(The Center Square) – A partnership will keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park operating at full capacity beginning Saturday morning, officials in Tennessee’s Sevier County said Friday.
The government shutdown led to the closure of popular park sites, including the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Chimneys Picnic Area and Cades Cove Loop Road.
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 and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians joined together to keep the park open, according to a Sevier County release. They will fund $61,703.18 each day, which will keep all aspects of the park open.
“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 in the release. “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.”
The National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and Sevier County signed the agreement to reopen all areas as of 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. The park is the most visited in the U.S., with 12.2 million visitors in 2024, according to the release.
The visitors added more than $2.8 billion to the local economy.
