Forney Ridge Trail to Andrews Bald

Forney Ridge Trail to Andrews Bald is a 3.6-mile out-and-back from Kuwohi parking to one of the Smokies’ high grassy balds. The route drops from the ridge through spruce-fir forest to an open meadow, then retraces the same 1.75-mile corridor uphill. Allow about 2 to 2.5 hours. The trip has roughly 1,200 feet of total elevation change. I’d choose it for the bald and the wildflower season, but plan for a harder return than the downhill start suggests.

Forney Ridge Trailhead is on the left just before the visitor information center. Parking at Kuwohi is limited and can get crowded; the park advises considering a shuttle option or another hike when parking is crowded. A parking tag is required if you park for more than 15 minutes. Seasonal pit toilets are at the parking area. Kuwohi Road and the parking area close in winter, so check seasonal access before driving up.

The trail begins wide and graveled, with many stairs dropping quickly from Kuwohi. Beyond the first junction it narrows to a well-trodden dirt path. At about 0.1 mile, Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail branches right toward the Appalachian Trail; stay left. Around 1 mile in, Forney Creek Trail also leaves to the right; continue straight for Andrews Bald. Dark-eyed juncos and other high-elevation birds may turn up on the climb back.

For years, the upper Forney Ridge tread was rough, with loose gravel, rocks and runoff. A multi-year project begun in 2008 rebuilt sections with flat stones, locust and native-rock stairs, drainage structures, and raised boardwalks. Those improvements make the walk more manageable than it used to be, but the stair-heavy approach is still work on the way back. The forest’s Fraser firs have also been hit hard by the introduced balsam woolly adelgid; more than 90% of park Fraser firs are reported killed.

The meadow begins around 1.7 miles from the trailhead. Don’t stop at the first grassy edge: continue about another 100 yards for the broadest opening, with Fontana Lake and the southern Smokies in view. At about 5,920 feet, Andrews Bald is the highest bald in the park. Without periodic clearing, forest would gradually reclaim its grass. Flame azalea and rhododendron bloom in late spring and early summer; flame azalea often peaks around early July, though timing shifts year to year. For the clearest landscape photo, walk farther into the opening and frame the lake below the layered ridges.

Turn back the same way; this record covers the short Andrews Bald hike, not Forney Ridge Trail’s longer continuation toward Forney Creek. The outbound leg spends elevation on the descent, and the return puts the stairs and climb in front of you. It’s a moderate-length hike, but not a flat stroll. Pets aren’t allowed on this trail.