Parking
Start at the Anthony Creek Trailhead at the back of Cades Cove Picnic Area. A parking tag is required for vehicles parked longer than 15 minutes in the park.
Overview
About Anthony Creek Trail
Why go
- Shaded creekside walking through most of the climb
- Several bridge and foot-log crossings add variety
Heads up
- A sustained climb with the same distance to walk back
- Horses share the trail
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Smoky Mountains map
Full mapElevation2,096–3,776 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Great Smoky Mountains alerts
- ClosureHurricane Helene backcountry trail closures and hazardsHurricane Helene damage has closed backcountry trails and left hazardous crossings; avoid closed routes and heed trail-specific restrictions.Official details
- CautionBear-related trail, road, shelter, and campsite restrictionsBear activity has closed trails, a shelter, and campsites and restricted pedestrian access on Cherokee Orchard Road; follow the vehicle restrictions and avoid closed areas.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Your drive to Anthony Creek Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Smoky Mountains audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Cades Cove Picnic Area0:00 / 0:28
“Ahead is Cades Cove Picnic Area, at the entrance to the one-way loop road. I'd use it for a lunch break under the trees, with tables between Abrams Creek and Green Branch Creek.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Cades Cove Campground Store and Riding Stables
- Rich Mountain Loop Trailhead
- Lead Cove and Finley Cane Trailheads
- John Oliver Cabin
- 188 audio storiesacross Great Smoky Mountains’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, Bald Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 197 trails, 100 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Anthony Creek Trail
The creek climbAnthony Creek Trail is a shaded, horse-used out-and-back from the back of Cades Cove Picnic…
Anthony Creek Trail is a shaded, horse-used out-and-back from the back of Cades Cove Picnic Area to the Bote Mountain Trail junction. Set aside four to five hours for roughly 7 miles round trip and about 1,700 feet of climbing. The trail follows Anthony Creek before climbing by switchbacks. This route ends where the named trail meets Bote Mountain; Spence Field is farther along another trail. Mileage varies: the mapped line runs about 3.2 miles to the junction, while written descriptions put it around 3.5 to 3.7 miles. Treat seven miles as approximate and check the park map before setting out.
Along Anthony CreekStart at the gate near the far end of the picnic area.
Start at the gate near the far end of the picnic area. The first stretch is broad and fairly level, passing the Crib Gap junction at about 0.3 mile and the Anthony Creek Horse Camp soon after. Beyond the camp, the forest closes around the path and creek. Several crossings use bridges or foot logs; the grade steepens as the trail climbs through switchbacks.
Forks and turnaroundAt roughly 1.7 miles, Russell Field Trail branches to the right. Stay on Anthony Creek Trail.
At roughly 1.7 miles, Russell Field Trail branches to the right. Stay on Anthony Creek Trail. Campsite 9 lies farther uphill, around mile 2.9. At the Bote Mountain junction, turn back along the same route. Continuing onto Bote Mountain leads toward Spence Field, but that is a longer hike with additional climbing and is not included in this distance.
Access and rulesThe trailhead is at the back of Cades Cove Picnic Area.
The trailhead is at the back of Cades Cove Picnic Area. A parking tag is required for vehicles parked more than 15 minutes anywhere in the park. Horses use this route too, so be alert on the shared tread and at the crossings. Pets are not allowed on this trail.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Great Smoky Mountains
1,566 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
899 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
142 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
42 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Smoky Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
