Though most locals now support the national park, you can still sense the resentment rippling under the surface in some of the families who were displaced. In a lengthy (and often painful) process, the land was purchased piece by piece to create the park. Great Smoky Mountains was our first national park created entirely from private land. The only way to change it would be through an act of the Tennessee legislature, and that isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. ![]() ![]() The federal government rebuilt the road in the 1930s, with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps, but the original agreement stands. State legislators were likely concerned that fees added to the park would limit interstate traffic along this thoroughfare. When the states deeded the land to the federal government, Tennessee added the restriction that “no toll or license fee” would ever be implemented. Before the park was established, the states of Tennesee and North Carolina built the road in order to connect the towns of Gatlinburg and Cherokee. Newfound Gap Road is one of the main roadways through the park. Why is Great Smoky Mountains National Park free? ![]() Would it surprise you to learn that our most visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains, doesn’t charge an entrance fee? In an era where our national parks are struggling with a maintenance backlog and insufficient funding, this can seem crazy. Many of us shell out the money (or buy an annual pass) happily, knowing the funds help care for the places we love. It can cost $35 per vehicle to visit many of our national parks, including some of the crown jewels like Grand Canyon, Zion and Yellowstone.
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