Russell Field - Spence Field Loop
| Trail Features: | Panoramic Views, Mountain Laurel |  |
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| Trail Location: | Cades Cove Picnic Area | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 13.3 Miles | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 3050 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 459 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 5044 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 19.40 (strenuous) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 35.60493 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -83.77008 | ||||
Directions to Trailhead:
The Russell Field - Spence Field loop hike begins from the Anthony Creek Trailhead in Cades Cove. From the Townsend "Y" intersection, go west on Laurel Creek Road towards Cades Cove and drive 7.5 miles to reach the turn-off for the Cades Cove Campground. Turn left towards the campground. Almost immediately you'll need to make another left turn into the picnic area. The Anthony Creek Trailhead is at the far end of the picnic area.
Trail
Description:
The Anthony Creek Trail begins by following Abrams Creek out of Cades Cove. At just 0.3 miles from the trailhead hikers will pass the Crib Gap Trail junction, and then shortly thereafter, the Anthony Creek Horse Camp. You may have already noticed some of the "clues" left on the ground indicating that this trail also functions as a horse path.
We last hiked this trail in mid-June when the rhododendron was just beginning to bloom on the lower sections of the trail.
At just over 1.7 miles hikers will reach the Russell Field Trail junction. Turn right here to begin the loop portion of the hike. Almost immediately you'll notice that this new path is a steeper climb than the Anthony Creek Trail. At roughly 3.5 miles the trail makes a sharp turn to the left, and then levels out for the next 0.75 miles.
At roughly 4.75 miles, just
after the trail makes another
sharp turn to the left, look for a couple of short side trails
branching off towards
the left. These short "social" trails lead to a small meadow, the
remnants of Russell
Field before the Park Service allowed the larger portions to be
reclaimed by forest.
Russell Field is likely named after Russell Gregory, an early settler in the Cades Cove area. He and/or other cove residents used the field to graze cattle during the spring and summer when the fields in the cove were needed for growing crops. Like most Cades Cove residents, Gregory supported the Union during the Civil War. He was killed by Confederate guerillas from North Carolina in an ambush in 1863.
Gregory Bald, a couple miles to the west of this location, is also named after Mr. Gregory.
Hikers finally reach the Russell Field shelter and the Appalachian Trail junction roughly 5.2 miles from the trailhead. To complete the loop, you'll need to turn left onto the Appalachian Trail.
This next section of the loop consists of a three-mile walk along the Appalachian Trail towards Spence Field. We passed several fine displays of mountain laurel on the approach to the junction, as well as on the first stretches of the Appalachian Trail. As you proceed towards the Bote Mountain Trail junction, the A.T. passes through a series of small grassy meadows. These are pleasant meadows, but nothing compared to the meadows you'll find at Spence Field on the eastern side of the Bote Mountain Trail junction. Before reaching the western end of Spence Field you'll pass the Eagle Creek Trail junction at 8.1 miles, and the Bote Mountain Trail at 8.16 miles. You'll only need to walk another 100 yards or so to find a great spot to enjoy a picnic lunch and take-in the grand scenery.
If visibility is good you'll have stunning views of the North Carolina side of the Park. And if you're there in June, you'll have the most spectacular display of mountain laurel I've seen anywhere. The hillsides and meadows were literally covered in the white and soft pink flowers from this member of the heath family.
Spence Field is named after James Spence who built a cabin in this area in 1830. The History of the Grassy Balds in GSMNP, an online book on the national park website, states that neither Russell or Spence Fields are natural grassy balds, but were actually cleared by settlers for the purposes of grazing cattle.
If you still have the energy, you could continue walking eastward along the Appalachian Trail for another 1.2 miles to reach Rocky Top. You'll also have to climb another 550 feet, but the views are simply outstanding, and may be some of the best in the Park.
If you've decided you're ready to turn around you'll need to backtrack to the Bote Mountain Trail junction. Turn right here and begin heading back down the mountain.
As you descend you'll walk through a long stretch of trail where the rhododendron forms a tunnel over the Bote Mountain Trail. You'll also notice that the trail has sunk a couple of feet below the ground on either side of the trail. My guess is that this is a result of a combination of erosion and the trampling of the cattle that were driven to and from Spence Field prior to the establishment of the Park.
At roughly 9.8 miles into your hike you'll reach the Anthony Creek Trail. You'll need to turn left here and hike the 3.5 miles down the Anthony Creek Trail to return to the trailhead at Cades Cove.
