As the golden hues of autumn swept across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in early October 2025, a federal government shutdown threatened to bring the bustling tourism season to a grinding halt. Instead, an unprecedented coalition of local governments, tribal leaders, nonprofit organizations, and state officials stepped up, ensuring the park’s gates stayed open for millions of eager visitors—and for the lifeblood of the region’s economy.
According to The Center Square, the shutdown initially forced the closure of popular park sites such as the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Chimneys Picnic Area, and the scenic Cades Cove Loop Road. But by 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, the park was fully reopened, thanks to a daily infusion of $61,703.18 from a partnership that included Sevier County, the cities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Pittman Center, Blount County, Cocke County, the state of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Friends of the Smokies, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
This group signed an agreement with the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior, keeping all aspects of the park running at full capacity. The timing was critical: the fall foliage season is the region’s busiest, drawing visitors from across the country. In 2024 alone, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park welcomed 12.2 million visitors, who poured more than $2.8 billion into local economies, according to figures cited by Asheville Citizen Times and The Center Square.
Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters didn’t mince words in the official release: “It is disappointing that the federal government has once again failed to prevent a shutdown that puts our national parks and communities at risk. Thankfully, our state and local partners have stepped up once again to ensure the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains open. The park is a vital part of our regional economy, and closing it during peak fall season is simply not an option.”
Initially, the funding arrangement was set to keep the park open through Friday, October 10. But, as reported by WLOS, Sevier County signed an addendum with federal agencies on October 8, extending the agreement through Sunday, October 19. “The local and state partners are committed to working together to keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park open through the end of October, while closely monitoring developments on the federal level regarding the status of the government shutdown,” Sevier County officials stated.
Friends of the Smokies, a nonprofit funded by donations and specialty license plates, played a crucial role in the rescue plan. As President and CEO Dana Soehn explained in a news release, “Importantly, this funding ensures that staff are on duty for servicing restrooms, responding to visitors in need, and providing essential services to protect wildlife during this peak visitor season.”
But the story of the park’s rescue wasn’t just about money—it was about community resolve. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) added a unique and vital layer to the effort. On October 7, the EBCI tribal council unanimously approved an emergency resolution to fund maintenance of U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road, the main artery connecting Cherokee, North Carolina, to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This route links the Sugarlands Visitor Center in Tennessee with the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee and provides access to the Appalachian Trail and Kuwohi, a mountain of immense cultural significance to the Cherokee people.
Principal Chief Michell Hicks, who introduced the resolution, said during the council meeting, “I think this is definitely relevant and necessary.” The council’s decision allowed the allocation of tribal funds to pay workers and contract for emergency maintenance, with a provision to seek reimbursement from the federal government. “Anything we can do to make sure this road is maintained and remains open, I think is critical to all of us,” Hicks added.
For many local businesses, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. As NPR reported, Sevier County Vice Mayor Bryan McCarter emphasized, “If that place is not open, yeah, there are still things here for people to do. But the perception amongst a lot of folks is, well, then Sevier County must be closed. And so we have to make sure that that opens to drive that economy.”
The cost of keeping the park open was steep—roughly $85,000 per day, according to both Asheville Citizen Times and Knox News. The funding covered the salaries of most of the park’s 275 full-time employees, as well as essential maintenance and visitor services. The Park It Forward parking tag program also contributed revenue, helping to offset expenses.
Tourists, undeterred by the shutdown or even rainy weather, returned in droves. On October 7, trailhead parking lots filled quickly, with visitors sometimes resorting to parking along the roadside. Lookout points bustled with both locals and out-of-towners, eager to catch the Smokies’ autumn spectacle. Barbara Tuley, a frequent visitor from Indiana, said she was “very concerned” about her trip when she learned the park might close. She came anyway, a testament to the park’s magnetic pull.
Yet, not everyone was entirely reassured. Retired park ranger and longtime tour guide Warren Bielenberg voiced concerns about the message sent by partial park openings during shutdowns. “If they’re having a government shutdown, they should close the whole park,” he told Knox News. “The last shutdown, there was a lot of resource damage and other things that occurred because there was very limited staff, but the park was open, and thousands of people come in every day.” He warned that such situations could lead to the so-called “Washington Monument Syndrome,” where the effects of a shutdown ripple far beyond the capital, impacting federal employees and resources nationwide.
Despite the worries, local business owners remained optimistic. Byron Stanga, who owns eight storefronts in Gatlinburg, reflected, “Anybody can do this. This is all manmade Gatlinburg. But we cannot do what the park has. That’s what makes Gatlinburg so special. It’s the gateway.” Stanga believed that only a significant, long-term disruption to the park would truly hurt the town’s tourism.
The collaborative effort to keep the Smokies open wasn’t unique to this park. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, for example, funded the operation of several visitor centers for a week during the shutdown, showing how communities across the region rallied to protect their natural treasures and economies.
As the shutdown dragged on, the coalition’s leaders made it clear that their support was a stopgap measure, not a permanent solution. They hoped for federal action to restore normal funding and, as the EBCI did, sought reimbursement for the emergency expenditures. In the meantime, their collective determination ensured that the Smokies remained, as always, a place to put a big smile on your face—even in uncertain times.
