Thunderhead Mountain & Rocky Top Hike in the Smoky Mountains

Rocky Top/Thunderhead
Trail Features:		Panoramic Views, Mountain Laurel
Trail Location:		Cades Cove Picnic Area
Roundtrip Miles:		13.9 miles
Total Elevation Gain:		3665 feet
Avg. Elev Gain / Mile:		527 feet
Highest Elevation:		5527 feet
Trail Difficulty Rating:		21.23 (strenuous)
Parking Lot Latitude:		35.60493
Parking Lot Longitude:		-83.77008

Directions to Trailhead:

To reach Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mountain on this hike you’ll begin from the Anthony Creek Trailhead in Cades Cove. From the Townsend “Y” intersection, go west on Laurel Creek Road towards Cades Cove. To reach the Anthony Creek Trailhead, drive 7.5 miles to the turn-off towards the Cades Cove campground. Turn left towards the campground. Almost immediately you’ll need to make another left turn towards the picnic area. The Anthony Creek Trailhead is at the far end of the picnic area.

Trail Description:

Early on, the Anthony Creek Trail passes the Crib Gap Trail junction at just 0.3 miles from the trailhead, and then shortly thereafter, the horse livery stable. You may have already noticed some of the “clues” left on the ground indicating that this trail also functions as a horse trail.

We hiked this trail in mid-June when the rhododendron was just beginning to bloom on the lower sections of the trail.

As you climb 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 the Park.

At just over 5.1 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.

To reach Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mountain you’ll need to continue walking eastward along the Appalachian Trail.

Rocky Top, you'll always be, Home sweet home to me. Good ole Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee.

Thunderhead Mountain consists of three summits which are visible from the eastern end of Spence Field. (the picture on the right is the view of Thunderhead Mountain you have from Spence Field - the knob to the far left is the high point on Thunderhead) The first summit is known as Rocky Top. Yes, this is the same Rocky Top that inspired Felice and Boudleaux Bryant to write the famous lyrics that is now the fight song for the University of Tennessee, as well as one of the official state songs for the state of Tennessee.

Rocky Top is roughly 1.2 miles from the Bote Mountain Trail junction and requires a fairly steep climb of more than 550 feet. (the picture on the right is the view of Rocky Top right before you make your final ascent) The effort is well worth it though. The views are outstanding; maybe even some of the best in the Park. The day before we hiked this trail a front passed through the Smokies that blew most of the haze out of the area. From good ole Rocky Top we could see Fontana Lake, Cades Cove, Townsend, and Maryville, and possibly all the way up to Knoxville.

Continue on the AT to reach Thunderhead Mountain. There are a couple of spots beyond Rocky Top that provide even better views of Cades Cove.

Just a third of a mile from Rocky Top is the second peak of Thunderhead Mountain. Some people call this second peak, which is really just a rocky knob, Rocky Top Two. You’ll have some pretty good views here as well. The highest point on Thunderhead Mountain is reached at just another 0.3 miles from Rocky Top Two. At some point, someone was kind enough to stack a few rocks at the summit. Without standing on these rocks, you wouldn’t have any views up here.