Great Smoky Mountains National Park has implemented a “pilot project” to charge visitors $14 to park near Laurel Falls, a popular waterfall near Gatlinburg.

The National Park Service says the “congestion management project” will operate through Oct. 3.

“During the pilot project, trailhead parking will be provided by reservation only and no parking will be permitted in undesignated areas along Little River Road,” NPS officials said in a news release. “Parking reservations, for two-hour time blocks, may be made online … for a fee of $14.” The project began in August.

“Vehicles parked along the roadside obstruct the flow of traffic and create blind-spots for motorists, while visitors walking to or from their vehicles in the lanes of traffic are at risk of being struck by passing vehicles,” park officials said. “Roadside parking also impacts adjacent habitats, damages road edges, and causes erosion.”

The idea for reservations and fees was suggested during a series of eight public workshops held virtually last fall to address “congestion and crowding in the park,” NPS officials said.