If you go to the Smokey Mountains and are in reasonably good health, this is a must do hike. Clingman's Dome was named for U.S. Senator and attorney, Thomas Lanier Clingman, from Asheville, North Carolina. Senator Clingman was removed from the senate after expressing his support for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He then joined the Confederate army as a Commander of the 25th Brigade of North Carolina. After the war Mr. Clingman surveyed the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee and promoted tourism to the area. This mountain was later named in his honor in recognition of his accurate surveys of the surrounding mountains formed from folded, fractured, and faulted Precambrian rocks.
The Cherokee name for Clingmans Dome was Kuwa'hi, meaning mulberry place. In the early 1800's, settlers to the area called the mountain Smokey Dome because of its round summit and because it was shrouded in clouds. At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. According to the National Park Service, it is the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. The dome is a temperate rain forest, receiving more than 85 inches of rain a year. This part of the Smokey Mountains is the site of the largest and most intact eastern spruce fir ecosystem remaining in the United States. It is one of the coolest parts of the park and it has never registered a temperature greater than 80 degrees. At the top of the mountain is a 45 foot tall observation tower built in 1954. It offers a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. On a clear day you can see as many as five states and a distance up tp 100 miles.
The Clingman's Dome Road is one of the highest mountain roads east of the Mississippi River. At the end of the road is a half mile long trail that takes you to the summit of Clingman's Dome. The vertical climb to the top was steep. I could do it but it wasn't easy. I saw people of all different physical fitness levels and even children doing the climb so I was determined to get to the top. There are benches where you can rest along the way. Once I got to the top, I was surprised to see the tower was very familiar to me. It turns out I had seen a version of Clingman's Dome before but much closer to home. Clingman's Dome was part of the Mission 66 program, which ran from 1955 to 1966, and which was responsible for the construction of hundreds of building and structures including nine towers. The Clingman's Dome tower was the model for two other later Mission 66 towers, Look Rock Tower in Great Smokey Mountains National Park and Shark Valley Tower in Everglades National Park. I have climbed the Shark Valley Tower many times and Clingman's Dome was like being on its twin although with a much different view.
Clingman's Dome is also famous for its hiking trails. The Mountain to Sea Trail which starts at Clingman's Dome and travels 835 throughout North Carolina and the Appalachian Trail cross over the top of the dome. As beautiful as Cingman's Dome is there is also an element of danger. In 2019 a man was killed when his car plunged off of the steep Clingman's Dome Road. In 2018 Mitzie Sue "Susan" Clements separated from her daughter who went on to climb to the top of Clingman's Dome. Clements was considered an experienced hiker but she failed to reappear at the parking lot. It took a week and 175 volunteers to find her body in heavy vegetation two miles west of the parking lot. Although Clingman's Dome is very busy with foot traffic, if you go off the trail it is very easy to become disorientated. It is actually very common for people to get lost at the top of Clingman's Dome where there are many trail intersections. If it is foggy, rainy, or dark you could miss a trail intersection and get off on the wrong trail. If you do get lost the best thing is to stay put on the trail until rescue. Try to hike with a buddy and always let someone know where you will be. You should always carry a map, your cellphone, and water. It is also good to check the weather conditions before you go. If you keep these simple precautions in mind you will have a wonderful hike in one of the most scenic parts of the Smokey Mountains. read more