Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Permit and drone rules for the most-visited US national park, including the parking-tag rule that catches photographers out.
Guidance, not legal advice
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Great Smoky Mountains National Park film and photography office
Cost: No NPS permit for groups of 8 or fewer meeting the EXPLORE Act conditions; location and cost-recovery fees apply to permitted shoots
Processing: Plan ahead for permitted productions
Groups of eight or fewer using hand-carried gear in public areas, without exclusive use and without extra cost to the park, generally need no permit under the EXPLORE Act. A photography or filming permit does not exempt you from the park's parking-tag requirement for stopping your vehicle.
Drone / airspace
Effectively banned: launching, landing, or operating a drone within park boundaries is prohibited
NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 directs each superintendent to close the park to drone use under 36 CFR 1.5. For airspace, Part 107, and legal flying nearby, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes for personal and editorial photography throughout the park
Standard visitor photography is welcome.
Practical notes
- Every vehicle parked for more than 15 minutes needs a paid parking tag, separate from any photo permit.
- Cades Cove and Newfound Gap are the classic stops and are heavily trafficked at golden hour.
- Synchronous firefly viewing in early summer is managed by lottery access; plan around it.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: