"My Thoughts On": opinions and stories about my adventures throughout the U.S. All in under 5 minutes.
Today's adventure is Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. At an elevation of 6,643 feet, this is the highest mountain in the Smokies, the highest point in the state of Tennessee, and the highest point along the 2,192-mile Appalachian Trail. And, you can certainly tell every bit of that. The hike up (a bit strenuous, steep .5 mile hike, but plenty of places to rest. It gains 330 feet of elevation in that short hike) leads to an elevated concrete walkway. The short walk up the walkway rewards with breathtaking (no pun intended) 360 degree views of the Smokies. On clear days, you can see 100 miles.
Seriously. My thoughts: this is the prettiest place I've been east of the Rockies. Everything from the drive up, to the hike to the top gives you insane views of everything that is right with the world.
A few things to remember:
- No dogs allowed on the trail. Probably for good reason, because:
- This place is crowded. Like really crowded. Like Grand Canyon crowded. Come early or later in the day to avoid the afternoon crowds.
- Cherokee and Bryson City nearby are very cool towns (especially Bryson City).
- The roads are pretty steep. I actually had to pull over for a bit because my van's brakes overheated.
- There's a great campsite called Smokemont on 441 on the way to Cherokee. Great camping and hiking right on the river.
- The road is closed December 1 through March 31.
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