Great Smoky Mountains NP: Clingmans Dome Trail (Blog Hike #220)

Trail: Clingmans Dome Trail

Hike Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Geographic Location: on the TN/NC state line between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC (35.55646, -83.49566)

Length: 1.2 miles

Difficulty: 9/10 (Difficult)

Date Hiked: May 2007

Overview: A short but very steep climb on paved trail to the highest point in Tennessee.

Dome Information: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/clingmansdome.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=721275
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Gatlinburg, take US 441 south 13 uphill miles to Newfound Gap where it intersects the Clingmans Dome Road.  Turn right on Clingmans Dome Rd.  Take Clingmans Dome Rd. 7 miles to the large blacktop parking area for Clingmans Dome.  Park in this parking area.

The hike: For my general comments on Great Smoky Mountains National Park, see the Abrams Falls hike.  Without even leaving your car, you can see that something looks strange about the forest up here at Clingmans Dome. At first one might think that the different look is due to the different trees up here compared to the lower elevations, but a closer look reveals that the forest is dotted with dead trees with tan bark that stand out like skeletons on a green carpet.  These trees are mostly Frasier firs, and they have mostly been killed by the balsam woolly adelgid, an insect imported from Europe measuring less than 1 millimeter in length.

            This is not the first time the forest of the Smokies has come under foreign attack.  During the first half of the 20^th century, the chestnut blight inflicted similar damage on mature chestnut trees, reducing one of the Smokies’ once dominant hardwoods to a rather rare species.  Over time, other species of trees took the chestnuts’ place; only time will tell what, if anything, will take the place of the firs.

            In addition to damaged forest, the last 50 years have also taken their toll on the views to be had from Clingmans Dome, the highest point in Tennessee.  Due to increased presence of smog, visitors to the summit today can sometimes see only 20% of what they could see 75 years ago.  If you want the best view, you should plan a visit in April or November (the road to Clingmans Dome is closed in the winter).  The view the rest of the year, even if impaired by smog, is still as good as you will get in the east. 

Due to the steepness and elevation of the trail, you will find yourself getting winded unusually quickly.  Don’t push yourself too hard.  Better yet, pick up a brochure at the trailhead (available for a nominal fee) and use it to occupy yourself while you are resting on the way up.  For those unable to make the climb, nice views can be had to the east from the trailhead itself. 

Trailhead-Clingmans Dome Trail

            The trail begins at the observation circle at the far end of the parking area.  The Forney Ridge Trail heads down some wooden steps, but you should take the paved Clingmans Dome Trail, which immediately begins its steep climb to the summit.  Some Thunderhead sandstone rock outcrops tower to the right of the trail.

            At 0.15 miles, you will pass the first of several benches.  When I was making this climb, I passed a small black bear in the forest downhill to the left just past this bench.  Several people had gathered on the trail to view the bear, and it kept chomping away on leafy vegetation while we looked on and took photographs.  The Smokies are one of the few places in the east where you are likely to see a bear.  Should you get this treat while hiking in the Smokies, keep your distance; don’t bother it, and it likely won’t bother you.

The trail continues climbing, winding its way up the steep hill.  You can see the parking lot most of the way up this trail, so look back often to see how far you have come.  There are few large trees on Clingmans Dome, partly because of the elevation and partly because of extensive logging operations conducted in the early 1900’s.  The brochure contains a disturbing picture from 1925 of a naked Clingmans Dome.  Compared to the picture, the forest even with the dead firs has recovered rather nicely.

Dead Frasier fir

            At 0.4 miles, the trail curves to the right as the Appalachian Trail enters from the left.  You have now reached the crest of the state line divide.  Another 0.1 miles of climbing will lead you to the base of the Clingmans Dome Tower, signaling your arrival at Clingmans Dome.  A spiral ramp takes you to the top of the concrete/steel tower where a 360-degree view can be had.

Observation tower at Clingmans Dome

            The mountain is named for Thomas Lanier Clingman, an Asheville lawyer and early explorer in what is now Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  At 6643 feet, Clingmans Dome was once thought to be the highest mountain in the east, but we now know that Mt. Mitchell 70 miles east of here is higher.  On a clear day, you can see Mt. Mitchell as a spike in the distance.  When I visited the tower in late May, the day was not clear, and my view was impaired by a combination of smog, a few cumulus clouds, and smoke from forest fires in the valley below.  Still, I could see nearly 20 miles, and my view included Fontana Dam in North Carolina, Mt. LeConte in Tennessee, and Thunderhead Mountain down the state line divide to the west.

View west down stateline divide: Clingmans Dome

View into North Carolina from Clingmans Dome

            The summit is quite chilly, both due to temperature (usually 15 degrees cooler than in Gatlinburg, TN or Cherokee, NC) and wind (around 15 miles per hour on my visit).  While I did not find it necessary, some other visitors decided to dawn jackets to remain comfortable.  When you have taken in the view, retrace your steps down the steep paved trail to complete the hike.  You will find that you do not get winded nearly as quickly going down as you did coming up.