Great Smoky Mountains National Park Permit Guide 2026

Last-minute friendly

Tennessee · North Carolina · No dogs in the backcountry

By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger

Last updated

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, straddling Tennessee and North Carolina, is the most-visited national park in the country, with misty ridges, old-growth forest, and a long stretch of the Appalachian Trail. A backcountry permit reserves a specific numbered campsite or AT shelter for each night of your itinerary. Popular shelters and campsites along the AT crest can be competitive, so plan around the short booking window.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park issues its wilderness permits through recreation.gov, and popular passes sell out ahead of the season. First-come-first-served with the shortest window of any park here: each entry date's campsite/shelter quota opens just 1 month ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Permits are itinerary-based - every night books a specific numbered campsite or AT shelter. Permit Ranger watches every pass here and alerts you the moment a sold-out date opens.

When permits are released

First-come-first-served with the shortest window of any park here: each entry date's campsite/shelter quota opens just 1 month ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Permits are itinerary-based - every night books a specific numbered campsite or AT shelter.

Fees

  • Reservation: $6 per reservation (non-refundable)
  • Per person, per night: $8 per person per night

How to get a Great Smoky Mountains National Park permit

  1. Plan your route and choose which numbered backcountry campsites or Appalachian Trail shelters you want for each night of your trip.
  2. Reservations are first-come-first-served with the shortest window of any park here: each entry date's quota opens just 1 month ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific on a rolling window, with no lottery and no later drop.
  3. Book on recreation.gov the morning your dates open, since popular AT shelters and campsites can fill quickly. Every night of the itinerary books a specific site.
  4. If your dates are sold out, keep watching - cancellations return quota to inventory. Permit Ranger can alert you the moment a sold-out Smokies site reopens.

Notable trails

Many campsites and shelters are destinations reached via the park's classic trails and the Appalachian Trail. A few notable routes to the permitted sites:

Top passes in this area

The most in-demand Great Smoky Mountains National Park entry points, each with its own detail page.

Frequently asked questions

When do Great Smoky Mountains National Park permits open?

First-come-first-served with the shortest window of any park here: each entry date's campsite/shelter quota opens just 1 month ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Permits are itinerary-based - every night books a specific numbered campsite or AT shelter. Exact on-sale details are on the recreation.gov permit page.

What if my dates are sold out?

Cancellations open up all season. Watch the passes you want on Permit Ranger and you get an instant alert when a date you need becomes bookable.

Does Permit Ranger book the permit for me?

No. Permit Ranger alerts you the moment a watched date opens, with a direct booking link, but the booking is always yours to make on recreation.gov.

Last-minute & walk-up friendly permits

Plan ahead

Sold-out dates reopen all the time from cancellations and quota drops. Permit Ranger checks recreation.gov around the clock and alerts you the moment your dates open. It never books for you.

Browse Great Smoky Mountains National Park passes · Book on recreation.gov