Climbing Clingman's Dome

Clingman's Dome lookout. 7/12/2023 dwm photo

We knew we wanted to visit Clingman's Dome weeks in advance of our visit.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park doesn't have an admission fee but if you plan to stop anywhere in the park you need a parking pass.

We were in line at the Visitor Center outside Gatlinburg before 9am so we could get our permit.

Originally, I was going to stop at the attractions starting with the closest to town. When I saw the line at the Visitor Center and full parking lots when he got in the park, we changed the plan and decided Clingman's Dome would be our first stop.

A view of the Great Smoky from the parking lot. 7/12/23

At 6,643 feet, Clingman's Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; highest point in Tennessee; and third highest mountain east of the Mississippi River.

The top of Clingman's is in North Carolina but the mountain straddles the border.

The ride from Gatlinburg to the ridge of the Appalachians was beautiful with plenty of switchbacks and great views as we just kept climbing.

By heading here first, we weren't delayed on the 7 mile road from the main road to the parking lot a half-mile below the peak.

It's a steep 1/2 mile climb to the top.

The view from the parking lot was amazing. We were above the clouds and had extraordinary views in every direction. There is no guarantee when it comes to weather in the mountains.

There is a reason it's called the Smoky Mountains - fog and clouds are a common occurrence. The top of Clingman's Dome gets 85-inches of rain a year. We were blessed to see as far as we did from the top of the tower.

It's a half-mile walk from the parking lot to the top. The asphalt path is helpful but it is steep. There were a lot of people resting on their way up and plenty of people breathing heavy.

The path offers a beautiful view of the peaks and valleys. On the day I climbed the tops of clouds filled a few of those valleys which looked like trays of cotton candy.

The Appalachian Trail goes over Clingman's Dome, crossing the paved path close to a patio of benches for folks about to climb or have just climbed the dome.

I walked a portion of the App Trail.

I'm happy to say I walked the Appalachian Trail but there's no bragging when the total steps I spent on the famous trek was less than two dozen. I wasn't the only one spending a few minutes so they could say they hiked along the top of the Appalachians.

After the short walk, it was up the circular walk to the top for a 360-degree view of the surrounding area and beyond (7 states on an exceptionally clear day).

I appreciate the style of the tower and the graceful approach to the highest point for many, many miles.

At the top, I took my time inching around deck starting with a look north toward Gatlinburg, 10 miles away. Most interesting was looking down on clouds and shorter mountains from our vantage point.

After taking pictures from every angle, it was time to head down the mountain. I met up with my wife and a couple we became acquainted with, in part, because the guy was wearing a New Glarus Spotted Cow t-shirt. We took our time heading to our car to see other parts of the park. As we started downhill, our earlier decision to climb Clingman's was validated with a line of 7 cars waiting for a space to open in the parking lot.