When you make a road trip, which is always lovely is to stop on the way before heading back home (I was living in New Jersey at this time) or to your hotel. We decided (with Jerome) to stop at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (who is by the way free ). And we loved it, then we went to the highest point in the park which is at 6643feet ), it was awesome, but as we went up, the clouds were showing up, and we couldn’t see anything!!!! (I think this is why they called this place the Smoky Mountains). Actually in the park, you can see the limits between 2 States: Tennessee and North Carolina!!!! We loved it, especially after two days in town.
A little walk into the highest point of the park: Clingmans Dome
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the highest point in Tennessee and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. Only Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) and Mt. Craig (6,647), both located in Mt. Mitchell State Park in western North Carolina, rise higher. The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offers spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond for visitors willing to climb the steep half-mile walk to the tower at the top.
On clear days views expand over 100 miles. Unfortunately, air pollution often limits viewing distances to under 20 miles.
Clouds, precipitation, and cold temperatures are common at Clingmans Dome. Temperatures at the dome can be 10 -20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in the surrounding lowlands. In fact, the cool, wet conditions on Clingmans Dome’s summit make the spruce-fir forest that grows there a coniferous rainforest.
How long is this walk?
It’s seven miles to the end of Clingmans Dome Road, and there are scenic pullouts with endless views of ridges and valleys along the way. The road ends in a large parking area from which a 0.5-mile trail leads to the summit. The trail is paved but steep and leads to an observation tower on top.
Besides the trail to the summit, several trails start on Clingmans Dome Road and the parking area. The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its journey from Georgia to Maine. The Forney Ridge Trail leads to Andrews Bald, a high-elevation grassy bald.
When we were there, we saw that many trees were dead around Clingman’s Dome, why so?
The balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae) is an insect pest that infests and kills stands of Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) in the spruce-fir zone. This fir occurred naturally only in the southern Appalachians and used to be the dominant tree at the highest elevations. The adelgid was introduced on trees imported from Europe, and the fir has little natural defense against it. By injecting the tree with toxins, the adelgid blocks the path of nutrients through the tree. The trees starve to death, and thousands of dead snags are all that are left on the highest mountain peaks.
A “cousin” of this insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid, is killing hemlock trees throughout the park. Hemlocks killed by this second type of adelgid are visible along Newfound Gap Road.
Enjoy this National Park and the views!
