Anthony Creek is the way out of Cades Cove when the loop road is not enough. The trail begins near the campground, follows the creek into the forest and eventually meets routes climbing toward the Appalachian Trail. It works as a modest out-and-back or the start of a demanding mountain day. Decide which one you are doing before you leave the car.
Where to start
Use the Anthony Creek trailhead near Cades Cove Campground, outside the eleven-mile one-way Loop Road. The NPS campground map marks the trail access; the park trail map shows the route and its junctions. Download both while you have service. A parking tag is required if your vehicle remains parked in the national park for more than 15 minutes.
Choose a turnaround before the climb chooses for you
For a shorter walk, follow Anthony Creek Trail into the woods, then return by the same path when your time, weather or group has reached its limit. There is no need to reach a summit to make the outing worthwhile. Expect uneven footing, mud and shared use with horses. Do not assume a stream crossing will look as it did in a photograph.
Experienced hikers can continue toward the Bote Mountain and Russell Field trail junctions. These are long, climbing routes, not an easy extension to a campground stroll. For a full high-country day, read our Spence Field and Russell Field route guide, then plot each junction and distance from the current NPS map. A route through Bote Mountain to Spence Field is roughly ten to eleven miles round trip; Russell Field is farther.
Make the safe decision early
- Check current NPS trail notices and the forecast on the day you hike.
- Carry water, food, a warm layer and a light. Cell service is unreliable.
- Turn around before a swollen crossing, worsening weather or fading daylight becomes a problem.
- Keep pets off the trail. Dogs are prohibited on nearly all Smokies backcountry trails.
- For any overnight trip, obtain the required backcountry permit and reservation before setting out.
Anthony Creek asks for a different pace than the cove’s roadside stops. Leave enough of the day for the walk back, not just the walk in.
Trail access, route choices and rules checked against National Park Service maps and guidance October 12, 2026. Conditions may change without notice.