Clingmans Dome
A short but steep half-mile paved climb to the flying-saucer observation tower atop Clingmans Dome, at 6,643 feet the highest point in Tennessee.
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- Length
- 1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 330 ft
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route
- out-and-back
Trail conditions
No recent condition reports. Hiked it lately?
Report current conditions →Elevation
0.4 mi · 277 ft of climbing · high 6,643 ft · low 6,367 ft
Find the trailhead
Parking
Large lot at the end of Clingmans Dome Road; arrive early on clear-weather weekends.
Clingmans Dome Road is closed to vehicles December through March; the trail is then reached on foot or skis.
Directions to parkingWeather at the trailhead
57°FOvercast now
Sunrise 6:17 AM · Sunset 8:49 PM
- TodayFog65° / 56°F16% precip
- SatFog66° / 55°F13% precip
- SunRain63° / 52°F80% precip
Forecast from Open-Meteo. Mountain conditions change fast; check again before you go.
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Tennessee, the highest on the Appalachian Trail, and the third highest peak east of the Mississippi. The trail is just half a mile to the summit, but it is paved and steep enough to leave you winded at this elevation. The ramped observation tower lifts you above the spruce-fir forest for a 360-degree panorama that, on a clear day, stretches a hundred miles; more often you are standing in a cloud. It is cold and windy up top even in summer, so bring a jacket. The paved grade makes it one of the more accessible high-country viewpoints in the park, though it is steep. A parking tag is required park-wide.