Hiking??? Clingman's Dome 6 '09

 We  started this adventure because we wanted to see the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, and because we wanted to do something  we haven't been able to do since we left California.... trail hiking.

 As it turns out , "trail" is a relative term  here on the East Coast.  Please don't get me wrong.... there are some seriously strenuous trails here.... i.e. like the Applalation Trail  (anyone who attempts the full length of this one is definitely a candidate for an Olympic athletic event)

but we have also encountered some National Forest designated "hiking trails" that have left both Bruce  and I wondering at when the meaning of the word "hike" had changed.

 Clingman's Point Trail is a case in point. No offense to those who need a wheel-chair ramp.   I can see how, if  you are in a wheel chair and self propelled, this  'trail"  is an Olympic challenge

 but for the rest of us, (even seniors like me) it looks like  the NFS has downgraded its expectations about what the visiting public can physically achieve.  I  agree that the 360 degree view was great, and am glad that everyone is afforded the opportunity.... just please don't call it a "trail".

That isn't to say that Clingman's dome is not worth visiting. At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi.. A seven-mile road from U.S. 441 leads to a large parking area with very nice views. For more spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond, climb the steep half-mile paved walkway to the "flying saucer" tower at the top. On clear days views expand over a 100 miles, but clouds and pollution usually limit visibility  to a fifth of that distance.