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Proposed Backcountry Fee At Great Smoky Mountains National Park Would Be A ...

"Do you have a reservation?"

That question for some time has been asked of backcountry users in Great Smoky Mountains National Park , but in the future you might have to hand over some money to be able to answer affirmatively.

While the park long has required overnight backcountry users to have a free permit, and required reservations for all shelters and some backcountry campsites, it has not charged backpackers for those permits or reservations.

That could change under a proposal currently open for public comment. And if a charge for overnight backcountry stays is levied, it would create the first area along the 2,180-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail where thru-hikers, who have to traverse nearly 72 miles of the park, would have to pay to lay down for the night.

Though most of this year's legions of thru-hikers currently are somewhere out in the woods on the A.T. and likely not aware of the proposal, officials at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are reviewing it and plan to meet soon with park officials to discuss its ramifications.

The desire to start charging backcountry users in Great Smoky stems, in part, from a lack of park personnel, which has led to the park's Backcountry Information Center being open just three hours a day, and thus its phone line often is busy or unstaffed, park officials note.

Melissa Cobern, the park's backcountry management specialist, said this past week that part of the intent is to make it easier, through an on-line reservation system, for backpackers to reserve a spot in the park. With an on-line system, she said, the few rangers currently on hand to handle backcountry reservations would have more time to help backpackers who have more questions about the park and its backcountry.

Additionally, a reservation system would enable the park to better manage shelter use, said Ranger Cobern.

“A lot of times people will get to backcountry sites, particularly the ones that aren’t reservation only, and they’re significantly overcrowded," she said. In those situations, backpackers often will simply pitch a tent nearby instead of heading down the trail in search of a shelter with room; that results in resource damage, the ranger said.

As for Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, she said whether to charge them is a question still being explored. “We’re hoping that if people have ideas, that they share them," said Ranger Cobern.

Park officials have not settled on a specific fee, but have noted that some other parks, such as Glacier National Park, charge as much as $30 to make a reservation, plus a per-person daily fee. Dollar-figures currently being mentioned at Great Smoky range from $10 per reservation, plus $5 per person, down to simply $4 per person per night, the ranger said.

Proposed Backcountry Fee At Great Smoky Mountains National Park ...

"Do you have a reservation?"

That question for some time has been asked of backcountry users in Great Smoky Mountains National Park , but in the future you might have to hand over some money to be able to answer affirmatively.

While the park long has required overnight backcountry users to have a free permit, and required reservations for all shelters and some backcountry campsites, it has not charged backpackers for those permits or reservations.

That could change under a proposal currently open for public comment. And if a charge for overnight backcountry stays is levied, it would create the first area along the 2,180-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail where thru-hikers, who have to traverse nearly 72 miles of the park, would have to pay to lay down for the night.

Though most of this year's legions of thru-hikers currently are somewhere out in the woods on the A.T. and likely not aware of the proposal, officials at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are reviewing it and plan to meet soon with park officials to discuss its ramifications.

The desire to start charging backcountry users in Great Smoky stems, in part, from a lack of park personnel, which has led to the park's Backcountry Information Center being open just three hours a day, and thus its phone line often is busy or unstaffed, park officials note.

Melissa Cobern, the park's backcountry management specialist, said this past week that part of the intent is to make it easier, through an on-line reservation system, for backpackers to reserve a spot in the park. With an on-line system, she said, the few rangers currently on hand to handle backcountry reservations would have more time to help backpackers who have more questions about the park and its backcountry.

Additionally, a reservation system would enable the park to better manage shelter use, said Ranger Cobern.

“A lot of times people will get to backcountry sites, particularly the ones that aren’t reservation only, and they’re significantly overcrowded," she said. In those situations, backpackers often will simply pitch a tent nearby instead of heading down the trail in search of a shelter with room; that results in resource damage, the ranger said.

As for Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, she said whether to charge them is a question still being explored. “We’re hoping that if people have ideas, that they share them," said Ranger Cobern.

Park officials have not settled on a specific fee, but have noted that some other parks, such as Glacier National Park, charge as much as $30 to make a reservation, plus a per-person daily fee. Dollar-figures currently being mentioned at Great Smoky range from $10 per reservation, plus $5 per person, down to simply $4 per person per night, the ranger said.

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