Great Smoky Mountains National Park · North Carolina, Tennessee

Bote Mountain Trail

6.9 mi of trail, end to end · Hike the Finley Cane, Bote Mountain, Lead Cove Loop: 6.9 mi loop in the Service's write-up · about 2,200 ft of climbing · 1,594 ft–4,880 ft · native surface · trail class Developed

Gaps

2,023 ft 3,016 ft · 2.4 mi high 3,019 ft

Along the way Hickory Tree Gap Sandy Gap

Trailhead Bote Mountain Trail Trailhead 1,592 ft Drive there

Hike the Finley Cane, Bote Mountain, Lead Cove Loop 6.9 mi loop · the Park Service's write-up

no dogs · entrance fee applies

A vast mountain view. Hiker icon in lower right corner.
Hike the 6.9-mile loop from Finley Cane to Bote Mountain, to Lead Cove. Photo: NPS

Overview

This loop hike links three shorter trails sections, offering hikers a chance to experience the biodiversity of Bote Mountain at various elevations and temperatures. Climbing over 1,200 feet across 6.9 miles (11.10 km), hikers will experience the rhododendron-lined thickets on Finley Cane Trail, the ridgeline views atop Bote Mountain, and a cool descent beneath the mixed hardwoods and tulip poplar trees on Lead Cove trail. This all-season loop provides wildflowers in the spring, shade in the summer, leaf-lined vistas in the fall, and unobstructed views to the east and west of the Bote Mountain ridgeline in the winter. Located only minutes away from Cades Cove, this loop trail is perfect for hikers looking to step away from the crowds and onto a trail steeped in both history and elevation.

Length

6.9 miles (11.1 km) loop

2.5 miles from Finley Cove Trailhead to Bote Mountain Trail Junction

2.4 miles from Bote Mountain Trail Junction to Lead Cove Trail Junction

1.95 miles from Lead Cove Trail Junction to Finley Cane Trailhead

Elevation Gain

1,215 feet

Parking & Trailhead

Head West on Laurel Creek Road, towards Cades Cove, and parallel park on the left (south side) at one of the two paved pull-offs available near the Finley Cane Trailhead. These pull-offs service three trails: Turkeypen Ridge Trail, Finley Cane Trail and Lead Cove Trail. If you park on the opposite side of the road, be cautious as traffic can be heavy. Don't forget your parking tag .

Nearest Restroom

Cades Cove Picnic Area

Alternate Hikes

West Prong Trail: 5.4 miles (8.7 km) roundtrip

Pets The Gatlinburg Trail and Oconaluftee River Trail are the only two park trails where pets are permitted. Pets are also allowed in picnic areas, in campgrounds, and on roads.

Accessibility This trail includes dirt and loose gravel with rocky sections, protruding roots, water crossings, and steep grades.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 244 trails in Great Smoky Mountains National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.