peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S., near the Tennessee–North Carolina border, 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Knoxville, Tennessee. The highest point in Tennessee, it rises to an elevation of 6,643 feet (2,025 metres) and is also the highest point along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. At the summit is an observation tower 54 feet (16 metres) high that affords an unobstructed view of the Great Smoky Mountains. The peak was named for Thomas L. Clingman, a U.S. senator from North Carolina.