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Off Road Voyages, Inc.
1 review
Sevierville, TN
Category: Active Life
Clingmans Dome
Clingmans Dome Rd
Uninc Sevier County, TN 37738
Uninc Sevier County, TN 37738
3 reviews for Clingmans Dome
It usually harder to get to the top of a mountain than this, so the fact that you can make it to the proverbial Top of Old Smokey almost without getting out of your car has pros and cons.
To be clear: *almost* without getting out of your car. There's a half-mile hike to the top that's up a steep (but paved) incline, which I enjoyed, mostly because I had bailed out on the previous hike and this eased my conscience. The view is unbelievable. Fog has a tendency to encroach (which is why they call them the Great Smokey Mountains... I think), but even through the fog I could see mountains in every direction and even pick out a few notable peaks.
The only drawback is this godawful concrete monstrosity that's been built so that we can all get a good view of the mountains in every direction. It's this giant, sad, oppressive, Communist block looking tower that you climb to the top of via a giant, similarly sad-looking spiral walkway that one of my friends fittingly referred to as the Cuban On-ramp. I guess it was necessary to build something that raises people above the treeline to see the view, but I can't believe this is the best we could do. It's a total eyesore.
You can actually see the old rickety wooden tower that people used to climb for the same purpose... and really, apart from being moments away from falling down, it doesn't look that bad...
I was so disappointed when I went there that it was so foggy that we couldn't see anything from the observation point. Then again, I suppose that is why it is called the "Smoky" Mountains, eh?
The road to Clingman's Dome is only open in fair weather months, and along the way there are a couple of really good vistas where getting out to take a picture is appropriate. At the end of the road, you will have to hike about half a mile to the top, where the observation deck is. Prepare for chilly weather here just about anytime of the year, and a lot of wind. The walk is definitely a tough one for some people on the way up, since it's got quite the incline.
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This is the tallest mountain in TN and in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The Appalachian Trail also goes right over the top of the mountain making it the highest point on the trail. There is an observation platform at the top that offers great views of the Smokies. The mountain at 6,643ft is the third highest point east of the Mississippi River behind Mt. Mitchell and Mt. Craig in NC at 6,684ft and 6,647ft respectively.