America’s most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is making history by officially renaming its highest peak.
What was known for more than 150 years as Clingmans Dome will now revert to its original Cherokee name, Kuwohi. This name change comes after a request from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and a vote from the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.
The peak, which stands at 6,644 feet on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, was named Clingmans Dome in 1859 by geographer Arnold Guyot in honor of Thomas Lanier Clingman, a Confederate general, lawyer, and politician from North Carolina.
The decision to rename the mountain reflects a growing effort to recognize the land’s original inhabitants and to distance public landmarks from Confederate associations.
Kuwohi, which translates to “mulberry place,” holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Cherokee people. It’s more than just a scenic spot; it’s a sacred place within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ traditional homeland.
The peak is visible from the Qualla Boundary, the land that the Cherokee call home today. The park sees more than 650,000 visitors to Kuwohi annually, and the name change aims to honor the historical and cultural connection of the Cherokee to this landscape.
Superintendent Cassius Cash of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park acknowledged the importance of restoring the name.
“The Cherokee People have had strong connections to Kuwohi and the surrounding area, long before the land became a national park,” Cash said in a release. He also expressed excitement about working with the Cherokee to preserve this landscape and share its story with the public.
As part of their ongoing relationship with the park, Cherokee schools make annual visits to Kuwohi, where students learn about their cultural history and the land’s significance. The National Park Service closes the area for three half-days each year to facilitate these educational trips.
The name-restoration proposal was submitted by Principal Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in January and officially approved on Wednesday.
