Great Smoky Mountains urge visitors to help Clingmans Dome Tower win grant
SEVIERVILLE (WATE) – The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is hoping to restore a historic place in East Tennessee.
The park entered to win a $250,000 grant from Partners in Preservation (PIP) for the Clingmans Dome Tower. The park would like to preserve the tower which is located on the North Carolina-Tennessee line.
“Clingmans Dome is a special treasure for the people of North Carolina and Tennessee,” said Friends of the Smokies President Jim Hart. “Visitors from all over the world flock to this iconic tower and with everyone’s help, we can preserve this magnificent structure for generations to come.”
It is the highest point in the national park and in the state of Tennessee at 6,643 feet. The tower has been a destination for visitors since 1959. Visitors are able to see 100 miles of the park’s scenery. Over 600,000 people drive on Clingmans Dome Road between April and November, according to GSMNP.
(WATE, 5/25/2016)