Albright Grove Loop Trail
| Trail Features: | Old Growth Forest, History, Wildflowers |  |
|||
| Trail Location: | Cosby | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 7.0 Miles | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 1500 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 429 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 3420 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 10.00 (strenuous) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 35.76948 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -83.26678 | ||||
Directions to Trailhead:
At the junction of 441 and 321 in Gatlinburg (Light 3), head north (east) onto 321/73. Drive 15.5 miles and turn right, just past Yogi’s Campground, onto Baxter Road. Drive about one-half mile (passing some houses) and look for a sign for the Maddron Bald Trailhead on the right. Take a hard right turn and drive down to the trailhead. The Albright Grove Loop Trail is accessed from the Maddron Bald Trailhead. Because of theft and vandalism here, overnight backpackers may want to park at nearby businesses on US 321 (which provide this service for a fee).
Trail
Description:
The Maddron Bald Trail was built in the
early 1930s by the
Civilian Conservation Corps which operated from a camp near the
trailhead. The
trail, an old gravel road for the first 2.3 miles, begins as a gradual
ascent
towards Albright Grove. It temporarily levels-off as it passes a
one-room
cabin, known as the Baxter Cabin, roughly 0.7 miles from the trailhead.
The
cabin, built in 1889 by Willis 
Baxter as a wedding present for
his son, was
constructed from one giant chestnut tree. Baxter's chicken coop,
originally
situated on the homestead, was moved to the Mountain Farm Museum near
the
Oconaluftee Visitor Center in North Carolina.
At 1.2 miles the trail reaches a large open area and the four-way intersection of the Maddron Bald Trail, Old Settlers Trail, and the Gabes Mountain Trail. The Old Settlers Trail is one of the longest trails in the park. It stretches westward for 15.9 miles and connects the Maddron Bald Trail with Greenbrier. The Gabes Mountain Trail stretches in the opposite direction and leads to the Cosby Campground towards the east. The Maddron Bald Trail continues southward, rising gradually along the slopes above the Indian Camp Creek valley.
Maddron Bald is named for Lawson Maddron (c. 1809-1896), a prominent Cocke County minister. The Maddron family cemetery is also located near the four-way trail junction.
At roughly 2.3 miles the gravel road ends and the trail turns into a rugged dirt path. From this point, the path narrows as it leads through sections of old-growth forest.
At roughly 2.7 miles the trail crosses Indian Camp Creek via footbridge and then ascends steeply before leveling near the lower junction of the Albright Grove Loop Trail at 3 miles. Turn right onto the Albright Grove Loop Trail.
The Albright Grove Trail is a 0.7-mile loop that
ends up
again at the Maddron Bald Trail.
Albright Grove is an excellent example of an old-growth cove hardwood forest, one of the most diverse forest types in North America. It also contains some of the oldest and tallest trees in the Smokies. Most of the large hardwood trees in the Smokies were cleared by loggers or killed by blights during the first half of the 20th century. Although Albright Grove suffered through various blights and infestations, it was never intensively logged. Hemlock and poplar trees dominate the grove, but you’ll also find Fraser magnolias, basswood, and beeches.
The trail climbs for a third-of-a-mile before leveling off, and then begins to descend. Where it begins to descend, look for a small spur trail to a giant tuliptree on the left. A few yards off the main trail and you’ll reach the largest tree in Albright Grove, a tuliptree more than 135 feet in height and more than 25 feet in circumference!
The grove is named after Horace Albright (1890-1987), the second director of the National Park Service who held office between 1929 and 1933. Albright was an early advocate for national park status for the Great Smoky Mountains.
At roughly 3.7 miles you’ll reach the upper Albright Grove Loop Trail / Maddron Bald Trail junction. If you still have plenty of energy and want an extra challenge, take a right at this junction. This will lead you to Maddron Bald, a 5212-foot mountain crowned by one of the park's most substantial heath balds, roughly 3 miles away.
If you wish to return back to the trailhead, turn left at this junction.
