Great Smoky Mountains · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
The one major American park with no entrance fee — though parking now costs something.
Campgrounds and hiker hostels
Elkmont, Cades Cove and Smokemont take reservations; backcountry shelters on the Appalachian Trail cost a few dollars with a permit. Hiker hostels cluster around Hot Springs and Gatlinburg.
What a day costs
Around $40–70 a day, the cheapest of the big parks: campsite $25ish, groceries from Gatlinburg or Cherokee, and no entrance fee at any gate.
Park It Forward parking
Entry is free, but leaving a car parked over fifteen minutes needs a tag — roughly $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year, sold at visitor centres.
Getting around
The Gatlinburg trolley runs cheaply around town and, in season, up to Sugarlands. Beyond that a car is needed; Knoxville airport is about an hour out.
Free by day
The eleven-mile Cades Cove loop, Laurel Falls, the Mountain Farm Museum at Oconaluftee, and the view from Newfound Gap where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road.