Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Day 1 [Clingmans Dome, Appalachian Trail, Silers Bald, Welch Ridge Trail, Hazel Creek Trail]
We awoke early (around 5:00AM) on a Thursday morning to make the drive from our AirBNB, in Knoxville, to Clingmans Dome, where we would begin our adventure. After a stop, a detour, and some road construction in the park, we arrived to the parking lot for Clingmans Dome just before 8:00AM. If you want to enjoy the views without too much interruption, we highly recommend getting to the parking area in the early morning hours. The contrast between the relative serenity of starting our hike in the early morning and the bustling scene we returned to, several days later, in the middle of the afternoon, was a bit surreal. Arriving early also allowed us our choice of parking, and we chose a prime spot, within view of the Clingmans Dome Information Center. If the road construction is still in ongoing when you read this, definitely allow for extra time when traveling outside of the early morning and late afternoon hours. A few voices droned and an occasional car door slammed shut as we pul...