SWAIN COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Swain County Commissioners aren’t pleased with parking fees recently implemented at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and they’re working to do something about it. Commissioners say residents should be exempt from paying for the Smokies’ parking tags. They say Swain County encompasses 43% of the park’s territory, with many families who had lived on that land before the park’s creation.
Now, commissioners passed a resolution opposing the parking tags for local residents. In a first for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starting March 1, a parking tag is required for anyone planning to park for 15 minutes or longer.
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