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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 km) to Spence. From the Lead Cove trailhead, also on Little River Road, it is
178:
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,
136:. 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-mile (39 km) pasture that stretched across the crest of the Western Smokies from Gregory Bald in the west all the way to
173:
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
217:
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.
168:
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:
100:
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
209:
The Eagle Creek trailhead is located on the north side of
Fontana Dam, and rises 14 miles (23 km) to Spence Field. The 9-mile (14 km) Jenkins Ridge Trail connects Spence Field with the remote
206:
approximately 5 miles (8.0 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.
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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
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to the north and 3,300 feet (1,000 m) above
Fontana Lake to the south. The "field" spreads out atop the crest, covering approximately 200 acres (0.8 km).
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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
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185:, who surveyed much of the Smokies crest in the late 1850s, measured the elevation of "Spence cabin" at 4,910 feet (1,500 m). Author
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frequented Spence Field— specifically a herder's shack at Spence known as "Spencer cabin"— in the early 1900s.
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traverses the field, and a backcountry shelter just off the trail provides an overnight stopover for through-hikers.
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70:, located in the Southeastern United States. It has an elevation of 4,920 feet (1,500 m) above sea level. The
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236:"Mountains - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service)"
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sheep, and goats grazed while the bottomlands were used for planting crops.
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Like much of the
Smokies crest, Spence Field lies along the
315:
Cades Cove: The Life and Death of an
Appalachian Community
302:
Cades Cove: The Life and Death of an Appalachian Community
289:
Cades Cove: The Life and Death of an Appalachian Community
278:(Knoxville: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1975), 124.
252:(Knoxville: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1975), 124.
330:(Portland, Ore: Graphic Arts Center Publishing, 1993), 21.
265:(Portland, Ore: Graphic Arts Center Publishing, 1993), 21.
59:
The Appalachian Trail crossing Spence Field, looking east.
358:(Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1976), 64.
343:(Boston and New York: Houghton-Mifflen, 1927), 55-56.
317:(Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1988), 33.
304:(Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1988), 43.
291:(Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1988), 43.
132:, a type of meadow found in higher elevations in the
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113:. The Eagle Creek Trail connects Spence with the
125:is just over 10 miles (16 km) to the west.
1665:Protected areas of Swain County, North Carolina
965:Rich Mountain, near Boone, Watauga County - 1)
418:"Great Smoky Mountains National Park Trail Map"
121:is just two miles (3 km) to the east, and
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140:to the east. Since the establishment of the
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1410:North Carolina-Tennessee-Virginia Corners
845:North Carolina-Tennessee-Virginia Corners
93:. It rises 3,000 feet (910 m) above
441:- Information on the backcountry shelter
585:Chestnut Mountain (Transylvania County)
227:
445:Information on Hike up to Spence Field
398:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
391:
1690:Mountains of Blount County, Tennessee
66:is a mountain highland meadow in the
7:
201:Looking southeast from Spence Field.
1655:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
896:Chestnut Mountain (Caldwell County)
328:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
263:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
214:area, in the southwestern Smokies.
142:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
117:and Fontana Lake. Along the A.T.,
14:
105:Trail connects Spence Field with
16:For the public-use airport, see
1:
1580:Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
341:The Lure of the Great Smokies
160:Deer grazing at Spence Field.
1675:Mountains of North Carolina
481:Mountains of North Carolina
274:Alberta and Carson Brewer,
248:Alberta and Carson Brewer,
1706:
15:
109:, Little River Road, and
1152:Standing Indian Mountain
946:Little Chestnut Mountain
754:North Eaglenest Mountain
355:Our Southern Highlanders
1670:Mountains of Tennessee
1508:Crab Orchard Mountains
787:Little Yellow Mountain
615:Great Craggy Mountains
572:Great Balsam Mountains
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176:
174:leave their mountain.
161:
60:
1269:Great Smoky Mountains
633:Great Smoky Mountains
200:
171:
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134:Appalachian Mountains
68:Great Smoky Mountains
58:
41:35.56333°N 83.73278°W
1500:Cumberland Mountains
1472:Little Frog Mountain
1387:Woolly Tops Mountain
1377:Thunderhead Mountain
1223:Blue Ridge Mountains
1137:Occoneechee Mountain
1092:Cane Creek Mountains
986:Spanish Oak Mountain
931:Grandmother Mountain
926:Grandfather Mountain
726:Thunderhead Mountain
623:Beaucatcher Mountain
489:Blue Ridge Mountains
439:Spence Field Shelter
119:Thunderhead Mountain
115:Benton MacKaye Trail
1491:Appalachian Plateau
1030:Sauratown Mountains
916:Fire Scale Mountain
777:Big Yellow Mountain
46:35.56333; -83.73278
37: /
1613:White Oak Mountain
1543:Cumberland Plateau
1372:Sugarland Mountain
1287:Chilhowee Mountain
1172:Whiteside Mountain
1112:Looking Glass Rock
1102:Devil's Courthouse
1053:Uwharrie Mountains
1006:Three Top Mountain
981:Sassafras Mountain
975:Rich Mountain Bald
969:(SSW of Boone) 2)
749:Eaglenest Mountain
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128:Spence Field is a
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1255:Cohutta Mountains
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1122:McAlpine Mountain
1117:Mayfield Mountain
1097:Crowders Mountain
1087:Big Butt Mountain
1061:Caraway Mountains
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973:(NW of Boone) 3)
941:Humpback Mountain
906:Doe Hill Mountain
881:Bluerock Mountain
810:Bob Stratton Bald
782:Grassy Ridge Bald
580:Black Balsam Knob
557:Hibriten Mountain
72:Appalachian Trail
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1561:Lookout Mountain
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1477:Holston Mountain
1438:Unicoi Mountains
1307:English Mountain
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921:Flattop Mountain
802:Unicoi Mountains
549:Brushy Mountains
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427:. Archived from
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374:. Archived from
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352:Horace Kephart,
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1082:Albert Mountain
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434:on 13 May 2008.
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369:"Archived copy"
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1382:Tricorner Knob
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861:Adams Mountain
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313:Durwood Dunn,
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300:Durwood Dunn,
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287:Durwood Dunn,
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276:Valley So Wild
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83:North Carolina
18:Spence Airport
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741:Plott Balsams
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691:Mount Kephart
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676:Mount Collins
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671:Mount Chapman
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590:Cold Mountain
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381:on 2011-05-24
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103:Bote Mountain
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87:Blount County
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19:
1566:Walden Ridge
1367:Spence Field
1366:
1347:Mount Mingus
1312:Gregory Bald
1292:Chimney Tops
1038:Moore's Knob
1016:Woody's Knob
1011:Tomkins Knob
951:Mount Pisgah
871:Bee Mountain
721:Spence Field
720:
656:Gregory Bald
641:Andrews Bald
605:Tanasee Bald
600:Shining Rock
429:the original
424:
383:. Retrieved
376:the original
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183:Arnold Guyot
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146:Andrews Bald
127:
123:Gregory Bald
99:
91:Swain County
76:
64:Spence Field
63:
62:
22:
1634:Penile Hill
1518:Frozen Head
1451:Oswald Dome
1420:Unaka Range
1362:Silers Bald
1332:Mount Guyot
1167:Wesser Bald
936:Howard Knob
822:Hooper Bald
769:Unaka Range
716:Silers Bald
681:Mount Guyot
534:Mount Craig
212:Hazel Creek
138:Silers Bald
130:grassy bald
44: /
1649:Categories
1598:Mount Evil
1162:Wayah Bald
1001:Table Rock
886:Brier Knob
866:Bear's Paw
711:Shuckstack
661:Marks Knob
562:Pores Knob
385:2007-04-26
222:References
166:Cades Cove
107:Cades Cove
95:Cades Cove
32:83°43′58″W
29:35°33′48″N
1357:Old Black
1302:Coon Butt
1245:Max Patch
1215:Tennessee
706:Old Black
529:Celo Knob
511:Max Patch
79:Tennessee
1629:Gee Hill
1446:Haw Knob
1240:Big Bald
911:Elk Knob
815:Haw Knob
506:Big Bald
394:cite web
425:nps.gov
152:History
111:Tremont
1622:Others
1465:Others
1297:Kuwohi
1075:Others
854:Others
651:Kuwohi
193:Access
432:(PDF)
421:(PDF)
379:(PDF)
372:(PDF)
400:link
89:and
1651::
423:.
396:}}
392:{{
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1199:t
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238:.
81:-
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
