Great Smoky Mountains National Park · caps RVs at 35 ft

The most-visited national park in the country implemented a parking-tag system in 2023 ($5/day, $15/week, $40/year) — separate from any campground booking and required for any vehicle parked anywhere in the park for more than 15 minutes. Cades Cove Campground (Tennessee side) and Smokemont (North Carolina side) accept rigs up to 35 ft and run year-round; Elkmont, Cosby, and Deep Creek follow March through October with similar caps. Dry-camp only across all loops. Dump stations at Cades Cove and Smokemont. Newfound Gap Road handles 35-ft rigs the full length; the Cades Cove Loop Road is one-way, narrow, slow, and routinely jammed by black bear sightings — plan 3+ hours for the 11-mile circuit at any rig length.

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