Spence Field - Hike Lead Cove Trail to Spence Field in Smokies

Spence Field (via Lead Cove)
Trail Features:		Panoramic Views, Mountain Laurel
Trail Location:		Between Townsend and Cades Cove
Roundtrip Miles:		9.4 miles
Total Elevation Gain:		3100 feet
Avg. Elev Gain / Mile:		660 feet
Highest Elevation:		4919 feet
Trail Difficulty Rating:		15.60 (strenuous)
Parking Lot Latitude:
Parking Lot Longitude:

Directions to Trailhead:

To reach Spence Field on this hike you'll begin from the Lead Cove Trailhead near Cades Cove. From the Townsend "Y" intersection, drive west on Laurel Creek Road towards Cades Cove. The parking lot for the Lead Cove Trail will be on the left at 5.6 miles. (Please note that there will be a parking area on both sides of the road here - the Lead Cove Trail is on the left and will be heading south from the road).

Trail Description:

The shortest hike to Spence Field is via the Lead Cove Trail. The trail name is supposedly derived from the ore that was extracted here in the 1800s.

Towards the beginning of this hike you'll pass an old homestead site on the left. At 1.8 miles the trail will dead-end into the Bote Mountain Trail. Turn right here.

As you ascend the Bote Mountain Trail, you'll be hiking through a fairly open pine-oak forest, with intermittent views of Defeat Ridge towards the left.

At roughly 3 miles the Anthony Creek Trail branches off to the right. Continue going straight here.

As you continue climbing the Bote Mountain Trail, you'll begin walking through a long stretch of trail where the rhododendron forms a tunnel over the 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 Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

At roughly 4.7 miles you'll reach Spence Field and the Appalachian Trail. If you turn right here the trail passes through a series of small grassy meadows. These are pleasant meadows, but nothing compared to what you'll find on the other side of the junction.

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.

You'll only need to walk 100 yards or so beyond the trail junction to find a great spot to enjoy a picnic lunch and to take in the grand scenery.

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 Web Site, states that both Russell and Spence Fields aren't natural grassy balds, but were actually cleared by settlers for the purposes of grazing cattle.