Besides the paved walk way to the summit, there are several trails that start on Clingmans Dome Road and parking area. We chose the Appalachian Trail (AT) which crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its journey from Georgia to Maine.
Bruce and I hiked along the length of this for several miles in each direction
and yet the prettiest and most interesting scenes are always off the pavement.
Mingo Falls, called Big Bear Falls in the Cherokee language, cascades
200 feet nearly down granite boulders. It's located just five miles from
the entrance to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park on Big Cove Road near the town of Cherokee. You walk under a lush canopy of trees which keeps the trail cool even on the hottest of days .. passing several big campgrounds and a rushing stream which is a popular tube float area in the summer.
The beautiful 1/4-mile
hike to the falls along the rushing stream is short, but you must
climb 161 steps.
At the top of the stairway, a short path past
impressive rock outcroppings leads to a viewing bridge at the base of
the falls.
This would be a great short hike to take in the spring time when the kiddies are in school, and rains have swollen the streams.
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