This Land, Your Land

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog reports today that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is considering a proposal to require reservations for all backcountry camping permits through the government's recreation.gov site.

Great Smokies camping permits, which are now free, could cost anywhere from $4 per person per night to $10 per reservation plus $5 per person, depending on which proposal is adopted, the proposal says.

Recreation.gov is the centralized reservation service for camping at U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Forest Service recreational areas.

The blog quotes a Backpacker magazine forum that publishes the proposal and a report by WBIR TV in Knoxville, Tenn., that confirms the existence of the proposal but provides very little information. It wasn't on the park's page or the NPS new release page at mid-morning today.

Moving Great Smokies backcountry camping permits to the recreation.gov system will speed the process of obtaining permits and free park staff to do other things, the proposal says. The online service is available 24 hours a day.

Comments on the proposal will be accepted until August 26 at grsmcomments@nps.gov or Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738.

Public hearings have been set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. August 16 at the park's Old Oconoluftee Visitor Center, and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. August 18 at the park headquarters lobby.