smoky Mountains National Park will resume full operations beginning Saturday morning, Oct. 4, despite the federal government shutdown. This effort is made possible through a partnership among local and state governments, as well as 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, the 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.
“It is disappointing that the federal government has once again failed to prevent a shutdown that puts our national parks and communities at risk,” said Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters. “Thankfully, our state and local partners have stepped up once again to ensure the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains open. The park is a vital part of our regional economy, and closing it during peak fall season is simply not an option. We are proud to welcome the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will come to enjoy the Smokies in the weeks ahead.”
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains the most visited national park in the United States. A recent National Park Service report shows that in 2024, the park welcomed approximately 12.2 million visitors who spent more than $2 billion in communities near the park. That spending supported thousands of jobs in gateway areas and provided a cumulative benefit of more than $2.8 billion to the local economy.
Visitors who have planned trips to the Smokies this fall, as well as those considering a visit, are encouraged to come and enjoy the beauty of the season. Fall in the Smokies is one of the most popular times of the year, and the park and surrounding communities look forward to welcoming guests from across the country.
Sevier County and the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Pittman Center extend special thanks to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger, State Senators Jessie Seal and Steve Southerland, State Representatives Andrew Farmer and Fred Atchley, and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell for their leadership and advocacy at the state and federal levels. Additionally, a special thank you to Great Smoky Mountains National Park leadership for their hard work and coordination throughout this process.