Hike 1. Clingmans Dome to Fork Ridge Trail
Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains offers visitors stunning panoramic views from its observation tower, the highest point in the park, along with opportunities for hiking, photography, and experiencing diverse flora and fauna in a beautiful, mountainous setting. Follow along as I visit the observation tower then hike along the combined Appalachian Trail and Mountains-to-Sea Trail for a few miles.
I am taking the 40 hike challenge, hiking all 40 trails in the “Great Day Hikes on North Carolina’s Mountains to Sea Trail” book from Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail!
I am hiking the trails in no particular order. My goal WAS to complete them all in 2021, releasing a new episode every week. Somewhere along the way, I decided that experiencing the trails and surrounding areas was more important than finishing all 40 as soon as possible. When I started the challenge, all 40 hikes had to be completed between March 23, 2020 and March 31, 2023. Good news! Friends of the MST have removed the deadline for the challenge, so if you want to try it yourself, you've got time! :)
If you have any questions about the trails please feel free to ask in the comment section. I’d love to hear about your experiences on these trails as well.
The book "Great Day Hikes on North Carolina's Mountains to Sea Trail" is available here:
stores.portmerch.com/mountain...
#mst40hike #40hikechallenge #hiking #dayhike #cherokee #hike40mst #greatsmokymountains #clingmansdome #smokies #wildlife #history
00:00 Start at Clingmans Dome Parking Lot
02:02 Beginning of hike
05:58 Discussing the spruce fir moss spider
17:25 Conclusion