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Acreage Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 522,427 acres (800 miles2), divided almost evenly between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. Visitation More than 12 million recreational visits in 2024. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is consistently the most visited national park in the country. You can access multiple reports about park visitation on the NPS Stats website. Economic Impact The park provides an economic hub generating over $2.2 billion in 2023 and supports 33,748 jobs in surrounding communities. You can explore park economic data at the NPS Visitor Spending Effects site. Annual Budget $21.56 million base budget in Fiscal Year 2024. $9 million recreation fee revenue in Fiscal Year 2024. Deferred Maintenance and Repair $254 million in Fiscal Year 2023. Annual Routine Maintenance $19.5 million in Fiscal Year 2023. Developed Campgrounds 10 campgrounds with a total of 1000 sites, recording more than 420,000 camper nights in Calendar Year 2024. Picnic Areas 11 picnic areas, totaling 1050 sites. Backcountry Campsites More than 100 sites, including shelters. More than 71,000 overnight visits in Calendar Year 2024. Trails 848 miles of trail (150 trails), including 74 miles of the Appalachian Trail run through the park. 1,500 trail signs 155 foot logs 60 trail bridges Roads 384 miles total —238 are paved and 146 are unpaved. 6 tunnels 146 scenic bridges 70 scenic overlooks 4,800 regulatory and wayfinding signs Buildings 342 structures are maintained in the park, including 123 historic structures. Water Systems 26 water systems Archival Records 900,000 archival records Cemeteries 146 family cemeteries with 4,847 gravestones Mountains Elevations in the park range from approximately 875 feet at the mouth of Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome. Sixteen mountains peaks exceed 6,000 feet in elevation. Vegetation 79 vegetation communities 8 major forest types cover 96% of the park’s area: Spruce-fir, Northern hardwood, Cove hardwood, Hemlock, Oak-hickory, Pine-oak, Montane alluvial, and Successional Species>22,000 species of life documented in the park 2,900 miles of streams Park Designations International Biosphere Reserve (designated October 26, 1976) and World Heritage Site (designated December 6, 1983). Personnel Approximately 275 permanent employees and 140 seasonal employees. Volunteers 1,524 volunteers donated more than 113,000 hours in Fiscal Year 2024. |
Last updated: April 2, 2025