The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located along the eastern border of Tennessee. At an elevation of 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest mountain in the park. There is a paved road that leads to a parking lot at the top of Clingmans Dome. The road is closed for five months of the year, from December through April. Clingmans Dome Road connects to US Highway 441, which is also called New Found Gap Road.
At the top of Clingmans Dome, there is a half-mile walk to an observation tower. The tower is 45 feet high and made of concrete. From the top of the tower, visitors can see in every direction. If the sky is clear, they can see for hundreds of miles. The view includes mountains extending into seven different states. On a cloudy day, however, it can be difficult to see other hikers on the trail.
In addition to being the highest peak in the park, Clingmans Dome is also the highest point along the Appalachian Trail, which stretches for more than 2,000 miles along the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine. Taking up to six months, hikers who plan to complete the entire journey in one season usually start in Georgia during the early spring and head north.