Bryson City, North Carolina: Clingmans Dome

At 6,643 feet, the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Observation tower. See more than 100 miles on a clear day before you freeze in your shorts and t-shirt.

The 0.5 mile hike to the tower is quite strenuous, but doable, and there are several benches to rest at on the way up. Expect little to no visibility if any clouds or fog are present. But this is worth it for the drive alone. And if you can't climb the trail, the views from the parking lot are breathtaking (there are also bathrooms and a gift shop).

This was no easy hike! I'm 56 and had to stop a couple times going up; so did my adult kids. The view is nice, no food, no free water, small gift shop, toilets. Don't recommend for extreme overweight or ailing people. Kids didn't like the straight up hills either. It is paved but we didn't see any picnic tables. People were eating on the ground or out of back of cars.

There is a paved trail that is .5 mile long but it is very steep, needing to take many breaks on the way up. It is a nice view at the top.