Membership FAQs

You can find Park Keeper benefits and levels here.

If you renew in person at one of the visitor centers, you will be given membership card(s), parking tag and free member-exclusive gift immediately. If you renew by mail, by phone or online, your membership card(s) will be mailed along with a voucher for the parking tag and a free gift which can be redeemed at one of the visitor centers during your next visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Please be aware that the process for mailing membership cards and vouchers can take up to 6 weeks. If you are planning to visit soon and will need your membership cards and parking tag for that visit, please call (865) 436-7318 ext 257 or 349 to renew and inform the associate of your upcoming travel plans.

A portion of your annual dues in the Park Keeper membership program are tax deductible. The tax-deductible portion of your Park Keeper dues is $15. The tax-deductible portion of your Park Keeper Plus dues is $35. And the tax-deductible portion of your Park Keeper Premium dues are $115.

When you renew your membership, you can choose to make an additional gift to the Smokies Life Legacy Fund. There is a section on the renewal form where you can designate an additional donation.

No, your membership will remain active until its current expiration date. Your Get Rooted in the Smokies membership card is also still valid and will be accepted in all park visitor centers and Smokies Life stores until its current expiration date.

No. Your current membership will remain active until your expiration date, and the membership card will be honored at our visitor centers and online. We will contact you by email and/or mail when it is time to renew, provided we have current contact information for you.

We will contact you by email and/or mail before your membership expires, provided we have current contact information for you, and invite you to continue your support of the Smokies by joining our Park Keeper membership program.

Our Park Keeper program allows for the addition of a second family member living at the same address at no extra cost.

Members who live outside the US and want to renew or become a member of Smokies Life should review the Park Keeper membership program and choose the level that best suits their needs and desired giving level. Be aware that members who have an international address will receive a digital copy of Smokies Life Journal.

Lifetime, Hemlock and Hemlock Family memberships will be remain unchanged by the transition to Park Keeper. Those memberships will stay active, and members will continue to enjoy their benefits for life.

No. Lifetime, Hemlock, and Hemlock Family memberships will be honored for life. Furthermore, Dogwood members will be allowed to complete their payments and be upgraded to Hemlock or Hemlock Family, providing their memberships remain active and current until they have completed their five annual payments.

No. All Lifetime and Hemlock memberships are nontransferable.

Lifetime benefits will remain unchanged, so we will not take away benefits nor will we add new ones. This means that Lifetime members are not eligible for the annual parking tag benefit; however, their discount, subscriptions, and event invites remain in place as always.

Members are allowed only one membership per individual in our system, so members must choose which program works best for them. If you choose to join the Park Keeper program, you forfeit your Lifetime status and benefits.

No. If your Dogwood or Dogwood Family membership lapses or expires, you will be removed from the program and invited to join the Park Keeper membership program. We will do what we can to remain in touch with you about renewal dates through email and mail, but it is the member’s responsibility to maintain current contact information. If we do not have a current mailing address and/or email address, or if you have unsubscribed from email communications and you do not get your renewal notices, we are not responsible for lapsing and expiring memberships.

You can email anne@staging.smokieslife.org or charlene@staging.smokieslife.org or call 865.436.7318 or 888.898.9102, ext. 257 or 349, and we can assist you.

You can email anne@staging.smokieslife.org or charlene@staging.smokieslife.org or call 865.436.7318 or 888.898.9102, ext. 257 or 349, and we can assist you.

You can email anne@staging.smokieslife.org or charlene@staging.smokieslife.org or call 865.436.7318 or 888.898.9102, ext. 257 or 349, and we can assist you.

You can email us at membership@staging.smokieslife.org, anne@staging.smokieslife.org or charlene@staging.smokieslife.org or call 865.436.7318 or 888.898.9102, ext. 257 or 349, and we can assist you.