Highest Points in the Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains, forming the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, represent some of the oldest and most biologically diverse highlands in the world. Unlike the sharp, rocky summits of the West, the Smokies are defined by broad, rounded ridges covered in dense temperate rainforest and a persistent blue-tinged mist that gives the range its name. With sixteen peaks rising above 6,000 feet, this region contains the highest elevations in the Appalachian range outside of North Carolina’s Black Mountains.
| Rank | Peak Name | Elevation (ft) | State | Notable Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clingmans Dome | 6,643′ | TN/NC | The highest point in the Smokies and the third-highest in the East. |
| 2 | Mount Guyot | 6,621′ | TN/NC | The second-highest peak in the park, located in a remote, rugged area. |
| 3 | Mount Le Conte | 6,593′ | Tennessee | Home to the highest guest lodge in the Eastern United States. |
| 4 | Mount Buckley | 6,580′ | TN/NC | A prominent sub-peak located immediately adjacent to Clingmans Dome. |
| 5 | Mount Love | 6,420′ | TN/NC | Another high point along the ridge near the Clingmans Dome tower. |
| 6 | Mount Chapman | 6,417′ | TN/NC | Named after David Chapman, a key figure in the park’s establishment. |
| 7 | Old Black | 6,370′ | TN/NC | Named for the dark silhouette created by its dense spruce-fir forest. |
| 8 | Luftee Knob | 6,234′ | North Carolina | Located in the eastern section of the park near the Balsam Mountain ridge. |
| 9 | Mount Kephart | 6,217′ | TN/NC | Named for Horace Kephart, author of “Our Southern Highlanders.” |
| 10 | Mount Collins | 6,188′ | TN/NC | Situated between Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome. |