Kuwohi
The highest point in the Smokies, in Tennessee, and on the entire Appalachian Trail — and it hasn’t been called Clingmans Dome since 2024.
It’s called Kuwohi now.
On September 18, 2024, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted to restore the name Kuwohi — pronounced roughly ku-WHOA-hee, written ᎫᏬᎯ in the Cherokee syllabary — in place of Clingmans Dome.
The request came from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, submitted by Principal Chief Michell Hicks in January 2024 after an effort begun in 2022 by EBCI members Lavita Hill and Mary Crowe. The National Park Service supported it.
Kuwohi means “mulberry place.” It’s a sacred site, the highest point within the traditional Cherokee homeland, and visible from the Qualla Boundary. To Cherokee people it has always been Kuwohi.
📍 Why you’ll still see the old name everywhere
The change is recent enough that older guidebooks, maps, road signs and a great many travel articles still say Clingmans Dome. The observation tower is now officially the Kuwohi Observation Tower in NPS usage.
If you’re searching for directions or conditions, it’s worth trying both names — but Kuwohi is the current official one.
The Numbers
- 6,643 feet. The highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the highest in Tennessee, and the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail between Georgia and Maine.
- 7-mile access road from Newfound Gap Road up to the parking area.
- 1 mile round trip from the car park to the tower — about half a mile each way.
- Allow about an hour per NPS, though they don’t publish a formal difficulty rating for it.
- 10 to 20°F cooler than the surrounding lowlands.
- Parking tag required if you’re there more than 15 minutes — $5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual.
Kuwohi Road: April 1 to November 29
The seven-mile access road is open April 1 through November 29 in 2026, conditions permitting, and closed through the winter. The visitor center at the top runs its own schedule, closing December 1 through April 1.
It also closes outside those dates. NPS shuts the road for snow, ice and hazardous weather — which at 6,643 feet can arrive well before and after the posted season. It closes for cultural and educational events too, occasionally with the road and tower trail shut until early afternoon.
Check the current NPS road status the morning you go. This is not a road to drive up on assumption.
Paved Is Not the Same as Easy
It’s half a mile from the parking area to the tower, and it’s paved the whole way. That combination makes it sound like a stroll, and it isn’t.
NPS’s own wording is “paved but very steep.” There are benches along the route, which tells you something. At this elevation the air is noticeably thinner than most visitors are used to, and the gradient is constant.
NPS does not designate this trail as ADA accessible. The park’s accessible trail is Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail, not this one. If someone in your group uses a wheelchair, that distinction matters and it’s easy to miss — paved surfaces get assumed to be accessible.
At the top, a spiral ramp leads up to the observation tower and a 360-degree view over the Smokies, when the weather allows.
Sunny in Gatlinburg tells you almost nothing about Kuwohi. It can be twenty degrees colder and inside a cloud.”
The View Is Not Guaranteed
NPS is direct about this: clear weather at lower elevations does not guarantee clear weather at Kuwohi. Clouds, precipitation and cold are common, and the panoramic views are available when weather permits.
Ten to twenty degrees colder than the lowlands, with substantially more precipitation, and cloud can develop even in summer. Take a layer you’d feel silly packing in Gatlinburg.
People do drive up, find themselves inside a cloud, and see nothing. It happens often enough that it’s worth having an alternative plan rather than treating this as the centrepiece of a day.
The Highest Point on the Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail crosses Kuwohi, and at 6,643 feet this is the highest point on the entire trail between Georgia and Maine. Thru-hikers walk over it.
Worth being clear on the geography: the AT crosses the mountain, but it isn’t the path you’ll be walking. Visitors use the steep paved spur from the parking area up to the tower. The AT is a separate route across the summit — you can step onto it, but it’s not the way to the view.
Before You Drive Up
- Parking is the main planning problem. NPS warns to expect crowds and full parking, says demand frequently exceeds capacity, and suggests having an alternate destination ready.
- A parking tag is required for stops over 15 minutes, same as everywhere else in the park. America the Beautiful doesn’t cover it.
- Pit toilets near the car park close in winter. There are no other facilities at the top outside the visitor center season.
- Sunrise and sunset are possible. There’s no daily gate closure on Kuwohi Road while it’s seasonally open — unlike Cades Cove, which is explicitly sunrise to sunset.
- Check the road status the morning you go. Weather and event closures both happen, and a seven-mile drive up to a locked gate is a wasted hour.
- Bring a layer. Ten to twenty degrees colder, and often windy at the tower.
Kuwohi FAQ
Why is Clingmans Dome now called Kuwohi?
On September 18, 2024, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved a request from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to restore the name. Kuwohi means “mulberry place” — it’s a sacred site and the highest point within the traditional Cherokee homeland. NPS supported the restoration.
How high is Kuwohi?
6,643 feet. The highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the highest in Tennessee, and the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail between Georgia and Maine.
When is Kuwohi Road open?
April 1 through November 29 in 2026, conditions permitting. It also closes outside those dates for snow, ice and hazardous weather, and occasionally for cultural events. Check the current NPS road status before driving up — it’s a seven-mile climb to a locked gate otherwise.
How hard is the walk to the tower?
1 mile round trip, and NPS describes it as “paved but very steep.” There are benches along the way, which tells you something. Allow about an hour. At 6,643 feet the air is noticeably thinner than most visitors are used to.
Is the trail wheelchair accessible?
No. It’s paved, but NPS does not designate it ADA accessible and describes it as very steep. The park’s accessible trail is Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail. Paved is not the same as accessible, and it’s an easy assumption to make.
Do you need a parking tag at Kuwohi?
Yes — same as everywhere else in the park. Required for stops over 15 minutes. $5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual, and America the Beautiful doesn’t cover it.
How cold is it up there?
10 to 20°F cooler than the lowlands, with substantially more precipitation. Clouds and cold develop even in summer. NPS specifically warns that clear weather in Gatlinburg tells you nothing about conditions at the summit.
Can you watch sunrise or sunset from Kuwohi?
Generally yes, while the road is seasonally open. The park operates 24 hours and there’s no daily gate closure on Kuwohi Road — unlike Cades Cove, which is explicitly sunrise to sunset. Still subject to weather and event closures.
Is parking difficult?
Yes. NPS warns to expect crowds and full parking, says demand frequently exceeds capacity, and advises having an alternate destination ready. Pit toilets near the car park close in winter.
Fitting it into a trip?
Kuwohi sits off Newfound Gap Road, so it pairs naturally with a drive between the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the park. Our 3-day Smokies itinerary and 5-day version both build it in. Also worth reading: the Cades Cove Loop.