Karen Chávez

kchavez@gannett.com

The ever-growing parade of visitors into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along with an increasing maintenance backlog and stagnant budget, is leading to a plan to increase camping fees at the country's most popular national park.

Officials are proposing to increase fees up to 25 percent at front-country campgrounds and picnic pavilions. The public can comment through June 27 on the proposal, along with proposed changes to the management of three campgrounds by adding them to the national reservation system, Recreation.gov.

The park is also hosting open houses at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center Administration Building near Cherokee on June 20 and at Park Headquarters near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on June 23 where the public can drop by for more information about the proposal.

The park operates nine open campgrounds, seven group campgrounds and five horse campgrounds. It also maintains six picnic pavilions, which are available for reservation through Recreation.gov.

The fees, which now run between $14 and $23 a night, have not been increased since 2006 or earlier at any facility aside from Cataloochee Campground, which had an increase in camping fees in 2011, when it was added to the reservation system.

The plan does not affect backcountry campsites, said Jamie Sanders, park executive assistant. Fees for backcountry campsites of $4 per person per night went into effect in mid-February 2013.

"Our use is definitely increasing," Sanders said. "In 2014, total camper nights in the backcountry – 86,153 camper nights and 97,629 camper nights in 2015. For January-April, use is us up about 15 percent as compared to those months in 2015. We experience high use of our backcountry campsite and shelter network, and overall the response to functionality of the current system has been extremely positive."

Year to date, front-country camping at the park's nine campgrounds are up 24.5 percent and up 9.8 percent for April.

The increase in fees is aimed at addressing the rising costs of operations, reducing a backlog of maintenance requirements on park facilities and initiating needed improvements, Sanders said.

Great Smoky Mountains was the most visited national park in the country last year, drawing 10.7 million visitors. Unlike most large national parks, the Smokies does not charge an entrance fee.

“In recent years, the park has compensated for budget imbalances because of inflation by reducing visitor services, delaying maintenance repairs, and, in some cases, reducing the length of time facilities are open, which particularly affects visitors during the shoulder seasons,” Park Superintendent Cassius Cash said in a statement.

“While we recognize that fee increases are often unpopular, we are committed to maintaining this ‘crown jewel’ of the National Park Service where visitors can create lasting memories through camping and picnicking in the Smokies.”

The park is also proposing to add Abrams Creek, Balsam Mountain and Big Creek campgrounds to the National Recreation Reservation System. As proposed, all sites would require advanced reservation and payment before arrival in the park through Recreation.gov either online or by phone.

By placing these remote campgrounds on the reservation system, the park plans to reduce campground operation costs by eliminating the need for staff time for fee collection. The reservation system is also intended to provide a more efficient process for visitors to secure an overnight stay without traveling to the remote locations to check for vacancies.

By law, the park maintains 100 percent of the camping and pavilion fees to reinvest in facility maintenance, including routine maintenance and infrastructure improvements, and provide services that benefit park visitors. In 2015, park revenue from camping and pavilion fees totaled approximately $1.6 million.

The 25 percent proposed fee increase is expected to generate about $400,000. In recent years, recreation fee money has been used to support a variety of projects, including operating costs such as daily maintenance and utility costs along with rehabilitation projects such as the replacement of picnic tables and grills.

The National Park Service is a not-for-profit agency, and NPS policy maintains that fees for services like camping and pavilions are set so as not to create unfair competition with private sector facilities in the area or put them at a disadvantage.

The park completed a 2016 comparability study with campgrounds in the surrounding communities, and the study revealed that, while park camping fees in the park have remained largely constant since 2006, campgrounds in the surrounding communities have continued to rise. Even with a proposed 25 percent fee increase, park campgrounds would remain among the least expensive in the area.

The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Interagency Senior or Access Pass holders receive a 50 percent discount in camping fees for front-country individual and horse campsites. There is no plan to increase the price of these national passes, which is $10 for lifetime Senior Pass and the Access pass is free. Passes are available at Smokemont, Elkmont, and Cades Cove campgrounds and park visitor centers.

Following the comment period, feedback will be used to determine how or if a fee increase will be implemented.

Want to comment?

Public comments will be accepted May 26 through June 27, through the following venues:

Online: Via the National Park Service’s Planning, Environmental and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/grsm. Click on “Proposal to Increase Fees at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

Written comments will also be accepted by mail or e-mail addressed as follows:

Mail: Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Attn: Proposal to Increase Fees, 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

E-mail: GRSM_Fee_Management@nps.gov.

A document with details about the proposal may be found at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/grsm. Click on “Proposal to Increase Fees at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

The park will host two informational open houses where the general public, partners, cooperators, and stakeholder representatives are invited to drop by to learn more about the proposal and submit written comments.