Great Smoky Mountains Association to fund visitor centers during government shutdown

Costs covered by the association include visitor center staffing, restroom cleaning and trash hauling.

By ClarksvilleNow.com December 22, 2018 6:48 am

Clarksville NowNational Park Service

GATLINBURG, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The Great Smoky Mountains Association announced it will keep keeping the national park’s visitor centers open during the federal government shutdown that began at midnight Friday.

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“We know many people plan a trip to the Smokies during the holidays. Businesses in the surrounding communities also depend on visitors to stay in their hotels and eat at their restaurants,” GSMA CEO Laurel Rematore said Friday.

As the potential for a government shutdown grew began last week, Rematore began planning to temporarily staff in-park visitor centers independent of federal funds, thus ensuring the Smokies would remain available to visitors over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Costs covered by the association include visitor center staffing, restroom cleaning and trash hauling through sundown on Tuesday, January 1, 2019.

GSMA provides staffing for the park’s visitor center stores through an agreement with the National Park Service.