b"If you feel like stretching your legs a bit try (10) Cades Cove Nature Trail. This half mile looptakes visitors into the woods to experience how a settlers family would forge for necessities.Just ahead on the right you will find(11) Dan Lawson Place. Built around 1856, some of thebetter blade work of the time is represented in this home. Small outbuildingsserved as family pantries, also used as a granary and smokehouse.You can also stop at(12) Tipton Place. Hamp Tipton hadthis home built shortly after the Civil War. The long shed onthe opposite side of the house is an apiary or bee gumstand, offering honey as a common confection. Asyour tour of the cove comes to a close, you willsee(13)CarterShieldsCabin sitting nestlednear the end of the loop. Another exampleofcraftsmanshipinthearea,thissmall cottage offers visitors onelastopportunitytostepout of their lives andinto the past.At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the GreatSmokyMountainsNationalPark.ItisthehighestpointinTennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi.The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offersspectacular 360 views of the Smokies and beyond for visitorswilling to climb the steep half-mile walk to the tower at the top.Clouds,precipitation,andcoldtemperaturesarecommonatClingmans Dome. Temperatures at the dome can be 10 - 20 degrees cooler than in the surroundinglowlands. The cool, wet conditions on Clingmans Dome's summit make the spruce-fir forest thatgrows there a coniferous rainforest. Dress in layers and be sure to bring a jacket, even in summer.Although Clingmans Dome is open year-round, the road leading to it is closed fromDecember 1 through March 31, and whenever weather conditions require. It'sseven milesto the end of Clingmans Dome Road and there are scenic pullouts with endless views ofridges and valleys along the way. The road ends in a large parking area from which a 0.5National Parkmile trail leads to the summit. The trail is paved but steep, and leads to an observationtower on top.Besides the trail to the summit, there are several trails that start on Clingmans DomeRoad and parking area. The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses Clingmans Dome, marking thehighest point along its journey from Georgia to Maine. The Forney Ridge Trail leads toAndrews Bald, a high-elevation grassy bald.To get to Clingmans Dome, take 441 through the Park and turn off .1 miles south ofNewfound Gap and follow the 7-mile Clingmans Dome Road to the large parking area atthe end.Mileage to Clingmans DomeFrom Cherokee - 25 miSmokyMountainNavigator.com From Gatlinburg - 23 mi 131"