Clingmans Dome
Clingmans Dome, with Fraser Fir forest
Elevation	6,643 feet (2,025 m)
Location	Sevier County, Tennessee and Swain County, North Carolina, USA
Range	Great Smoky Mountains
Prominence	4,513 ft (1,376 m) [1]
Coordinates	35°33′46″N 83°29′55″W / 35.56278, -83.49861Coordinates: 35°33′46″N 83°29′55″W / 35.56278, -83.49861
Topo map	USGS Clingmans Dome
First ascent	unknown
Easiest route	Drive along Clingmans Dome Road, then ascend 0. Abies fraseri ( Fraser Fir) is a species of Fir native to the mountains of the eastern United States. In topography a summit is a point on a surface which is higher in Elevation than all points immediately adjacent to A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Sevier County (pronounced "severe" is a US county of the state of Tennessee, United States. Swain County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys The Great Smoky Mountains are a major Mountain range in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the second ridge line forming a north-south running mountain A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A topographic map is a type of Map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using Contour lines in modern The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. In Climbing, a first ascent (FA is the first modern recorded climb to reach the top of a Mountain, or the first to follow a particular Climbing route A climbing route is a path by which a climber reaches the top of a Mountain, rock or ice wall 5 mile paved trail to summit.

Clingmans Dome (or Clingman's Dome) is, at an elevation of 6,643 feet (2,025 metres), the highest point both in the state of Tennessee and along the Appalachian Trail. In topography a summit is a point on a surface which is higher in Elevation than all points immediately adjacent to Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A

It is located on the Tennessee and North Carolina state line, within the borders of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and is the tallest mountain in the park. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains A paved road, closed in winter (November through March), connects it to U.S. Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) near Newfound Gap. US Route 441 is a Spur route of US Route 41. It currently runs for 939 Miles (1511 km) from U Newfound Gap (el 5048 ft/1539 m is a Mountain pass located near the center of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of the southern Appalachian Mountains A concrete observation tower was built on the site in 1959, offering a panoramic view of the mountains in each direction and helping to promote the site as a major tourist destination. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The area is developed with picnic tables and running-water restrooms. The Environmental Protection Agency operates an air quality monitoring station on the summit, the second highest in eastern North America. The Air Quality Index ( AQI) is a standardized indicator of the Air Quality in a given location Like most peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains, Clingmans Dome climbs prominently above the surrounding terrain, rising nearly 5,000 feet (1,525 meters) from base to summit. The Great Smoky Mountains are a major Mountain range in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the second ridge line forming a north-south running mountain

History

Clingmans Dome Observation Tower

Reputedly known as "Kuwahi" (the mulberry place) by the Cherokee Indians, the mountain was originally dubbed "Smoky Dome" by local Scots-Irish inhabitants. The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact Scotch-Irish (the historically common term in North America) or Scots-Irish refers to inhabitants of the United States and by some of Canada In 1859, the mountain was henceforth renamed by Arnold Guyot for compatriot Thomas Lanier Clingman who extensively explored the area in the 1850s and spent many years thereafter promoting it. Arnold Henry Guyot ( September 28, 1807 – February 8, 1884) Swiss - American Geologist and Geographer Thomas Lanier Clingman ( July 27, 1812 &ndash November 3, 1897) known as the "Prince of Politicians" was a Democratic Guyot named the mountain for Clingman because of an argument between Clingman and a professor at the University of North Carolina, Elisha Mitchell, over which mountain was actually the highest in the region. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( UNC, North Carolina, or simply Carolina) is a public, Coeducational Research Elisha Mitchell ( August 19, 1793 - June 27, 1857) was born in Washington Connecticut. Mitchell contended that a peak by the name of Black Dome (now known as Mount Mitchell) was the highest, while Clingman asserted that Smoky Dome was instead the true highest peak. Guyot determined that Smoky Dome was 39 feet (12 m) shorter than Black Dome.

Geology

Clingman's Dome, like the other mountains of the region, was created from fractured, faulted Precambrian rocks, overlayed with the ancient Ocoee Supergroup of partially metamorphosed sedimentary rock. The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current The actual age of the mountains is somewhat speculatory, but they are among the oldest in the world, likely somewhere from 200-300 million years old.

Access

The trailhead of the Clingmans Dome Trail.

Clingman's Dome is the most easily accessible mountain top in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Open from April 1 through November 30 [2], a seven mile road just past Newfound Gap leads up the mountain to a parking area just ½ mile from the observation tower, at the top of the mountain. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats In addition to this, the short jaunt to the tower is paved, although steep, and provides public restrooms, garbage cans, and numerous benches to the side of the path. Though not quite the outdoor adventure, it does provide the casual visitor with an excellent glimpse of the often hostile environment of highland Appalachia, and the fifty-foot high observation tower allows spectators a 360 degree panorama of the surrounding mountains, on the infrequent occasion of a clear, sunny day. Cantilevered signs, hanging from the rails of the tower, point out the various peaks that can be viewed in the distance.

For the more hardy hiker, the Appalachian Trail also crosses Clingman's Dome, passing a very short distance behind the observation tower. The trail can be picked up from Newfound Gap and hiked for approximately 7½ miles to the tower, which offers the only opportunity to actually hike Clingman's Dome. Newfound Gap (el 5048 ft/1539 m is a Mountain pass located near the center of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of the southern Appalachian Mountains This is also the only way to access the tower in the winter months. Clingman's Dome is the base for several additional hiking trails, including the: Forney Ridge Trail (to Andrews Bald); Forney Creek Trail (to Fontana Lake); and Silers Bald and Mount Collins, via the Appalachian Trail. Andrews Bald is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States Fontana Lake is a man made Lake on the Little Tennessee River located in Graham and Swain counties in North Carolina. Silers Bald is a mountain in the western Great Smoky Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States Mount Collins is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States

1946 Aircraft Crash

In the early morning hours of June 12, 1946, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress crashed at the summit of Clingmans Dome, killing all twelve aboard. ^[1]

See also

• List of U.S. states by elevation

References

1. ^ Mayday! Mayday! Aircraft Crashes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 1920-2000 by Jeff Wadley and Dwight McCarter