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  "description": "Plan your visit to Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome), the Smokies’ highest peak. Get travel tips, trail info and stunning views in every season.",
  "path": "/kuwohi-clingmans-dome-hike/",
  "publishedAt": "2025-05-07T03:16:21.000Z",
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  "tags": [
    "Great Smoky Mountains National Park",
    "Hiking",
    "History",
    "Road Trips",
    "Tennessee",
    "United States",
    "Southeast"
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  "textContent": "When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. See our Affiliate Policy. Kuwohi (pronounced koo-WHOA-hee), formerly Clingmans Dome, is one of the most iconic stops in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Even with the popularity, the traffic on the drive up and the steady incline towards the observation tower, I love that you can get one of the best mountain views in the park with such a short hike. At 6,643 feet tall, Kuwohi is the highest point in the Smokies and the third highest summit east of the Mississippi River. More than 650,000 people visit each year to climb to the top of the observation tower for the 360-degree views of the Appalachian Mountains. The 1.3-mile out-and-back trail is paved and easily accessible, but the climb feels steeper than what most people expect and left us a little winded. Watching as the “smoke” passes over the mountains We’ve visited the observation deck two times (our first stop was during the winter, but Kuwohi Road was closed) and again on Memorial Day weekend in 2024. We should have expected that it would be busy on a holiday weekend, and it was. We saw plenty of cars driving to the summit and people walking along the trail. But that’s what comes from a spot that’s easy to walk to get to. The National Park Service’s Clingmans Dome webcam gives a live view at the summit if you’re wondering what the views might look like before making the trip. Even though the walk up is only 0.6 miles to the observation tower, the 337-foot elevation gain left us winded! We stopped at a couple of the benches lining the paved path to catch our breath and enjoy the view. Clingmans Dome Name Change: In September 2024, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names officially restored the mountain’s original name: Kuwohi. Kuwohi is a sacred mountain in Cherokee tradition, and its name means “mulberry place”. Driving to Kuwohi During our Memorial Day weekend, we stayed in an Airbnb (this one specifically) in Bryson City, North Carolina. It was a little further away from some of the places we wanted to visit in the park, but the roughly 1-hour drive (36 miles) took us along some beautiful mountain roads. Surprisingly, we didn’t run into much holiday weekend traffic until we got closer to more popular spots in the park like Kuwohi. Some of the mountain views you’ll see driving to Kuwohi We didn’t plan our park visit around avoiding crowds either. We left around 2:30pm and followed US-19 until we reached the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to pick up our parking pass. The Smokies handle parking a little differently than most National Parks. Instead of using the standard National Park pass system, you’ll need a parking pass if you plan on parking for more than 15 minutes. You can pick one up at visitor centers throughout the park. They offer three options: a daily pass for $5, a weekly pass for $15 or an annual pass for $40. We ran into traffic after we picked up our parking pass and started the drive up to Kuwohi. It’s usually a 38 minute drive there from the visitor Center but the Memorial Day traffic made that closer to 1.5 hours. About 30 minutes of that was spent waiting in line to park. A few cars in front of us got impatient and tried to turn around on the narrow mountain road. There aren’t any blockades on the sides of the mountain, so I don’t know why anyone would risk it. We did eventually park around 4:15pm. It took forever to find a spot, but that’s because there are only 167 parking spots available. While we didn’t know it at the time, you can pick up a shuttle from some of the local communities to places in the park. They run from March to October. Driving From Other Locations: Gatlinburg, TN: 45 minutes along US-441 S and Kuwohi Road (23 miles) Pigeon Forge, TN: 55 minutes along US-441 S (31 miles) Asheville, NC: 1 hour 45 minutes along I-40 (77 miles) Love how the mountains roll into the distance Scenic Views from the Parking Lot The 1.5 hour drive to the summit gave us a lot of time to enjoy the mountainous views from the car. As the driver, I really couldn’t take my eyes off the road for long, even while in traffic. So I was glad to finally get to the lot and walk along the sidewalk. The sidewalk, which has no railing near the edge of the hill, extends around the south side of the lot. It’s also a place you can get photos of the mountains without any cars in your photos. From this spot, it’s easy to see how the Smoky Mountains got their name. The Cherokee people called these mountains Shaconage, meaning “place of the blue smoke.” I’d imagine this is also a great spot for a time lapse of clouds drifting over the mountains! We spent about 15 minutes here in the lot, taking photos and enjoying the view, before heading north to the Kuwohi Trailhead and Kuwohi Observation Tower Trail (formerly Clingmans Dome Trail). The Walk Up to the Tower Some of our favorite (and most memorable) hikes have been the short ones to specific places (like Sol Duc and Marymere Falls in Olympic). I’d put Kuwohi up there. The walk to the Kuwohi Observation Tower is 0.6 miles along a paved path, but it has a pretty steep incline with about 337 feet of elevation gain. The climb definitely stretched out our hamstrings by the time we reached the top! We saw a good number of people start the walk up only to turn back before reaching the top. There are benches along the way which would be perfect places to catch your breath and enjoy being in the Smokies. ‘Clingmans Dome Trail’ sign The elevation really makes a difference. The parking lot already sits above 6,300 feet and climbing to 6,643 feet had us out of breath faster than we expected. It reminded us of climbing the 2,744 stairs of the Manitou Incline in Colorado. Even though the trail looks inviting and accessible, wheelchairs and strollers will probably struggle here. Bicycles and dogs are also not allowed (there are bike racks in the parking area if biked to the summit). There’s a small visitor center at the start of the trail, close to the parking lot, where you can find souvenirs. The Kuwohi Visitor Center (formerly Clingmans Dome Visitor Center) All of the photos here were the views (and the crowds) we saw over Memorial Day weekend. Once you make it up the incline, you’ll see the massive 375-feet long concrete spiral that leads to the top of the Kuwohi Observation Tower. We lucked out with a clear day and the 360-degree views from the top of the tower stretched out for miles. On clear days, you can see up to up to 100 miles into the distance, though with today’s air quality, it’s actually closer to 20. You’re also standing at the highest point along the entire Appalachian Trail (A.T.). From the top of the observation tower, you can see up to seven states: North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. This AllTrails map needs analytics cookies to load. These cookies cover both our site and the embedded content. Or View on AllTrails What to Bring Water and a snack Layers (it’s usually 10 to 20°F cooler at the top) Comfortable walking shoes because the incline is steeper than it looks Sunscreen and a hat A camera or phone because you’ll probably want to take photos every couple minutes Other Trail Options While the drive to Kuwohi took us nearly three times longer than normal because of the traffic, the walk up to the tower didn’t feel too crowded considering it was Memorial Day weekend (and afternoon). If you really want to avoid the crowds, check out the Forney Ridge Trail to Andrews Bald. The grassy meadow is usually much quieter and fills with wildflowers during the summer. If you’re looking for a longer hike and don’t mind a steeper incline, we loved hiking the Low Gap Trail up to the Mount Cammerer Lookout Tower. The Oconaluftee River Trail is a great option if you’re looking for a dog-friendly hike. It’s one of only two trails in the park where dogs are allowed, and the trail follows the Oconaluftee River the entire way. This made it perfect for us since our dog, Toby, gets really hot on hikes and loves stepping into the water to cool down. Clingmans Dome Name Change In September 2024, Clingmans Dome was officially restored to its original Cherokee name: Kuwohi, which translates to “mullberry place”. For centuries, this mountain has been sacred to the Cherokee people, part of that ancestral homeland and deeply rooted in their cultural history. The name Clingmans Dome was imposed in 1859 after Thomas Lanier Clingman, a Confederate general and politician. Like many recent landmark name restorations across the country, this reflects a growing effort to recognize Indigenous history and connections to these places. Best Time of the Year to Visit Kuwohi We’ve been to the observation tower two times (once in summer and once unsuccessfully in winter) and the best time to visit Kuwohi really depends on the kind of experience (weather, crowds and what you want to see) that you’re looking for. Sunset views in the Smokies Spring (April – May) Road Access: Kuwohi Road usually reopens on April 1 after winter closures. Weather: Temperatures at the summit are still much cooler than lower elevations in the park (roughly 10 to 20°F cooler). Highlights: Wildflowers start to bloom at lower elevations first and higher elevations follow in late May. Summer (June – August) Weather: Even in summer, the temperatures at the summit usually stay below 80°F. Rain is pretty common during this time of year. Flowers: Late June brings high-elevation wildflowers like flame azaleas. Crowds: Summer is the busiest time to coat since it’s peak tourist season. Fall (September – November) Fall Colors: Fall colors usually peak at higher elevations around early to mid-October. Weather: Temperatures begin to drop to highs in the 70s and 80s in September and 50s and 60s by November. Crowds: October is the park’s busiest month because of the autumn leaves. Winter (December – March) Road Access: Kuwohi Road closes to vehicles from December 1 through March 31, but the observation tower stays open year round. It can be accessed by hiking Kuwohi Road (17.5 miles) or the Appalachian Trail (starting at mile 72). Weather: It gets cold with highs near freezing and lows in the teens. Up to 2 feet of snow and freezing temperatures are common at the summit. On our hike up Mount Cammerer, we learned mountain weather doesn’t always follow the forecast. Gatlinburg Weather Places to Stay Near Kuwohi Kuwohi sits on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, so there are a few different places to stay depending on which direction you’re coming from. On the Tennessee side, Gatlinburg is the closest base. It’s touristy, but it has plenty of cabins, hotels and easy access into the park. A little farther out, Pigeon Forge gives you more space and usually less traffic, especially if you don’t mind the extra drive. On the North Carolina side, Bryson City is quieter and closer to the Deep Creek area of the park. It worked well for us as a more low-key place to stay, with a few cozy rentals and spots to grab food after a day out. Cherokee is another great option if you want to stay closer to the Oconaluftee entrance. It’s central, convenient, and has a mix of budget-friendly motels and vacation rentals. Making our way down the mountain Wrapping Up Our Visit to Kuwohi We’ve visited the Great Smoky Mountains a couple times now, and it’s easy to see why so many people visit Kuwohi. You don’t need a long hike to get a awesome mountain view, and that’s a big part of why it stays so busy. The observation tower gives you a full 360-degree view of the Smokies, and even the parking lot has a pretty great view if you’d rather not walk up the incline. Our legs were definitely burning at the top and our knees felt it on the way down, but it’s still one of the easier ways to experience the park, especially if you’re only here for a weekend or a short trip.",
  "title": "Kuwohi (Formerly Clingmans Dome): Your Guide to Smoky’s Highest Peak",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-27T14:55:08.000Z"
}