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Traveler's Guide to . . . Great Smoky Mountains & Shenandoah National Parks |
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Traveler PO Box 39912 Los Angeles, CA 90039 800-417-4680 323-660-8600 fax 323-660-0473 phototravel@phototraveler.com
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Comprehensive
guides to all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park including
Cades Cove, Roaring Fork Cataloochee and Balsm Mountain and also
Shenandoah National Park.
2001, 47 pages, $15.95
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Clingmans Dome Road
Just beyond the Newfound Gap Overlook is the turnoff to Clingmans Dome at mile 13.4. This 7-mile road takes you to the parking area for the steep, half-mile walk on a paved trail to the top of Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park. There is an observation tower and on a clear day, you have some very extensive views in all directions. Of course, this is a good location for sunsets and sunrises, but it is usually jammed with people and there are some better spots. You can actually take your best sunrise and sunset shots right from the parking lot and avoid the steep climb to the observation tower. The east end of the Clingmans Dome parking lot is also a good spot for sunrise. Fog and mist will often be there to provide those mystical shots. The rocky area at the west side of the lot is a good place for sunsets. In late summer, the parking area is also a good location to photograph wildflowers. |
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A more interesting hike from the Clingmans Dome parking lot
is to Andrews Bald. It is about four miles roundtrip and you should allow
about four hours. The hike can be done anytime from spring through fall,
but it is particularly interesting in late June when the flame azaleas and
rhododendrons are in bloom. Take the Forney Ridge Trail from the start of
the paved Clingmans Dome Trail. Much of this hike is through dense forest
with plenty of opportunities to photograph ferns and lichen that thrive in
the moist climate. However, there isn't much light filtering through along
much of the hike so you will need fast film, a tripod or a flash. From the
bald you have expansive views of the Smoky Mountains, Fontana Lake and the
mountains to the south and east.
For sunrise, many of the pullouts along the road are excellent. About three miles along the Clingmans Dome road from the junction of the Newfound Gap Road is the quarter-mile Spruce-Fir Nature Trail and is worth a stroll. The road to Clingmans Dome is closed in the winter but this can be an excellent destination for the cross-country skiing photographer. |
