The Albright Grove Loop

The Albirght Grove Loop trailhead is just 11 miles from the Garage Mahal and 6.7 miles roundtrip.

The trail is named after Horace Albright, who was the second director of the National Park Service and worked diligently to help establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The Grove is home to some of the oldest and tallest trees in the park as the area was not logged by Champion Fibre, who sold the land to the park service. Due to its location in a more remote area of the park, the trail is not heavily traveled, allowing you to enjoy a quiet journey in the woods.

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 that 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.  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 Maddron Bald Trail makes its way towards the Snake Den Ridge Trail or you can go left and head back to the parking lot. 

Click here for directions and more information.

Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting

White Water Rafting in the Great Smoky Mountains!

Treat yourself to an unforgettable experience at Smoky Mountain Outdoors (SMO) with one of our many white water rafting adventures in Tennessee.  We've been setting the bar high for whitewater rafting service, safety and fun since 1993.

Experience whitewater rafting in Tennessee and be assured of an exciting adventure as you rm throgh some of our class III and class IV rapids this rafting season!

Make Reservations at the Most Exciting Attraction near Gatlinburg, TN!

During your visit to the Garage Mahal, why not enjoy one of the most exciting attractions in the Great Smoky Mountains?  

All Tennessee rafting trips include an experienced guide in every raft to keep your adventure safe and enjoyable. 

Smoky Mountain Outdoors is right down the road from us in the cute little town of Hartford.  

Water Levels and Rafting Schedule
What you need to know to plan your adventure

When planning a rafting trip, the first question that many ask is "When are rafting trips available here in the Smoky Mountains?" That question is not always easy to answer.

The Pigeon River is dam controlled.  What does this mean for you? Well, when water is released from the dam, rafting trips are just what you expect in a whitewater adventure - crashing waves and exciting rapids.  When water is not released, the river changes significantly.  Rapids decrease in size and there will be more rocks then you can shake a stick at.  Understandably, these low water conditions are not what many guests expect when signing up for a rafting adventure.  

Fortunately, we have scheduled water release days, between 27 May and 3 September rafting trips are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. 

Patio, Done!

We have finished the next phase of our patio!  

It's ready for action and BBQing!

Relax, have a drink and enjoy the sounds of the creek below...

Hen Wallow Falls

The trip to Hen Wallow Falls is a pleasant walk through hemlock and rhododendron forest. A signed side trail leads to the base of the falls by way of steep switchbacks.  Hen Wallow Creek, only two feet wide at the top of the falls, fans out to 20 feet at the base.  The waterfall is 90 feet high.  If you look carefully in the water at the base of the falls, you can often find salamanders.

During very cold winter weather, the waterfall can freeze into a beautiful icy column.

The hike to the falls is 4.4 miles round trip and considered moderate in difficulty.  Hikers continuing on the Gabes Mountain Trail beyond the falls can enjoy an impressive old-growth forest.

Trailhead:  Park in the designated hiker parking area at the Cosby Picnic Area (near the entrance to the Cosby Campground).  then backtrack on foot approximately 100 yards along the road to the signed start of the Gabes Mountain Trail. 

Trail Notes: The round trip distance to the waterfall is 4.4 miles and the hike is generally considered moderate in difficulty.  It takes about 3-4 hours to hike to the waterfall and back.

The waterfall is located on a short side trail off the Gabes Mountain Trail.  there is a wooden sign posted at the turn for this side trail.  the short trail down to the waterfall is very steep-sturdy hiking shoes are recommended.  Carry drinking water with you.  

Do not climb on rocks around the waterfall.  Over the years, several people have fallen to their deaths and many others have suffered serious injuries from climbing on rocks near waterfalls or along the riverbanks.  

Black bears are sometimes active in this area.   

Mount Cammerer via Low Gap Trail

Mount Cammerer via Low Gap Trail is a 10.7 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Cosby, TN that features a river and is rated as difficult.  The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.  

this kike to Mt. Cammerer begins from the Low Gap Trailhead in the Cosby Campground.  Although it's a round trip hike of 12 miles, it's still the shortest and most commonly used route to the 4,928-foot summit.

From the trail head you'll climb Low Gap Trail for 3 miles before hooking-up with the Appalachian Trail.  this is a steep and relentless climb, over several switchbacks, that takes hikers through a beautiful and mature hardwood forest as they proceed up the Cosby Creek valley.

Upon reaching the junction, turn left onto the Appalachian Trail to continue hiking towards the Mount Cammerer Trail. Along the early sections of the Appalachian Trail you'll continue climbing, however, the elevation gain isn't quite as steep as the Low Gap Trail.  Hikers will cross over a grassy ridge that offers views of the Cosby Valley, Snake Den Ridge and Inadu Knob, as well as several fine places to take a break before turning onto the rugged spur trail that leads to the summit of Mt. Cammerer.  This spur is slightly more than half-mile long, and is fairly level, but does involve some rock scrambling as you follow the narrow ridge out to the fire tower.  Take your time and watch your step.

At 4,928 feet in elevation, the summit of Mt. Cammerer sits on the edge of a rocky outcropping overlooking the Pigeon river Gorge.  On a clear day the views are simply awesome; some even say the best in the Park.  For an even better vantage point, step up to the deck of the stone fire tower.  This "western" style tower, which was fully restored in 1995, provides hikers with an excellent 360 degree views.  Look in any direction and see row upon row of mountains.  the mountain directly across the gorge, with the white aviation tower at the top, is 4,263-foot Snowbird Mountain.  Below you and outside of the park is the water tower for the hydro-electric plant in the Big Creek area.  to the south is Mt. Sterling with another interesting fire  tower on its peak.  And of course, towards the west, is the seemingly endless expanse of mountains we call the Smokies. 

The octagonal fire tower at the summit was built by local laborers and the Civilian Conservation corp in the late 1930s using hand-cut stone.  Men working on the tower drilled and blocked the stone right out of the mountainside from a quarry just 100 yards downhill from the tower.  Some of these stones weighed as much as 600 pounds.