Great Smoky Mountains National Park guide · 1 min read
Clingmans Dome and the Kuwohi Tower
Kuwohi, long known as Clingmans Dome, is the highest peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6,643 feet.
It is also the tallest mountain in Tennessee and the third highest east of the Mississippi River. An observation tower stands on the summit, and on clear days it offers 360-degree views that can reach as far as 100 miles across the Smokies.
The drive starts on Kuwohi Road, formerly Clingmans Dome Road, which climbs about 7 miles west from the Newfound Gap area with scenic pullouts along the way. It ends at a parking lot at roughly 6,300 feet, the highest elevation anywhere in the park that a car can reach. The lot has 167 spaces and fills quickly, so a shuttle is worth considering.
From the parking area, a paved path leads to the Kuwohi Observation Tower in about one mile round trip. The distance is modest, but the grade is steep and the climb comes all at once, so a slow pace with a few pauses will make the walk easier. For a quieter route, a bypass trail begins at the Forney Ridge Trailhead and climbs toward the Appalachian Trail, with vistas of Sugarland Mountain and the Elkmont area.
The Kuwohi Visitor Center sits at the start of the paved trail. Rangers and staff there can help with questions about the park, and the Great Smoky Mountains Association runs a small bookstore and shop inside. You will also find public restrooms close by.
Spruce-fir forest blankets these high ridges, and the Appalachian Trail passes through it along with several other paths. Temperatures on the summit often drop well below what you feel at lower elevations, especially early and late in the day or in cooler months. Bring an extra layer before climbing the tower.
