Clingmans Dome (or Clingman's Dome) is, at an elevation of 6,643 feet or 2,025 meters, the highest point both in the state of Tennessee and on the Appalachian Trail. It was named for Thomas Lanier Clingman (1812-1897), who was a lawyer, member of the U.S. Congress (House and Senate), and a brigadier general for the Confederate States of America.
It is located on the Tennessee and North Carolina line, within the borders of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and is the tallest mountain in the park. A paved road, closed in winter (November through March), connects it to U.S. Highway 441 at Newfound Gap. An concrete observation tower was built on the site in the early 1960s, and the area is developed with picnic tables and running-water restrooms, which are a boon to the casual tourist but do not make it a wilderness experience. The Environmental Protection Agency operates an air quality monitoring station on the summit, the second highest in eastern North America.
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