“May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to scale their summits”
Harley King
At an elevation of 6,643 feet, Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There is a newer observation tower at the top that offers the most amazing views, especially if you visit on a clear day. It is kind of funny that it took us this long to get the high point in our home state, but Clingman’s Dome is about a 4 hour drive from Chattanooga and the road leading to the parking area is usually closed from early December to late March. It just never worked out until now!
This adventure started with a spontaneous idea to go check out Sliding Rock in Brevard, North Carolina, which was sadly closed because of recent storms/flooding. The trails in that area are beautiful and I could ramble on for hours about them, but I’ll try to stay on topic here. Actually, if you’re ever in Brevard don’t miss Moore Cove Falls Trail. Beautiful, easy hike. We completed it with three toddlers and I had a baby strapped to me. You can walk behind the waterfall, which is really sweet and fun for the kids.
Anyway, we had a wonderful few days with friends in Brevard, but had to leave a little early to head home and decided it was the perfect opportunity to head to Clingman’s Dome. The drive took us through the most beautiful scenic back roads via the Blue Ridge Parkway, through Maggie Valley, NC, and into Gatlinburg. I kept making Malcolm stop so I could take photos of the fog surrounding the mountains… just absolutely stunning.
We arrived at the Clingman’s Dome parking area around 9am and it was already really crowded. It surprised us how chilly it was – it was early September and the temps were probably in the mid 50s. Of course we didn’t have any cooler weather gear for the kids as it was still summer in the lower elevations. BUT if you’re going to have a spontaneous adventure you make it work and Atlas (3) refuses a jacket most of the time anyway! We wrapped a blanket around the baby, strapped him in his carrier, and headed for the trail. The Clingman’s Dome Observation Tower Trail is about 1.2 miles out and back. The walk up is steep, but it is paved and there are benches to stop and rest if you need it. The air at this elevation is so fresh and you can smell the pine trees the whole way up, just perfection. At the top is a newer observation tower and the most gorgeous 360 views of the Smokies (and beyond on a clear day). It was VERY crowded so we didn’t spend much time at the top, also Malcolm is afraid of heights but I’ll mostly blame the crowd. 🙂 We did walk around for awhile looking for the geo-marker and never found it. If you have done this hike and know where it is please send me a message.
Overall, this is an easy hike with a big reward! This was a special one for us because it was Baby Maverick’s first high point! And big brother probably did an extra 3 miles because of all the extra running and climbing he did, which made for some good naps for the rest of the trip home!
If you are considering this hike…
As I stated in the beginning Clingman’s Dome Road is closed from early December to late March. You can still access it by foot, which is about 7 miles from the start of the road closure to the parking area one way. I would recommend starting early, a sunrise hike would be absolutely beautiful! Be sure to wear layers! And just for additional information, there is a visitor center and restrooms at the parking area. Let me know if you have any questions! Happy hiking!
