Spence Field
Encyclopedia
Spence Field is a highland meadow in the Great Smoky Mountains
, located in
the Southeastern United States. It has an elevation of 4,920 feet (1,500 m) above sea level. The Appalachian Trail
traverses the field, and a backcountry shelter just off the trail provides an overnight stopover for thru-hikers.
Like much of the Smokies crest, Spence Field lies along the Tennessee
-North Carolina
border, between Blount County
and Swain County. It rises 3000 feet (914.4 m) above Cades Cove
to the north and 3300 feet (1,005.8 m) above Fontana Lake to the south. The "field" spreads out atop the crest, covering approximately 200 acres (0.8 km²).
Spence Field is a crossroads of sorts of the Western Smokies. The Appalachian Trail crosses the field from east to west, and is joined by the Bote Mountain Trail from the north and the Eagle Creek Trail from the south. The Bote Mountain Trail connects Spence Field with Cades Cove
, Little River Road, and Tremont
. The Eagle Creek Trail connects Spence with the Benton MacKaye Trail
and Fontana Lake. Along the A.T., Thunderhead Mountain
is just two miles (3 km) to the east, and Gregory Bald
is just over 10 miles (16.1 km) to the west.
Spence Field is a grassy bald
, a type of meadow found in higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains
. Grassy balds are characterized by thick grass and relatively sparse tree coverage. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Spence Field was roughly at the center of a 24 miles (38.6 km) pasture that stretched across the crest of the Western Smokies from Gregory Bald in the west all the way to Silers Bald
to the east. Since the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
in the 1930s, however, wooded plants have started reclaiming much of this stretch, including Spence. The park service currently maintains the grassy balds atop Gregory Bald and Andrews Bald
, while allowing the others to return to their natural state.
area, but preferred the solitude of the high mountains. They lived and herded livestock at Spence Field during the warmer months, only rarely visiting the lower elevations. Historian Durwood Dunn, describing the Spences' eschewal of the more populated bottomlands, explains:
John Oliver, the first settler in Cades Cove, claimed that Spence burned trees and cleared Spence Field in the 1830s, lending credence to the argument that Spence Field is not a natural bald. Regardless, the field was still being used as a summer-time pasture in 1900, where thousands of cows, horses, sheep, and goats grazed while the bottomlands were used for planting crops.
Arnold Guyot, who surveyed much of the Smokies crest in the late 1850s, measured the elevation of "Spence cabin" at 4910 feet (1,496.6 m). Author Horace Kephart
frequented Spence Field— specifically a herder's shack at Spence known as "Spencer cabin"— in the early 1900s.
The Eagle Creek trailhead is located on the north side of Fontana Dam, and rises 14 miles (22.5 km) to Spence Field. The 9 miles (14.5 km) Jenkins Ridge Trail connects Spence Field with the remote Hazel Creek
area, in the southwestern Smokies.
The Spence Field Shelter can accommodate 12 backpackers. A permit is required for overnight use. The shelter is located along the Eagle Creek Trail, approximately 100 meters south of the Appalachian Trail junction. The Russell Field and Mollies Ridge shelters are just a few miles to the west.
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
, located in
the Southeastern United States. It has an elevation of 4,920 feet (1,500 m) above sea level. The Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
traverses the field, and a backcountry shelter just off the trail provides an overnight stopover for thru-hikers.
Like much of the Smokies crest, Spence Field lies along the Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
-North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
border, between Blount County
Blount County, Tennessee
Blount County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 123,010 at the United States Census, 2010. The county seat is at Maryville, which is also the county's largest city....
and Swain County. It rises 3000 feet (914.4 m) above Cades Cove
Cades Cove
Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Tennessee section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. The valley was home to numerous settlers before the formation of the national park...
to the north and 3300 feet (1,005.8 m) above Fontana Lake to the south. The "field" spreads out atop the crest, covering approximately 200 acres (0.8 km²).
Spence Field is a crossroads of sorts of the Western Smokies. The Appalachian Trail crosses the field from east to west, and is joined by the Bote Mountain Trail from the north and the Eagle Creek Trail from the south. The Bote Mountain Trail connects Spence Field with Cades Cove
Cades Cove
Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Tennessee section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. The valley was home to numerous settlers before the formation of the national park...
, Little River Road, and Tremont
Tremont, Tennessee
Tremont is a region in the northwestern Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located in the southeastern United States. Formerly home to a pioneer Appalachian community and logging town, Tremont is now the location of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.-Geography:Tremont is situated...
. The Eagle Creek Trail connects Spence with the Benton MacKaye Trail
Benton MacKaye Trail
The Benton MacKaye Trail or BMT is a footpath nearly in length in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States and is blazed by a white diamond, 5" across by 7" tall...
and Fontana Lake. Along the A.T., Thunderhead Mountain
Thunderhead Mountain
Thunderhead Mountain is a mountain in the west-central part of the Great Smoky Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. Rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, the mountain dominates the Western Smokies. The Appalachian Trail crosses its summit, making it a...
is just two miles (3 km) to the east, and Gregory Bald
Gregory Bald
Gregory Bald is a mountain on the western fringe of the Great Smoky Mountains. It has an elevation of 4,949 feet above sea level. The mountain's majestic summit makes it a popular hiking destination....
is just over 10 miles (16.1 km) to the west.
Spence Field is a grassy bald
Appalachian balds
In the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, balds are mountain summits or crests covered primarily by thick vegetation of native grasses or shrubs occurring in areas where heavy forest growth would be expected....
, a type of meadow found in higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. Grassy balds are characterized by thick grass and relatively sparse tree coverage. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Spence Field was roughly at the center of a 24 miles (38.6 km) pasture that stretched across the crest of the Western Smokies from Gregory Bald in the west all the way to Silers Bald
Silers Bald
Silers Bald is a mountain in the western Great Smoky Mountains, located in theSoutheastern United States. Its proximity to Clingmans Dome and its location alongthe Appalachian Trail make it a popular hiking destination....
to the east. Since the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
in the 1930s, however, wooded plants have started reclaiming much of this stretch, including Spence. The park service currently maintains the grassy balds atop Gregory Bald and Andrews Bald
Andrews Bald
Andrews Bald is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. It has an elevation of above sea level, making it the highest grassy bald in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The mountain is one of two grassy balds maintained in the range by the park...
, while allowing the others to return to their natural state.
History
Spence Field is named after James Spence, a settler who built a cabin at the field in 1830. Spence and his wife, Caroline Law, were connected with the Cades CoveCades Cove
Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Tennessee section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. The valley was home to numerous settlers before the formation of the national park...
area, but preferred the solitude of the high mountains. They lived and herded livestock at Spence Field during the warmer months, only rarely visiting the lower elevations. Historian Durwood Dunn, describing the Spences' eschewal of the more populated bottomlands, explains:
A few days before the birth of their son Robert in 1840, she (Caroline Spence) walked alone ten miles to their home in the White Oak Cove in order to be near neighbors who could assist her. Other than such emergencies as childbirth and the approach of winter, however, nothing could induce them to leave their mountain.
John Oliver, the first settler in Cades Cove, claimed that Spence burned trees and cleared Spence Field in the 1830s, lending credence to the argument that Spence Field is not a natural bald. Regardless, the field was still being used as a summer-time pasture in 1900, where thousands of cows, horses, sheep, and goats grazed while the bottomlands were used for planting crops.
Arnold Guyot, who surveyed much of the Smokies crest in the late 1850s, measured the elevation of "Spence cabin" at 4910 feet (1,496.6 m). Author Horace Kephart
Horace Kephart
Horace Kephart was an American travel writer and librarian, best known as the author of Our Southern Highlanders, about his life in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina.-Biography:...
frequented Spence Field— specifically a herder's shack at Spence known as "Spencer cabin"— in the early 1900s.
Access
The Bote Mountain Trail, which intersects the Appalachian Trail at Spence Field, can be accessed at its trailhead along Little River Road or via several spur trails. From this trailhead, it is approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) to Spence. From the Lead Cove trailhead, also on Little River Road, it is approximately 5 miles (8 km) to Spence. From Cades Cove (via the Anthony Creek Trail, which rises out of the campground), it is approximately 5.2 miles (8.4 km) to Spence Field.The Eagle Creek trailhead is located on the north side of Fontana Dam, and rises 14 miles (22.5 km) to Spence Field. The 9 miles (14.5 km) Jenkins Ridge Trail connects Spence Field with the remote Hazel Creek
Hazel Creek (Great Smoky Mountains)
Hazel Creek is a tributary stream of the Little Tennessee River in the southwestern Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. The creek's bottomlands were home to several pioneer Appalachian communities and logging towns before its incorporation into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park...
area, in the southwestern Smokies.
The Spence Field Shelter can accommodate 12 backpackers. A permit is required for overnight use. The shelter is located along the Eagle Creek Trail, approximately 100 meters south of the Appalachian Trail junction. The Russell Field and Mollies Ridge shelters are just a few miles to the west.
External links
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park Trail Map - .pdf file
- Spence Field Shelter - Information on the backcountry shelter
- Information on Hike up to Spence Field