Great Smoky National Park High Point Trip Report

Clingmans Dome - the state highpoint (6,643 ft)

Date: October 7, 2000
Author: Mike Schwartz

From Gatlinburg, drive south on Highway 441 about 10 miles to Newfound Gap at the NC border. Turn right onto the signed Clingmans Dome road and drive about 6 miles to the parking lot at the end of the road. The paved trail goes uphill for 0.5 mile to the summit, marked by a spiral walkway tower, although the view is usually clouded. Total gain is about 330 feet. The road is closed at Newfound Gap sometime in the fall every year, even if there has been no snowfall.