Rare View of Clingman's Dome

**Lizardqing** · 11-13-2012, 11:54 PM

This is the observation tower at the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountain NP. Normally it is closed in the winter so getting to see it with a few feet of snow is a very rare opportunity unless you do about a 7 1/2 mile hike uphill. We got lucky also and just happened to be at the gate when they opened the road back up to it and were able to get to the top of the mountain before the snow was trampled by the crowds. The 1/2 mile hike up the trail in knee deep snow was a challenge! Might be a normal thing for y'all way up north but for us down here this is more snow than we got total in the last few years.