Discover the Real Outdoors on Albright Grove Loop Trail
On Albright Grove Loop Trail you will see that it winds up a small creek and through an ancient forest that gives one a hushed, and even sacred, feeling.
Along the trail, you will see tulip poplar and silverbell trees.
Image courtesy of HikingintheSmokies.com
Albright Grove Loop Trail is accessible from Highway 321. From downtown Gatlinburg, follow the highway until you pass Pittman Center. Take a right onto Laurel Springs Road to the Maddron Bald trailhead parking area. Follow that trail to arrive at Albright Grove.
The trail is named after Horace Albright, second director of the National Park Service. Albright also helped establish Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Your Journey
Throughout your journey, you will see some of the oldest and tallest trees in the park. You will find yourself in a more remote area of the park, allowing you to enjoy a quiet journey in the woods.
Amazing Trail Departure
After departing the Maddron Bald Trail, the trail narrows and begins to climb for roughly .3 miles as it follows Dunn Creek. Eastern hemlocks and tulip poplars are plentiful throughout the grove. If you have explored other areas of the park that were logged before its formation, you’ll notice the trees here are much larger. This is an example of what a mature, cove hardwood forest looks like. Imagine a time when all the forests in the Smokies looked like this.
Amazing Trail Descension
The trail levels off along a ridge before it turns right and descends back to meet up with the Maddron Bald Trail. During the descent, there is a small spur trail that leads to a giant tulip tree, roughly 25 feet in diameter.
The trail joins back up with the Maddron Bald Trail .3 miles away from the first trail junction. From here, you can go to the right as the trail makes its way towards the Snake Den Ridge Trail. Alternatively, you can go left and head back to the parking lot.
Finally, here are a variety of trees that can be found throughout the grove. Since this is a virgin forest, the trees here are larger than trees found in other areas of the park.
