Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Tennessee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The valley was home to numerous settlers before the formation of the national park.
Cades Cove is a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies. It offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the park. Large numbers of white-tailed deer are frequently seen, and sightings of black bear, coyote, ground hog, turkey, raccoon, skunk, and other animals are also possible.
Touring the Cove
Vehicle-free access along the Cades Cove Loop Road takes place each Wednesday, from May 3 through September 27, 2023. On these days, the 11-mile loop can be enjoyed on foot or bicycle.
An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sightsee at a leisurely pace. Allow at least two to four hours to tour Cades Cove, longer if you walk some of the area’s trails. Traffic is heavy during the tourist season in summer and fall and on weekends year-round. While driving the loop road, please be courteous to other visitors and use pullouts when stopping to enjoy the scenery or view wildlife.
An inexpensive self-guiding tour booklet available at the entrance to the road provides a map and information about the cove.
History
The valley has a rich history. For hundreds of years, Cherokee Indians hunted in Cades Cove but archeologists have found no evidence of major settlements. The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 1818 and 1821. By 1830, the population of the area had already swelled to 271. Cades Cove offers the widest variety of historic buildings of any area in the national park.
Scattered along the loop road are three churches, a working gristmill, barns, log houses, and many other faithfully restored eighteenth- and nineteenth-century structures. Pick up the self-guiding tour booklet available at the entrance to the loop road for information about the buildings you’ll see in the cove and the people who lived here.
Wildlife Viewing
White-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, turkeys and other wildlife are frequently spotted in the open valley of Cades Cove. Wildlife viewing tips.
Hiking
Numerous trails originate in the cove, including the five-mile roundtrip trail to Abrams Falls and the short Cades Cove Nature Trail. Longer hikes to Thunderhead Mountain and Rocky Top (made famous by the popular song) also begin in the cove. Download a park trail map.
Cades Cove Visitor Center
- Located half-way around the loop road in the Cable Mill historic area
- Open daily except Christmas
- Restrooms
- Bookstore
Camping
- Open year round
- 159 sites
- Tents and RVs up to 35 feet
- Call (877) 444-6777 or visit https://www.recreation.gov to reserve a site.
Anthony Creek Horse Camp
- Call (877) 444-6777 or visit https://www.recreation.gov to reserve a site.
- Reservation and permit required
- Call (865) 436-1297 for information
Mileage to Cades Cove:
from Cherokee-57
from Gatlinburg-27
from Townsend-9
