Andrews Bald is the highest bald in the Smokies, standing just under 6,000 feet. Every year in the month of June, the flame azalea and rhododendron show arrives for all those willing to hike a couple miles to see. You start at Clingmans Dome and take the Forney Ridge Trail to reach Andrews Bald. Here is a complete trail report that describes the hike.

In addition to the heath flowerings at Andrews and an abundance of blackberries and raspberries later in the season, Andrews Bald is also known for one of the mysterious disappearances within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

16-year-old Trenny Gibson went on a field trip Oct. 8, 1976, to the Smokies Park with a group of about 35 classmates from Bearden High School. A bus dropped them off that Friday afternoon at Clingmans Dome, one of the most visited spots in the Smokies. The students were to hike down from Clingmans on the Forney Ridge Trail about 1.8 miles to Andrews Bald and then come back. Not that long really. But there were some steep dropoffs on the side. Reports indicate Trenny was with a couple friends who stopped to rest along the trail. She went on. And then she disappeared completely. She has never been found.

Below is a terrain track of the hike from Clingmans Dome to Andrews Bald and back.

Relive ‘Andrews Bald, Great Smoky Mountains’

The azalea display at Andrews Bald may not be quite as colorful as all the hybrids at Gregory Bald overlooking Cades Cove, but it is a lot easier to get to. Still, there are a variety of shades of brilliant orange that will dazzle your eyes and nostrils. Enjoy the photos!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the state of Tennessee, and along the Appalachian Trail. Standing 6,643 feet, it is also the third highest peak in the East, only 41 feet lower than the tallest. Several hiking trails surround the summit of Clingmans Dome, including the Forney Ridge Trail that heads south to the picturesque Andrews Bald, and the iconic Appalachian Trail that crosses the summit. You can connect these trails at various junctions to make a six-mile hike that straddles the North Carolina/Tennessee state line, and offers a grand overview of the beauty that is the Smokies. Meanderthals visited Clingmans Dome on Monday, June 15, 2015 from 8:00AM to 11:45AM. Our plan was to enjoy the azaleas and rhododendron at Andrews Bald, then take the connector to the Appalachian Trail and the observation tower on the Dome.

Directly after turning onto Clingmans Dome Road from Highway 441, there is a one-car pullout on the right. If you would like to see a Civilian Conservation Corps stone tunnel under the road, then stop here. Walk less than a tenth mile up the road and take the footpath down below the level of the road. Voilà! Legend has it that the Appalachian Trail at one time passed through this tunnel.

OK. Now you can resume the drive out to the end of Clingmans Dome Road. When visiting Clingmans Dome, no matter the day of the week, I highly recommend you get there early, like 9:00 AM at the absolute latest. We arrived about 7:45, and there were already 20 cars parked there. When we finished our hike at 11:45, all of the 100 available parking spaces were full, and the cars were lined up waiting for someone to leave. It gets very popular in a hurry.

The trailhead is at the north end of the parking lot, just past the large signboard. You can take the paved path straight up to the summit of Clingmans Dome, but we were headed to Andrews Bald first. So we headed down the dirt and gravel Forney Ridge Trail on the left. You are immediately met with a series of water bars constructed to help prevent erosion on this fragile hillside. These water bars will be with you for the entire descent.

After 0.2 mile you will come to a trail junction. Turn left for Andrews Bald, or turn right for the Appalachian Trail. We started out left, but would return the other direction later. Soon you enter the dark and mysterious elfinwood forest as you descend 550 feet in the next mile. The trail is quite rocky here, so watch your step. Keep your eye out too for wildlife, and for the occasional view through the forest of the surrounding Smoky Mountains.

Krummholz, also known as elfinwood, is a particular feature of subarctic and subalpine tree line landscape. Continual exposure to fierce, freezing winds causes vegetation to become stunted and deformed. Under these conditions, trees can only survive where they are sheltered by rock formations or snow cover. Common trees showing krumholtz formation include various species of spruce, fir, and pine. Instances of krumholtz are found in the northern Canadian boreal forests, and surprisingly in the high country forests of the Smokies and Blue Ridge in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.

You will reach the low point of this hike at the junction with the Forney Creek Trail. On a previous visit to this area, we hiked down to the Forney Creek Cascade, but to continue to Andrews Bald, go straight ahead. The next three-quarters mile is a roller coaster, going up and back down, then up once again. Lots of moisture from the near-constant cloud inversions falls on this area, so the park service has constructed boardwalks to help with mud and erosion control.

When you arrive at Andrews Bald, you will know it. The trail pops out into the open of a large meadow that overlooks the southern, eastern, and western slopes below Clingmans Dome. On a clear day like we enjoyed, you can also see Fontana Lake far below from this vantage point. However, the primary reason for coming to Andrews Bald in mid-June is the heath shrubs. Catawba rhododendron and flame azalea dominate the grassy bald, and blueberries are just beginning to take flower.

The bright orange azaleas were putting on quite a show, but the rhododendron was surprisingly missing. On some plants the blossoms had already come and gone, likely knocked down by heavy rain that pelts this area frequently. On others, there were a few buds of those still waiting to bloom, so it was difficult to say if we were too late, or too early. I have noticed in general that this just seemed to be a bad year for catawba rhododendron. It happens.

We met a happy family from Michigan, a dad and his two teenage daughters, and chatted for awhile about the Great Smoky Mountains. They travel quite a bit throughout the United States, and had been quite impressed during their week in the Southern Appalachians. They told us how lucky we were to live nearby. I agreed.

After lots of picture taking and a snack, it was time to continue the next phase of our adventure, so back we went the way we came. Pace yourself on the return. It isn’t particularly steep, but you will be climbing pretty much the entire way. We went back past the Forney Creek junction, and then when we reached the first trail junction, we continued straight ahead on the A.T. connector rather than going back to the parking lot.

This half mile stretch hasn’t received as much love from the trail building crews as the way to Andrews Bald. You will notice the absence of the water bars as you contend with the very rocky and rooty pathway. It remains uphill all the way, so by the time you reach the A.T., you will have climbed continuously for a mile and a half. A good workout to be sure. When you reach the junction, however, it will all seem worth it when you are presented with the magnificent view of Mt. LeConte seen at the top of this post.

At this meeting with the Appalachian Trail you have a choice. Turn right (northbound) to go the 0.3 mile to the summit of Clingmans Dome, or turn left (southbound) to cross Mt. Buckley and begin a steep descent along the state line. We explored some of the southbound direction, keeping our mind on the pitch of the decline. Knowing that every step we went down we would have to come back up, we continued perhaps a quarter mile down the west side of Mt. Buckley, then returned to the junction.

Once we started heading to the summit, it suddenly got a lot more crowded. The handful of other hikers turned into dozens, and then — when we reached the paved portion of the trail just a hundred yards from the top — it was a mad house.

The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offers spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond. On clear days views expand over a 100 miles. Clouds, precipitation, and cold temperatures are common at Clingmans Dome. Temperatures at the dome can be 10 -20 degrees cooler than in the surrounding lowlands. Dress in layers and be sure to bring a jacket, even in summer. This is the view to the east from the observation tower.

Despite the mass of humanity on the observation tower including crying babies and excited teens shooting selfies with their bff, we enjoyed a few minutes soaking in the surrounding landscape. The massive summit of Mt. Leconte dominates the northern view. Off to the east are Newfound Gap and Mt. Guyot. If you happen to hit it on a rare clear day, you can see all the way to the Black Mountains Range a hundred miles away.

To the west are Shuckstack and Gregory Bald among others, with Cades Cove lying in a valley between ridges. Although you can’t see Andrews Bald from the tower, the southerly view is of the area where we had been hiking earlier. We could also see there were scores more people coming up the paved pathway for their chance to peer out into the heart of the Smokies, so it was time to make room for others on the tower.

Keep in mind that Clingmans Dome is more than 6,600 feet elevation. Among other things, that means the air is thinner than what you are probably used to. As we descended the fairly steep half mile to the parking lot, I listened intently to some of the comments from those who were walking up. For example, one somewhat overweight lady leaned in to her friend and said, “My lungs don’t seem to be working right today.” Another who had stopped to rest on one of the numerous benches along the way was overheard saying, “Whose idea was this, anyway?”

Summarizing, there is a lot more to explore at Clingmans Dome than just the observation tower at the summit. Treat yourself to some time on the Appalachian Trail and/or the Forney Ridge Trail. There are a number of ways to make this hike quite a bit longer if you wish. You can continue down Forney Ridge beneath Andrews Bald. In fact, the trail goes all the way to Fontana Lake, meeting the Noland Creek Trail several miles below. You can go a lot farther southbound on the Appalachian Trail than we did, and you can continue on the Appalachian Trail from the summit of Clingmans Dome northbound to Newfound Gap, and beyond.

Keep in mind too, that there are other trailheads along Clingmans Dome Road, including the Noland Creek Trail that traverses nearly 15 miles all the way to Fontana Lake, and Fork Ridge Trail (also part of the Mountains to Sea Trail) that meets Deep Gap Trail for a long descent into Bryson City, NC. It is warm weather hiking though, because Clingmans Dome Road is closed from December 1 through March 31, and whenever weather conditions require.

The best times for wildflowers and wildlife are May and June, and of course, don’t miss the Fall extravaganza of colors that bless the Smoky Mountains in September and October. Just GET THERE EARLY!

Updated August 26, 2015

Ken and I enjoyed our visit to Clingmans Dome in June so much that we planned another, this time with the friendly crew from Tennessee. We intended to explore two sites we missed last time — an old, derelict logging boiler located off the Forney Creek Trail, and a magical field of angelica, ferns and blackberries alongside the Appalachian Trail on the south face of Mt. Buckley.

There were nine of us on this fine Smokies day, plenty to keep each other entertained and occupied. For the first venture, we headed down the Forney Ridge Trail toward Andrews Bald, but stopped at the junction with Forney Creek Trail. Once we had all been herded back together, we proceeded down Forney Creek. Just a few minutes later we took a right into the woods.

A surprisingly easy-to-follow manway took us west through the delightful high-elevation forest, passing remnants of the old railroad bed that were easily identifiable by straight patches of grassy turf. Along the way we passed numerous artifacts including trail rail, brakes and tools, water piping, and the occasional bucket or washtub. Some may call it junk or debris, but when you consider it has been here for a century, others will call it history.

After 10 minutes of tracking through the woods below Clingmans Dome, we found it. This old coal-fired boiler was abandoned by loggers in the 1920s. Not really a locomotive, this was a boiler that produced steam to operate a winch that pulled logs up and down the mountain to log-loader train cars. It is perhaps 15-18 feet in length, so not powerful by any means. While somewhat rusty, it actually has more of a mossy tint to it from decades of decay. If you peer into the firebox, you can still see the coal that spilled after the wreck.

We enjoyed a snack as we traded myths about the history of logging here in the shadow of the Dome. Then, back to the Forney Ridge Trail, we next took the connector up the south shoulder of Clingmans Dome to the Appalachian Trail. We crossed Mt. Buckley, started down the south side perhaps a half mile, then plunged waist deep into a luscious field full of blossoming angelica, the thickest fern forest I’ve ever seen, and enough ripe blackberries to feed the Smoky Mountain bears for weeks.

Just over a year ago, some in the Tennessee crew came to this site to plant a stand of Fraser fir saplings, a project conducted by Miss. State University. They spent an entire day mapping, planting, and tagging hundreds of the 4 inch tall specimens. They endured multiple rain showers, mud and sweat, and lots of corny jokes as they did their part to give back to the wilderness that has given so much to them. It was fun to watch and hear them call out the tree tag numbers as they excitedly discovered that almost all of their plantings have survived and are very healthy.

As you will see in the new photos below, it was another great day in the Smokies; ideal hiking weather, beautiful scenery and wildflowers, stimulating exercise and conversation, and rewarding companionship. You should bring your family and friends to explore the trails around Clingmans Dome. You will find that the fresh air agrees with you.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Most people who head out Clingmans Dome Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are there to climb the half mile to the summit of the 2nd highest mountain in the East. But here at Meanderthals, we aren’t most people. Below Clingmans Dome are trails that explore the ridges and drainage on the south face. Included among those are Forney Creek Cascade, a classic slide waterfall three miles down the Forney Creek drainage, and Andrews Bald, at 5,920′, the highest bald in the national park. Either one would stand alone as a delightful hike. Combining the two makes for a good challenge and combines two of our favorite types of hikes… water features, and vistas. This hike occurred on Tuesday, August 27, 2013 from 8:45am to 2:45pm. Our plan was to take the Forney Ridge Trail to Forney Creek Trail, then hike down the mountain to the cascade. Turning around, we would return to Forney Ridge Trail and take it to Andrews Bald, then return to Clingmans Dome.

When I left the house just past 6:00am, I had a sense this was going to be an eventful day. I love hiking in the Smokies. The 2.5 hour drive to Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was beautiful, as always. The highway travels between two massive ridges of the Smoky Mountains, offering breathtaking scenes along the way. As we turned onto Clingmans Dome Road, I could feel the anticipation building. When we passed the yearling black bear on the side of the road, the excitement became reality.

The large parking area at Clingmans Dome is almost always full in summer. For tourists, it’s an opportunity to catch 6,000′ vistas without having to leave your car. But at 8:30 in the morning, we were able to grab the 2nd parking space from the trailhead. Those same tourists are also late arrivals. Six hours later, the parking lot would be jammed with hundreds of cars, and others circling, waiting for someone to leave.

The downside to an early arrival at Clingmans Dome is the ubiquitous early morning fog. More often than not, you just can’t see anything. So in that regard, this was a typical day. No problem for us though. We had designed a hike that would enable us to see some water features while waiting for the sun to burn off the fog.

The trailhead is just past the sign board at the west end of the parking area. If you head right, you can take a paved path a half mile to an observation platform on the summit of Clingmans. Instead, we went left, downward a tenth of a mile to a trail junction. Right takes you to the Appalachian Trail and another means of crossing Clingmans, while left begins the Forney Ridge Trail, our pathway for this hike.

The tread constructed in 2008 by a dedicated crew of trail builders is quite impressive. They converted an extremely uneven rocky terrain to a gradual descent with excellent water bars and berm rails. Much of the trail is stone slab, sometimes canted, sometimes cut as stairs, to ease the slope as it hugs Forney Ridge. It enables you to look at the scenery, instead of at your feet.

This south face of Clingmans Dome has had its share of past disasters, including fire and infestation, but the foliage is trying to return. Lots of mountain ash, its berries in the pale orange phase before ripening, were evident. Occasional blueberry bushes and new growth fir line the trail as well. It hadn’t popped yet this morning, but on our return through this area in the afternoon, the trail was lined with flaming cardinal bee balm.

1.1 miles down Forney Ridge Trail is the junction with Forney Creek Trail. It was still only 9:30, and a quick glance at the sky indicated that fog was still prevalent. With that in mind, we chose to first check out Forney Creek, then pursue Andrews Bald later in the day.

Remember my glowing description of the trail maintenance on Forney Ridge above? We shortly found out what it had once been like, prior to 2008. Forney Creek Trail, while wide and navigable, is a rocky and rooty holloway that is slippery and wet.

It’s the kind of track that demands you wear hiking boots. Try some other footwear and you’ll likely end up with twisted ankles and very sore souls of your feet, not to mention the slipping hazard. I never went down, but I caught myself innumerable times after slips and slides on exposed roots and wet, mossy granite. The saving grace was the kind trail angels who had recently been through with scythes trimming the grasses and weeds along the trail. It kept our legs dry from the chill morning dew.

It’s a moderately steep descent through dark hardwood forest into the Forney Creek drainage, dropping about 1,500 feet below Forney Ridge to the first sighting of Forney Creek. The trail makes a hairpin turn at the creek and increases in steepness as it now follows alongside. As Forney Creek switches back, so too does the trail.

Approximately two miles down, we reached a crossing of Forney Creek, one that likely would have been impossible a few short weeks ago. Western North Carolina has received record-breaking rain this summer, including the Smokies, so this crossing would have been too dangerous when the water was in torrent mode. As it was, this was still no piece of cake. The boulders used for hopping across are covered with moss and algae, more appropriate for skating than for hiking.

As I’ve become more experienced at hiking, I’ve learned to appreciate pain more. So like most hazards encountered on the trail, I used care and caution when crossing, and all turned out well. There’s a small two-tiered waterfall at the crossing that was the reward for a safe arrival on the other side. While pointing my camera, a hummingbird appeared out of nowhere and hovered around my bright orange shirt. I suppose it was the only thing in the forest that wasn’t green.

Just a few hundred yards later, you will notice large campsites on the left by the creek. Aside from the level, terraced landings, there’s a reason they are there. Forney Creek Cascade! Comprised of two large slide waterfalls, back to back, totaling more than a hundred feet of declination, this was our goal for the first portion of our hike.

The upper slide appears a little bumpy. With a nice catch pool at the bottom, the lower cascade looks like it would be ideal for sliding on a hot summer day. Oh, to be young again.

While I took a bunch of pictures, including this one just below the cascade, my hiking companion went on down the trail a few hundred yards to see if there was more worth seeing. Upon his return, he reported that this was indeed the main cascade. So we paused for a brief energizing snack, and prepared for the long climb back up to Forney Ridge.

I have to admit to tiring. After all, it does climb 1,500 feet in two miles. That’s a pretty serious incline/mile. The loose rock and twisted roots don’t make it any easier, requiring careful placement of each and every step. It was past noon by the time we reached the junction with Forney Ridge Trail again, and headed east to Andrews Bald.

The reward for finishing the climb up Forney Creek is… that you get to climb some more. The trail junction sits in a small gap. We now had to climb another 300 feet, or so, over Andrews Bald. The trail traverses boardwalk laid to keep the touristy types in their flip-flops out of the mud. The forest is spruce and fir krummholz. I’m told lilies of the valley bloom here in June, complementing the rhododendron and azalea that also appear in the grassy bald meadow at that time. We encountered other hikers for the first time all day.

Our patience paid off. The fog had lifted. The grassy meadow is on the south side of Andrews Bald. For the best views of the surrounding Smoky Mountains head about 500 feet south along the trail. There are excellent vantage points for gazing every direction. Except for the forest you just came out of to the north, the long-distance vistas include Fontana Lake to your south, the Smokies of North Carolina to the east, and the Smokies of Tennessee to the west.

By now we were ready for lunch, so we found a nice patch of grass beneath a shady fir, and sat down for some rest, nourishment, and awe. The swallowtail butterflies were having a party on the goldenrod, and we even saw a monarch or two flitting about the milkweed. Our late August timing was perfect for a dessert of fresh mountain blueberries from the wealth of bushes that surround the meadow.

It was fast approaching 2:00, and we still had two hours of driving to do, so as much as we hated to, we bid adieu to Andrews Bald. My friend usually likes to do a speed burn whenever we’re out for our regular hike, so when we reached the Forney Ridge/Forney Creek junction, he took off back up the hill to Clingmans Dome. While I’m in pretty darn good shape for a 60-year-old, I can’t begin to keep up with him, so I continued at my regular steady pace.

Remember that sense of anticipation I had when I set out in the morning? It was this separation from my friend that enabled it to happen. I was still about a half hour from the finish, and was feeling the affects of nearly six hours of hiking. Plodding along, taking the occasional breather, I was deep in thought about what a great day it had been.

When I glanced up the trail, I saw a young women in a brightly colored shirt approaching about 100 feet away. Suddenly, she turned and scampered away. I thought, “what the heck?” And then I saw her. There, standing right in the middle of the trail about half way between the woman and I was a smallish female black bear.

She turned her head to peer at the woman, then turned it again to look at me. Determining that neither of us was a threat, the bear began slowly walking toward me on the trail, perhaps another 15 feet closer. My mind flashed rapidly to all the reports I’ve read about what to do, and what not to do, and I decided I had no reason to be afraid. The she bear stopped again, stood still for about a minute, and then suddenly here comes a cub tumbling out of the woods to my right. Now the she bear was a mama bear. That put this situation in an entirely different perspective.

I kept my distance, but held my ground, stayed still, and raised my camera to shoot some pictures. I knew that the mama didn’t want to see me, or other hikers, so she began encouraging junior to head into the woods to the left. He wasn’t having any of that though, as he was enjoying blueberries on the side of the trail. For a couple minutes this comical scene played out as the anxious mom and the carefree cub went back and forth at the edge of the trail.

Finally the cub had enough, and down the hillside into the brush he went, followed by his mama. I waited for another minute, then began cautiously stepping the 50 feet up the trail to the point where they went in the bushes. The closer I got, the slower I proceeded, peering around the corner for any sign that they were still there. And sure enough, there was mama, no more than 15 feet away, sitting down, staring directly at me.

For the briefest moment, I thought about going for a closeup photograph, but then my sanity kicked in. Who knows what the act of raising the camera would do? Who knows what the click of the shutter would do? What I did know is that I needed to keep moving. I reached the woman above me on the trail, who was with a companion, and warned them that mama bear was still sitting right near the trail. I continued ahead myself, and eventually saw that the couple was now following behind. So I guess they decided they didn’t want to chance passing the bear.

By now I was completely giddy with excitement. The last half mile of the climb I was floating on air. I couldn’t wait to get back and tell my friend about my good fortune. You know how you don’t really want to encounter bears when out hiking, but you kinda do? Well, now that I had, and all went well, I was completely overflowing with awesome. Strangely, I never did feel fear. I knew to be cautious. I knew how I had been trained, and I behaved appropriately. As a result, I was fortunate to experience the great gift of a close proximity wildlife encounter. I will never forget.

To summarize, if you want an easy hike, you certainly don’t have to go to Forney Creek Cascade. It is only 3.5 miles round trip to Andrews Bald. But my companion and I generally like to hike more than that, especially when driving more than two hours each way. I recommend getting an early start. We didn’t see anyone else on the trail until after noon, and by the time we got back to the parking lot it was teeming with madness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this hike. The cascade on Forney Creek was very nice, and Andrews Bald has some amazing high country vistas. Peak season is June when the rhodos and azaleas are in bloom, but expect bigger crowds as a result. I think it would be cool to see in winter, but Clingmans Dome Road is closed from December through March.

It’s kinda ironic when you think about it. Here there were hundreds of people, milling about, totally unaware that a bear and her cub were a stones throw away over the hillside. I’ve heard that the bear population in Great Smoky Mountains National Park averages out to about one every square mile. Makes you wonder how many times you hike within a matter of 50 feet of one and never know it’s there. I guarantee it knows you’re there.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.