Clingman’s Dome

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States, straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. Known for its stunning beauty, biodiversity, and rich cultural history, the park offers a vast array of natural wonders and outdoor activities. Clingman’s Dome is the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail and it sits on a ridge line at 6,643 feet in the Smokies and it marks the boundary between North Carolina and Tennessee. The “Dome” is also the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is capped with a round viewing platform where you can see in all directions in and beyond the park.

This short hike is a 1.4 mile loop that takes you up the paved path to the viewing platform from the Clingman’s Dome parking area. From the base of the platform, hike the Appalachian Trail southbound for 0.3 miles, then take the Clingman’s Dome bypass trail back to the parking area. The trees surrounding Clingman’s Dome are predominately fir trees that are normally found much further north in New England. The high elevation of the ridge and cool mountain air of the Smokies allows them to thrive in this area. Although an insect blight has killed a number of the trees over the last two decades – and you’ll quickly notice that on this hike.