Highest peak of Great Smoky Mountains getting its Cherokee name back after 165 years

What was formerly known as Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains, has now been restored to its traditional Cherokee name Kuwohi.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the change Sept. 18, the National Park Service announced.

The summit, situated on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, is one of the most popular spots in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, seeing over 650,000 visitors each year, officials say.

Mary Crowe and Lavita Hill, members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, began the name restoration effort in 2022.

“My heart is full,” Crowe said on Facebook following the vote.

The pair embarked on a yearslong mission to revert the name to Kuwohi, raising awareness of the mountain’s significance and garnering support from government officials in North Carolina and Tennessee to submit their proposal to the Board on Geographic Names.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians principal chief, Michell Hicks, submitted it for a vote in January, officials said.

“I am still in a little bit of shock,” Hill told the Cherokee One Feather, the EBCI’s news outlet, following the approval. “But I feel like this is an incredible victory for our people. What started as a fun idea transpired into reclaiming our native language on a significant mountain within the park.”

Great Smoky National Park supported the name change, Superintendent Cassius Cash said.

“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 news release. “The National Park Service looks forward to continuing to work with the Cherokee People to share their story and preserve this landscape together.”

At 6,643 feet, Kuwohi is the third-tallest point east of the Mississippi River, with an observation tower that offers panoramic views of the Smokies, according to NPS. The summit can be seen from Qualla Boundary, which is home to the EBCI.

“Throughout this journey, we made new friends, learned a lot and retold the stories about the bears in council and of our spiritual leaders,” Hill shared on Facebook. “More people now know the mountain as Kuwohi, the name our ancestors gave her.”

Kuwohi translates to “mulberry place,” the park service said.

Clingmans Dome was named in 1859 after Thomas Lanier Clingman, a Confederate brigadier general and U.S. representative and senator from North Carolina.

Park officials have begun updating the communications materials and signage to reflect the change.