Descriptive InformationMetal plaque mounted on gravel covered concrete marker. Observation tower This structure, built in 1959, replaced a wooden fire tower that succumbed to the elements and time. It stands on the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina at an elevation of 6642 feet, the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The spiraling 300 foot ramp rises 45 feet above the ground to provide you with an unobstructed panoramic view of more than 50 miles in all directions. The smoke like haze rising from the dense forest gave the name to these mountains.Observation tower marker Clingmans Dome, II-A-Sign-17241
