Situated on the Tennessee/North Carolina border within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingmans Dome draws many many visitors each year to the observation deck on its lofty peak. Sightseers flock to this attraction to take in the stunning views from the true top of Tennessee on the state’s eastern edge.

While the mountain’s height of 6,643 feet above sea level makes it the highest point in Tennessee, the pinnacle is very accessible for most tourists from the parking area, making it one of the more popular attractions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for good reason.

The trail leading from the Clingmans Dome parking area to its summit is steep, but it’s paved and only a half mile long.

That said, it’s no easy stroll to complete the high-traffic, half-mile asphalt trail—visitors must ascend over 300 feet in elevation within that walk of a short distance.

The National Park Service advises against wheelchairs on the steep pathway, though many park visitors do accomplish the journey while pushing youngsters in strollers (that is, pushing the stroller on the way up, clinging to it while leaning backwards to ensure it does not careen downhill uncontrollably on the way down).

Once at the top of the mountain, a circular concrete ramp leads to an even higher observation deck, which offers views 45 feet above the peak’s natural high point.

Up at this highest point, nature lovers can take in a 360-degree panoramic view of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, seeing for miles and miles in every direction. Even on many overcast days, the views of the sprawling forests, peaks and valleys impress many visitors.

At one time, a viewer atop Clingmans Dome could see points over 100 miles away on clear days; now, “unfortunately, air pollution often limits viewing distances to under 20 miles,” according to the National Park Service.

Still, at how many places can one see a 20-mile expanse of natural, undisturbed Appalachian beauty?

Take in a view of Fontana Lake, North Carolina, to the southwest and stunning hills scattered all over!

Clingmans Dome’s height of 6,643 feet makes it the third-highest point east of the Mississippi, with the twin peaks of North Carolina’s Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) and Mt. Craig (6,647 feet), near Asheville, just barely edging it out.

Besides the featured trail to the summit, multiple other trails can be accessed from the Clingmans Dome parking area, including the mighty Appalachian Trail itself. In fact, the site marks the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, as the famed trail running north-south along the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern U.S. crosses over Clingmans Dome along its journey from Georgia to Maine.

However, as one gentleman who just completed the walk up the Clingmans Dome Trail and back put it when faced with the prospect of entering another hiking trail, “I’m not walking up anything else! She told me it was a 13 percent grade,” gesturing towards his wife. “I work construction. It’s more like 35 percent.” [The slope may very well be a 35 percent grade in many places; the 13 percent grade of Clingmans Dome Trail is its average.]

Following the walk, or in preparation for it, multiple groups take advantage of the large parking lot near the base of the Clingmans Dome Trail and spread out for a picnic while looking upon the faraway forests and mountains.

As large as the parking lot is, the NPS advises that it can fill up during peak times. Additionally, Clingmans Dome Road is closed from December through April, and possibly during periods of inclement weather other times of the year, so plan accordingly.

Whether calling it a day after checking out the peak of Clingmans Dome, embarking on a months-long wilderness excursion on the Appalachian Trail, or adventuring a bit in the Smokies for some time and distance in between the two extremes, anyone interested in exploring Tennessee should, at some point, stand atop the state’s highest peak.

Clingmans Dome
From Highway 441 within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, find Clingmans Dome Road near Newfound Gap at the Tennessee/North Carolina border; follow Clingmans Dome Road for seven miles to the Clingmans Dome Parking Area

___

Top: Photo courtesy SuperAdventure / TripAdvisor