Clingmans Dome.

Clingmans Dome

The Space Age observation tower at the summit of Clingman's Dome was criticized as "flashy and conspicuous" by National Park purists when it opened in 1959. It's promoted as a great place to see sunrises and sunsets -- with a potential range of 100 miles -- but the smokey haze of the Smoky Mountains often gets in the way. Also, the summit is sometimes foggy and 20 degrees colder than the base of its seven-mile access road. Summertime visitors in shorts and t-shirts can be in for an uncomfortable surprise. Snow can fall any time between September and May.

The 45-foot-high tower puts visitors at 6,688 feet, four feet higher than the summit of Mount Mitchell, making Clingmans Dome the highest (assisted) natural point east of the Mississippi.

Clingmans Dome is named for North Carolina senator (and Confederate general) Thomas Clingman, but for some reason it isn't spelled with an apostrophe.

Clingmans Dome

Address:: Clingmans Dome Rd, Bryson City, NC
Hours:: Access road open April-Nov. Tower open year-round. Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Admission:: Free
RA Rates:: Worth a Detour

Nearby Offbeat Places

Road to Nowhere, Bryson City, NC - 7 mi.

Museum of Salt and Pepper Shakers, Gatlinburg, TN - 11 mi.

Space Needle, Gatlinburg, TN - 11 mi.

In the region:

WonderWorks - Upside-down Building, Pigeon Forge, TN - 19 mi.

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