Forney Ridge Trail stretches four and a half miles along Forney Ridge to Clingman's Dome. We traveled along this scenic and steep trail three and two-tenths of a mile roundtrip from Clingman's Dome to Andrews Bald and back. The immediate area around Clingman's Dome is largely devoid of trees due to acid rain at the highest elevations as well as infestations of the balsam wooly adelgid on most of the park's Frasier firs, which only live in the cooler higher elevations. The absence of trees has given incentive for new growth of the forest floor, including many species of wildflowers. However, most of the trail passes through dense, sheltered spruce and fir forests as it passes along Forney Ridge at a mid-elevation.
