rocky top thunderhead mountain smoky mountains
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Exploring the Rocky Top Trail in the Smoky Mountains

rocky top thunderhead mountain smoky mountains

Wish that I was on ole rocky top,
Down in the Tennessee hills.
Ain’t no smoggy smoke on rocky top,
Ain’t no telephone bills.

By “Rocky Top” by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant

When you finally scale to the summit of “good ol’ Rocky Top,” at Spence Field, you just might want to start singing this favorite country tune, the University of Tennessee’s fight song, and one of the ten official state songs.

If you’re not the singing kind, then you’ll at least understand how the songwriters struck inspiration here, with some of the grandest Smoky Mountains scenery you’ll encounter anywhere on Thunderhead Mountain.

Hiking Rocky Top Trail

Scaling Rocky Top’s trail isn’t a casual stroll. You’ll at least need to be reasonably fit and know upfront that it’s going to be a challenging 12½ mile round-trip trek, with a heart-pounding 3,500-foot elevation gain.

The hike and its final destination are worthy of the effort. If you have the energy to continue on to the Appalachian Trail for a little more than a mile, you’ll be well rewarded with even more spectacular views.

The best time to head to Rocky Top is late springtime when wildflowers bloom at their peak.  You’ll find vast swaths of pink and white mountain laurel. The next best would be fall and the burst of autumn foliage that seems to become more vivid as you ascend higher.  But really, any time of the year is ideal for visiting this famous mountaintop.

Start your hike, early in the morning and well-rested, at the Anthony Creek Trailhead near the Cades Cove picnic grounds. You’ll follow Abrams Creek, but pay attention to where you step, as this is also the path for the horse camp nearby.

Next, in about 1.8 miles, follow the Russell Field Trail straight on when you see a fork. Anthony Creek will then become the Bote Mountain Trail, roughly two more miles up.

Take note of two interesting features here: the canopy of rhododendrons over the trail, and the sunken portion of the path, likely due to both erosion and livestock herds going up to Spence Field, pre-National Park.

Around five miles into the hike, you’ll encounter the Appalachian Trail, the approximately 2,200-mile trail spanning the eastern United States, and Spence Field is on your left. But go a little further in the other direction of the junction and onto the Appalachian. Many take this additional mile-plus for the unforgettable vistas of the North Carolina Smokies and valleys.

Photo by Matthew Otwell

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