Tips for Visiting Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains

Get Ready for Cades Cove

Do you like historic buildings, sweeping landscapes, wild animal sightings, and the beauty that nature offers?  You can see all of these at Cades Cove.

If you are a fan of the Great Smoky Mountains, then there is a good chance that you have either been to or know of Cades Cove.  If you have not been there before, then maybe it is time to start planning a trip!

Cades Cove is an eleven mile loop through the Great Smoky Mountain National Forest that offers displays of nature, wildlife, and pieces of history.  There is much history.

Belinda W. from Tennessee suggests that you start your journey with a full tank of gas.  You may not use a full tank of gas, yet you may wind up spending more hours driving around and visiting this area of Great Smoky Mountain National Park than you thought.

Slightly before you arrive at the entrance to the Cades Cove Loop, there is a picnic area with bathrooms.  Consider stopping here because there will not be another bathroom available until you are about halfway through the loop.  While halfway through eleven miles may not seem like much, bear in mind that those miles do not go by quickly.

Be sure to have a one dollar bill with you.  When you get the opportunity, you will be able to grab a Cades Cove guide.  It is only a dollar, and it is absolutely useful to have during your experiences around the loop.

How long does it take to see Cades Cove?

As you drive through Cades Cove, you will be meandering.  At no point will you move quickly.  Be patient, and take your time.  If you want to miss the busy part of the day, we have been told that sunrise is a quieter time to go.  It is suggested that you might want to allow three hours to enjoy all of what Cades Cove has to offer, though it could take less time than that, and it could easily take longer than that if you are enjoying yourself.

Note that the Cades Cove Loop is closed to vehicles on Wednesday mornings and Saturday mornings until 10:00 AM from May through September.  This is so that pedestrians and bicyclists can explore, appreciate, and enjoy the loop without vehicles being around them.

Remember that not everyone is on the same mission when they visit.  Feel free to take your time, yet be aware that others may not be taking as much time as you.  Steve P., whose family likes the Smoky Mountains so much that they moved to the area, says, “Treat the trip on Cade’s Cove loop like a game of golf. Let faster parties play through.”  He also says to use the pull offs, turn down the music, take your time, and enjoy!

If you are on a tight schedule, you might want to save Cades Cove for another day.  This is a place to be experienced, taken in visually, and get you thinking.  Learn about the history of so many of these buildings and a bit about how people lived so many years ago.

Do you like to learn interesting tidbits?  Here are some interesting facts about Cades Cove that even fans might not know.

Before You Go

If you want to, you can pack a picnic and enjoy a meal amongst the beauty that is the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  There is a picnic area at Cades Cove.  If a picnic is not in your plans, then maybe at least bring some snacks.  You could be there a while and may need to eat something.

It is also suggested that you definitely bring enough water for everyone in your group to stay hydrated.  Proper hydration is always a key to staying healthy and feeling good.

Wear comfortable shoes.  While you may be spending a lot of time in your car, chances are that you will get out of the car, go for a walk, wander around to look at buildings, etc.

Structures You Can See

Do you remember that guide book that we suggested that you grab for a dollar before you started the loop?  That little booklet will tell you just what you are looking at when you visit each of the buildings.

When you get to various, historic buildings that are  on the loop, there will be areas for you to pull off of the road and park your car.  There are homes, churches, and other buildings that you can see, enter, explore, and photograph.  Thee are also signs with a bit of history written about various buildings.

Homes

According to CadesCove.net, “The first historical site on the Cades Cove map is the John Oliver Cabin. A testament to architecture of the past, this cabin is held together by notches in the wood frame and its own weight, requiring no nails or pegs to stay in place.”  That is pretty fascinating to me.

We enjoyed standing on the porch of the John Oliver Cabin and admiring the view.

There are multiple other homes at Cades Cove.  Seeing them in person is the best way to experience them. I will share one more home here.

The Becky Cable Home is considered the first framed house built at the Cove, and it was built with lumber sawed at the Cable Mill.

Churches

There are several church buildings at Cades Cove, including Primitive Baptist Church, Cades Cove Methodist Church, and Missionary Baptist Church.

It is interesting to wander in and out of the old, church buildings.  You can wonder about the people who sat on those pews and what life was like for them.

You may be curious about the two doors next to one another on this church building.  Apparently, the men used one door and sat on one side of the chapel.  Women and children could use the other door and sat on the other side of the chapel.

In addition to the churches, there are several cemeteries throughout Cades Cove.  If you like to visit cemeteries and read old head stones and think about the lives the people buried there once had, you may want to add stopping at the cemeteries to your agenda.

Primitive Baptist Church has a good sized parking lot where we parked, stretched, rested for a bit, and enjoyed a snack.

Other Buildings

The Cable Mill, as mentioned earlier, is an amazing piece of architecture.  According to SmokyMountains.com, “The stones on the John Cable Grist Mill are the original stones and have been in use for 150 years! Although at one time there were seven operating mills in Cades Cove, the only remnants of the other mills are the millstones outside of Cable Mill.”

When you wander around the Cades Cove Visitor Center area, you will see that there are components of a mountain town from days of yore.  There are not only buildings.

 

Sights You Can See

Nature can give you a quiet smile.  It can make you stop and stare.  A feeling of calm may come over you when you are away from the busyness of everyday life.  Let those things happen.

Breathe it all in.  Fresh air and the beauty of the landscape can be a good recipe for relaxation.

Sparks Lane and Hyatt Lane

While your ride through Cades Cove can take forty-five minutes or an entire day, some folks like to drive around it again and again.  You could see something new each time that you go through the area.  You could ride around the entire loop, or you could ride around smaller loops.

There are two crossroads in Cades Cove that can give you new sights and that create smaller loops than the main route.  Sparks Lane makes the smallest loop.  Hyatt Lane creates the middle loop.  Cades Cove Loop Road is the largest loop which also brings you to the visitor canter and mountain town display.

 

Animals You Can See

There are many animals to be seen.  Deer, birds, bears, and other creatures may catch your attention.  You may oooh.  You may aaah.  It is possible that you will want to stop to either admire the animals.  Do that.  However, you will want to use the pull off areas to stop.  If you are tempted to stop right there on the road, keep in mind that other people would like the delight of seeing those animals, too.  When you stop on the road, you may prevent those traveling behind you from seeing the animals that you have spotted.  Also, you would be impeding other people’s progress who might want to keep moving forward.

By the same token, if you happen to be driving extra slowly because you are taking it all in, you may notice that a line of cars is stacking up behind you.  Find a pull off and move over so that others may pass by.    Simply said, show courtesy to others.

On the other hand, Linda B. from Alabama wants to remind you that if there are folks along your journey who are being inconsiderate in some way, do not let them spoil your experience.

“Do not chase after wildlife into fields or woods. Respect their space. You are a visitor in their home. Take only photographs, leave only footprints,” Diana M. reminds us.

This young bear was enjoying a meal at late in the day during our most recent visit.  It is recommended that you stay 150 feet away from bears for your and their safety and comfort.  Do not let that stop you from bringing your zoom lens, though.

Thoughts from Visitors

Before you make the drive to Cades Cove, Derrick H. of North Carolina suggests that you, “Stop at one of the Visitor Centers and go back into the music CD section, and pick up a copy of The Sounds Of The Great Smoky Mountains.  We listen to that CD every single time we drive through Cades Cove, and it almost makes you feel like you were there in the late 1800s.”

Some other visitor’s shared these thoughts and suggestions:

• Go camping.
• Enjoy an early morning bicycle ride.
• Stop at the store for ice cream.
• Cades Cove is not RV friendly.
• Get our of your car and take a hike.
• Hike to Abrams Falls, which is about five miles round trip and can take three to four hours.
• Go horseback riding.

Martha B. from South Carolina, who is a fan of Cades Cove, shared her thoughts by saying, “Don’t go in a hurry, stop along the way, get out, stretch and breathe, look out at the coves beauty and just let the peace of it settle in. What you let soak in and into yourself is the best thing you can take home with you along with some pictures. Stand in the quiet and dimly lit or sun drenched cabin and tune your ears to years & their sounds of long ago. Visit one of the churches and remember the old hymns and praises of the people from the little benches. Observe the remaining inhabits of animals and vegetation and remember where the wilde wood rose once grew. It’s as close to heaven as we can get at present, so be respectful of the opportunity and leave it like you found it but know you will be forever changed and revived in small, mysterious, wonderful ways.”

A Beautiful Place to Be

You could spend days enjoying Cades Cove.  There are also countless other areas and spots to enjoy within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  For a place where you can enjoy views for miles and miles, consider visiting Clingmans Dome.  What is your favorite spot in the Smokies?