Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Oct 19 Albright Grove

 


Horace Albright served as the second director (interim) of the National Park Service, after Stephen Mather. He was interim director 1917-1919 and director 1929-1933.  This grove of old growth forest was named for him in the 1930s when the park was still being planned. 


My very first visits here predated the demise of the Eastern hemlocks. Now, many of the grove's Hemlocks have died and are toppling. The Hemlocks created a dark forest here. Now that they are gone, the grove has lost some of its magic. Huge holes in the canopy are creating dense undergrowth. Also, the loss the of the Hemlocks exposes other large trees to more wind. Walking around the .7 mile trail through the grove can be an obstacle course of downed trees. 



Having said all that about the demise of the place, it is still a top tier destination. The largest Tuliptrees in the park reside here along with maples, silverbells and magnolias. 








I took this photo so I could enlarge it and count the tree rings. Someday, I might even do that.


The foot log bridge over Indian Camp Creek is one of my favorites. 





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Oct 19 Albright Grove

  Horace Albright served as the second director (interim) of the National Park Service, after Stephen Mather. He was interim director 1917-1...