CHEROKEE, N.C. (AP) — The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is considering charging for backcountry camping and hiring more rangers to manage what happens in the deep woods.

Park officials plan to hold open houses Tuesday in Cherokee and Thursday at the park's headquarters in Gatlinburg, Tenn., to discuss proposed changes in how it manages backcountry camping. The changes would include shifting to online reservations, charging a camping fee, and hiring more rangers, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported Monday (http://bit.ly/rkGzgV ).

The 500,000-acre national park on the North Carolina-Tennessee border is one of the country's most popular with more than nine million visitors last year and is one of the few that doesn't charge an entrance fee. The park requires those staying overnight in the 89 backcountry sites to get a permit, but the reservations office is open just three hours a day because of staffing shortages.

Campers complain that lack of oversight means people take campsites without reservations, leave garbage, and bring dogs that aren't allowed.

"I've seen a lot of abuse of the backcountry campsites. I've had a reservation and get to a campsite and it's full with people who didn't have reservations," said Cindy McJunkin of Candler, who camps in the Smokies at least once a month. "I've often wished that if they have rules, then they should have enough staff to make sure the rules are enforced. But if there's no entrance fee, why should there be an entry fee for backpackers?"

Visitors planning to stay in the park's 15 backcountry shelters and most popular campsites can only make a reservation by phone or in person.

"We hear from visitors that it's often difficult for them to get through on the phone. We realize it's a problem," said Melissa Cobern, the park's backcountry specialist.

Using a website already used for campground reservations by many state and national parks would allow campers a way to get through any time, she said.

The fee would allow the park to hire rangers dedicated to patrols that improve compliance with park regulations, curb plant and wildlife poaching, and respond more quickly to emergencies, Cobern said.

Smokies park staffers are open to public suggestions on what they feel is a reasonable backcountry fee, Cobern said. No fees are being considered for day hiking, she said.

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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com