The Golden Access passport may be obtained at any National Park Service entrance fee area. Proof of a medically determined disability and eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law is necessary at purchase. The Golden Access Passport will admit the passholder and any passengers in a private vehicle. Where entrance is not by vehicle, the pass will admit the passholder, spouse, children and parents. It does not cover special recreation permit fees or fees charged for concessions.
All passes described above are non-transferable.
Oconaluftee Visitor Center, near Cherokee, North Carolina, is also open year-round and its exhibits focus on mountain life of the late 1800s. Adjacent to the visitor center is the Mountain Farm Museum, a collection of historic farm buildings. There are about 170 miles of paved roads and more than 100 miles of gravel roads. The back roads offer a chance to escape traffic and enjoy the more remote areas of the park. A variety of lodging facilities are available in the outlying communities.