Visitation Jumps in April at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Published Date

May 24, 2009

Whether it was the weather, the scenery, or just the need to get out, visitors flocked to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in April. NPS photo of Ramsey Cascades.

Perhaps the weather was nicer than usual, maybe it was because Easter showed up in April, but whatever the reason visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park was up by double-digits in April.

According to the National Park Service, April visitation to Great Smoky was up 22.6 percent over April 2008. That brings the park's year-to-date up by 5.7 percent over last year for the same period.

All main entrance counters were up: Cherokee up 5.7 percent, Townsend 4.0 percent, and Gatlinburg +1.6 percent. Outlying areas reported nearly a 13 percent jump in visitors.

The boost in tourism was particularly notable because in March the park's visitaton was down by about 6 percent from 2008 levels. Now the trick will be to see if this is the beginning of a trend, or just an anomaly.

Visiting the Parks

Add comment

form.antibot { display: none !important; } You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks