Kuwohi

Kuwohi is a mountain summit in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. A concrete observation platform stands atop the forested peak and offers distant views over several states on clear days.

A geographer assigned the name Clingmans Dome in 1859 in honor of a congressman from North Carolina. The designation was replaced in 2024 with the original Cherokee name Kuwohi.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians holds this summit as a sacred place and uses the traditional name Kuwohi, which refers to mulberry trees. The name connects the site to the landscape and the history of the Cherokee people in this region.

The access road closes from December through March due to snow and ice. The paved path to the observation platform climbs steeply over half a mile and requires some stamina.

This summit marks the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail, which stretches over 2100 miles from Georgia to Maine. Hikers reach the top at the border of two states while crossing one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America.

Location: North Carolina

Location: Tennessee

Elevation above the sea: 2,025 m

GPS coordinates: 35.56286,-83.49838

Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:02