What You Need To Know About Cades Cove
Updated: Mar 16, 2023
Cades Cove not only offers stunning views of mountains and wildlife but also has a wealth of history for you to enjoy while driving through.
Cades Cove is a broad valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular destinations in the Smoky Mountains. It offers a variety of opportunities to see wildlife, historical sites, and beautiful views of the mountains. Cades Cove is an 11-mile, one-way loop that allows you to drive through and sightsee at your own pace.
Preparing for your Cades Cove day:
Give yourself 2 to 4 hours depending on if you plan to stop to see each historical site. More time will be needed if you plan on hiking or going on trails.
I would tell you to leave early in the morning and stop somewhere for breakfast - Garrett and I's choice is Hillbilly's.
We stop at the store the night before to get some snacks, sandwiches/subs and drinks to take with us in a cooler so we can stop and have lunch along the way.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes to walk to sites especially depending on weather (whether warm, rainy, snowy).
Take a camera, you will want to capture photos of the views and the wildlife that you might encounter.
**Book your next trip to Townsend, Tennessee (where Cades Cove is) book with me on Booking.com.
Wildlife In Cades Cove
As far as wildlife goes... I know what you're thinking BEARS, OH MY! You are right, bears can be spotted in many areas in the Smokies. Garrett and I did see a baby bear the first time we were there, we were safely in our car eating a quick lunch before we moved on to the next site. The baby bear ran across the road in front of us and into the other side of the woods. Unfortunately, all the pictures we got were very blurry... so I don't have any good ones to share with you. Garrett and I also saw lots of deer and wild turkeys.
**Book your next trip to the Smoky Mountains National Park with me on Booking.com.
Cades Cove History & Buildings
Cades Cove does have a history! For hundreds of years, before European settlers, Cherokee Indians hunted the grounds of Cades Cove. The first European settlers arrived sometime between 1818-1821 and by 1830 it was becoming a community of sorts. Cades Cove actually has the widest variety of historic buildings of any area in the National Park. Along the loop, you will see three churches, a gristmill, barns, log houses, and other restored structures from the 18th/19th-century time period. A self-guided tour booklet and maps are available at the entrance so you can follow along and read about each structure.
Hiking & Trails
Cades Cove offers a few hiking trails and a short nature trail. You will find the five-mile roundtrip hike to Abrams Falls (the one that Garrett and I took... read about it here). The Thunderhead Mountain and Rocky Top hiking trails begin in the cove. So there is plenty of hiking available for my hikers out there.
If you are taking a trip to Gatlinburg or the Great Smoky National Park, I highly recommend adding Cades Cove to your list of things to-do. It is well worth the drive and you won't regret it!
**Visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park website before you go to see if masks are required. The Cades Cove loop is closed to vehicles on Wednesdays from May 4th to September 28th, 2022, it's open to bikers only. Bathrooms are available at the visitors center about halfway through the loop along with little gifts and knick-knacks.
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