Andrews Bald Trail is an easy trek to get you started when visiting Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It can be batched in with Clingmans Dome on the same day and has great views when you reach the trails terminus.
Make sure to pick your time, as parking can be a bit of a challenge in this popular area. Hike in early and watch the sunrise over the mountains from the open meadow at the end of the trail.
Basic information for Andrews Bald Trail
Length of trail
The trail is 1.8-miles one way with a connection to the Forney Ridge trail if you wish to make your trek a bit longer.
Difficulty
I would consider this an easy to moderate trail. There isn’t a lot of elevation change and the trail is well-maintained and fairly flat with stairs for more challenging areas.
Location
Park in the Clingmans Dome parking area and the trail is located just before the gift shop on your left-hand side. It’s a little unassuming, because most people are just going to check out Clingmans Dome, but it’s a perfect warmup trek if you are just arriving into the park.
Trail description
Entering the trail, you immediately leave the crowds behind and start a slight descent into the woods. The trail is quiet and the trail itself is relatively flat and mostly rock free.
The initial mile or so has some decline with built in steps that, yes, you will need to come back up later, but honestly, they aren’t that bad. Once you get past this area, the trail is flat and the forest smells amazing.
There are no real glimpses of what is to come. However, the closer you get to the open meadow at the end of the trail, the thinner the trees become with planks to walk along as the ground becomes wetter.
The end of the trail opens up with 180-degree views of the forest and mountains beyond and is the perfect place to stop for lunch.
Other connecting trails
Forney Ridge Trail
The Forney Ridge Trail is mostly downhill and runs for 5.6 miles from Clingman’s Dome parking area to Springhouse Branch Trail. It is steep and rocky, so considered more difficult than Andrews Bald Trail.
The fun thing about the Smokies is that you can cross between two states, and the Forney Ridge Trail dips you into North Carolina.
Appalachian Trail
Part way up the Clingmans Dome Trail, slightly past Andrews Bald Trail, the Appalachian Trail crosses over. If you want unlimited hiking, where you can go as far as you want and then turn around and come back, this is the perfect option.
Clingmans Dome Trail
This trail is one of the most popular trails in the park. It’s short and fully paved with lots of stops. The main challenge is that the entire walk to the lookoff is a continuous incline.
I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed by this trail and expected more. However, the views are really nice and it puts the enormity of the park into perspective.
Concluding thoughts
Andrews Bald Trail is a great day hike that can be combined with other hikes. It’s the perfect warm-up to some of the longer more challenging hikes, such as Ramsey’s Cascades Trail.
Planning your trip? Check out my Guide to Great Smoky Mountain National Park for more.
