Cades Cove is one of the two places in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that EVERYONE visits. (The other is Clingmans Dome.) It’s no wonder because there is something for everyone here.
We’ve driven through Cades Cove several times, and it seems that every time we do, we see something we’ve never noticed before. Here’s your guide to 15 unforgettable things to see and do on this scenic drive.
Published November 6, 2023…Updated January 11, 2025
Overview of Cades Cove
Located on the western end of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the cove is enjoyable for several reasons. Are you a history buff? It’s got something for you. Do you enjoy meadows decorated with wildflowers? Check! How about hiking? Or driving down unpaved roads? You can do all these things, plus much more.
The drive is an 11-mile, one-way loop that is open year-round. The speed limit on the loop is 20 mph. (This is for traffic safety, but also so that you will have time to take in the sights!)
(Click anywhere on the map image to enlarge.)
Quick Facts…
- Distance – 11-mile loop drive
- Duration – Usually 3-4 hours, depending on the traffic, which is often heavy
- Difficulty – Very easy. The road is asphalt and well-maintained.
- Dogs – Your pets can ride with you but must stay in your auto, except at the Visitor Center.
- Restrooms – Yes, at the Visitor Center halfway through the drive. There are also restrooms at Cades Cove Campground, located just before the entrance to Cades Cove.
Directions to Cades Cove
The cove is 33 miles from Gatlinburg, TN, and will take you about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get there. Drive west on Hwy 441 from Gatlinburg. Just past the Sugarlands Visitor Center, turn right onto Fighting Creek Gap Rd/Little River Gorge Rd.
Continue straight for 17 miles, and the road will become Laurel Creek Rd. Continue on for 12 miles and you will arrive at the entrance to the cove.
15 Things to See and Do!
(FYI, these items are arranged by category, not in the order you will see them as you drive the loop.)
1. Stop at the Cades Cove Information Kiosk
Upon entering the park you will see a parking area with a small, open building on your left. This is the Information Kiosk, and it’s worth stopping for.
Grab a tour map while you’re here. Purchase a book or two about Cades Cove and its history. Ask the staff any questions you have – they are very friendly. Grab a souvenir!
2. Ride a Bicycle Around the Loop
Peddle your way around the scenic loop on a traditional bike, or enjoy the great outdoors on an ebike! Ebikes offer “assisted pedaling”, meaning they don’t require as much energy. They are easy, fun, and safe to ride.
There are several places to rent bikes and/or ebikes, including Cades Cove Campground Store and Bike Rental, located just before the entrance to the cove.
The loop will take most folks 3-4 hours to complete (including breaks, exploring, and photo opps), which is the same as if you were driving a car. Wednesdays are especially good for biking because motor vehicles are not allowed in Cades Cove on Wednesdays.
Please note – it is strongly recommended that you wear a helmet for your own safety!
3. Go on a Trailride
Go old school – experience the cove from the back of a horse!
(On a recent trip to Cades Cove we began our drive just as the horses were released into the meadow to graze. A dozen or more of them ran alongside us for 1-2 miles. We felt like we were at a roundup – just amazing!)
The Cades Cove Riding Stables are just inside the park. Contact them at www.cadescovestables.com for more info and to set up your reservations!
4. Visit Original Homesteads
The first settlers arrived in Cades Cove in 1818, and by 1830 there were perhaps as many as 300 people living in the area. Log cabins, barns, mills, and churches began to be built, and by 1850 the population had doubled to 600.
There are over 80 historic buildings in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You will see and can visit many of those on your drive around the cove.
The John Oliver Place
This is one of the first places you’ll come to on the drive. There are two parking areas here – the first is small, while the second is a bit larger. The cabin is a short walk down a flat, paved trail.
John Oliver purchased this pretty spot in 1826 and built a small cabin there. Since The Home Depot had not yet arrived in the area, the cabin was built from logs felled by the Olivers. Mud was used to seal cracks to keep out the wind, rain, and snow.
The John Oliver Place is the oldest log cabin in Cades Cove.
The Elijah Oliver Place
The Elijah Oliver Place may be accessed from the loop road via an easy 1.0-mile out-and-back trail. Or you can hike 0.5 miles (1.0 miles roundtrip) to it from the trail to Abrams Falls. There will be a trail sign directing you just after crossing the bridge at the beginning of the hike to Abrams Falls.
Elijah Oliver was the son of John Oliver. He left the area before the Civil War but returned there after the war was over. His family built not only a cabin but several other buildings to meet their needs. They even enclosed a portion of the front porch and turned it into a guest room!
The Dan Lawson Place
The Dan Lawson Place is right on the loop road, a bit past the Cades Cover Visitor Center. There is a small parking lot here.
Dan Lawson built his cabin in 1856. The chimney is made of bricks created on-site. There is also a small granary and a smokehouse near the house.
The Tipton Place
A bit past the Dan Lawson place is the Tipton Place. There is the cabin, as well as a carpentry shop and blacksmith shop. Also, look for the woodshed and smokehouse in the front yard.
“Col. Hamp” Tipton built this cabin in the early 1870s. His daughters, known as “Miss Lizzie” and “Miss Lucy” lived there for some time, while teaching school in the cove.
The Carter Shields Cabin
The Carter Shields Cabin is the final historic building on the scenic loop. You will find it a bit past the Tipton Place.
Carter Shields was left wounded and crippled at the Battle of Shiloh. Following the war, he married and moved to Kansas, but returned to Cades Cove in 1906, and purchased this property four years later. Oddly enough, he was not content to stay here and moved again 11 years later.
5. Go to Church
There are several old church buildings to visit along the drive. Each has parking available. Though none are active today, it is fun to think about what worshipping there would have been like.
Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church
This church was established in 1827 and was replaced in 1887 to its present state. It closed its doors during the Civil War but reopened after its conclusion. Some of the early members of the church are buried in the church cemetery.
Cades Cove Methodist Church
The Methodist Church is on the right side of the road, just past the turnoff to the Primitive Baptist Church.
The “Cades Cove Tour” book, available at the Information Kiosk at the entrance to Cades Cove, states, “J.D. McCampbell, a blacksmith and carpenter, built this church in 115 days for $115. He later served as its minister for many years.”
The church was established in the 1820s, and McCampbell’s building was replaced by the present one in 1902.
Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church
The Missionary Baptist Church is just down the road from the Methodist Church. It was formed in 1839 by members of the Primitive Baptist Church who were “churched” (expelled) because they wanted to start missionary work.
The present building was built in 1915 and remained open until 1944.
6. Explore the Cemeteries
Each of the churches mentioned above has an old cemetery on the premises. Use your imagination as you think about what the early settlers’ lives must have been like. Notice the dates on the gravestones – many of these folks lived hard lives and died young.
7. Take in the Amazing Scenery
Cades Cove rests in a large, flat valley surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains. In the spring and summer, the meadows are very green and adorned with wildflowers of every color.
In the fall the leaves begin to turn to reds, yellows, orange –
And in the winter, if you’re lucky, you may have a winter wonderland of snow!
8. Look for Animals
We almost always spy at least one black bear when we’re in Cades Cove. (The black bear is my favorite animal!) The best way to see one is to look for the crowd of people gathered to watch it.
But there’s more than bears. Keep your eyes open for rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels, deer – the park has a lot of “moving parts”!
And don’t forget the many species of birds, particularly turkeys.
Please Remember – DO NOT feed the animals.
9. Take a Break at the Cades Cove Visitor Center
Halfway through the drive, you’ll come to the Cades Cove Visitor Center. There is a LARGE parking lot here, which is usually crowded. It has restrooms and the requisite store where you can purchase everything from books and maps to souvenirs and ground cornmeal.
The visitor center is a fun little place with a lot to see. This is the site of the old Cable Mill. There is an old homestead here, as well as a gristmill powered by a water wheel. You will also find a blacksmith shop, the LeQuire Cantilever Barn, a smokehouse, and a corn crib. Take some time to explore!
10. Enjoy a Ranger Talk
Park Rangers at the visitor center give talks throughout the day on various topics. On our last trip there, the ranger had dressed a volunteer up like a bear, and he was explaining what to do if you encounter a bear. Very interesting…and entertaining!
Rangers are very helpful, very friendly folks. If you have questions, please ask! And get your photo made with a ranger, too.
11. Enjoy a Picnic
There is no real food available in Cades Cove, so bring your own! There are so many pullouts along the drive, where you can stop and enjoy a picnic lunch. The view will be spectacular anywhere you stop.
Three things, though…
- Be sure to clean up after yourself.
- If you have a dog with you, be sure to keep it leashed. There is a lot of traffic in Cades Cove, and you’ll want to keep your furbaby safe!
- DO NOT feed any animals that happen to show up at your picnic!
12. Take a Hike in Cades Cove
You can choose to walk the Cades Cove 11-mile loop. It is closed to automobiles on Wednesdays, so that’s the day we would suggest. There are also seven other hikes available to you in Cades Cove.
- Crib Gap Trail
- Anthony Creek Trail
- Rich Mountain Loop Trail
- Cooper Road Trail
- Abrams Creek Trail
- Rabbit Creek Trail
- Gregory Ridge Trail
Abrams Falls is, by far, our favorite hike in this area. It is only 5 miles round trip, the hike is not hard, and the falls are absolutely beautiful. There is a large pool at the bottom of the falls, with lots of boulders for climbing on.
This is a great place to take a break from driving. Stretch your legs on this hike. And don’t forget to bring your camera – photo opps!
13. Talk to the People
There are so many things we enjoy about the national parks – hiking, seeing the sights, exploring, etc…But one of our favorite things is visiting with the people we meet!
National park visitors are almost always very friendly and fun to talk with. We’ve met travelers from all over the world in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Don’t miss this great opportunity!
14. Take the Road Less Traveled
Years ago we bought our first Jeep, and it changed how we visit the parks. We try to always include some gravel roads as we explore.
“But I don’t have a Jeep!”, you say.
No worries – the gravel roads in Cades Cove are “car-friendly”, and there are several of them! Try out…
- Sparks Lane – This two-lane gravel road runs north/south, from the north branch of the loop road to the south branch. It’s just a short distance inside the entrance to the loop.
- Hyatt Lane – This two-lane gravel road runs north/south, from the north branch of the loop road to the south branch. It is just past the Cades Cove Methodist Church, on your left. Hyatt Lane will cut off the far west side of the drive.
- Rich Mountain Road – This one is our favorite! It begins just past the entrance to Hyatt Lane – it will be on your right. Rich Mountain Road will take you out of the park, to Townsend, TN, but it’s one-way, so you cannot use it to enter the park.
- Parson Branch Road – If you’re looking for a long drive on a gravel road, this is it. It begins just past the Cades Cove Visitor Center and takes you approximately 13 miles to Highway 129 in North Carolina. Parsons Branch is one-way, so you will then have to go left at 129, around the southern end of the park, and reenter via Cherokee, or go right and reenter through Townsend, TN.
15. Photo Opps!
This place is a photographer’s dream. Mountain landscapes, colorful wildflowers in the spring and summer, leaves in reds and yellows in the fall. Historical churches, graveyards, and homesteads. Animals and birds.
You can even go on a photo tour with a professional photographer. Try www.sprucephototours.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best time of day to visit Cades Cove? Try to be at the entrance at 9:00 a.m., when it opens, to avoid the crowds.
- When is the best time of year to visit Cades Cove? We prefer spring and fall for the wildflowers and the changing leaves. Summer also has the flowers, but is the busiest time of the year. The advantage of winter is that the crowds have thinned out. The area is open year-round, except for Christmas Day.
- How much does it cost? The loop is free, however, you must have a parking pass if you plan to stop for longer than 15 minutes anywhere in the park. Passes are available at all visitor centers, the Information Kiosk at the entrance to the cove, and online at Recreation.gov.
- How long does it take to drive through Cades Cove? It takes at least two hours, but that’s really not enough. Most folks take 3-4 hours.
- What days are cars not allowed in Cades Cove? The loop is closed to cars on Wednesdays, May-September, to make space for walkers and cyclists.
- Is Cades Cove closer to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg? Cades Cove is 33 miles from Gatlinburg, TN, and 32 miles from Pigeon Forge, TN. It is also 17 miles from Townsend, TN.
- Are there any waterfalls in Cades Cove? Yep, there are three – (1) Mill Creek Falls, (2) Crooked Arm Cascades, and (3) Abrams Falls.
- Is there cell service in Cades Cove? Sorry, no.
- Will I see a bear in Cades Cove? Your best bet for seeing a bear is spring or fall, earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon.
Camping at Cades Cove
You cannot camp in Cades Cove, but you can camp at its “front door”! Cades Cove Campground is right outside the entrance to the loop. It is one of 10 campgrounds operated by the National Park Service in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
The campground is open year-round and features 164 campsites. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. Flush toilets are available, (sorry, no showers). There is also a camp store open seasonally where you may purchase firewood, ice, and other incidentals.
For more info on Cades Cove Campground, visit www.nps.gov.
To make reservations, visit www.recreation.gov.
The Verdict – 15 Unforgettable Things to Do in Cades Cove – Smoky Mountains National Park
Cades Cove is perhaps the most visited area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A drive through the scenic loop is almost mandatory! And it should be.
It has history, beauty, and wildlife. You can drive it, cycle it, or hike it. You can visit it any time of the year. It’s the perfect way to start, or end, your day in the park.
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The Author
Jeff Powell is the Creator/CEO of National Park Ventures. He and his wife Mary Ellen are on a venture to visit every national park in the United States and share what they experience with their readers. Their goal is to help their readers maximize their own national park ventures.
Jeff and Mary Ellen have two sons, two grandkids, and two dogs. They live in the mountains outside Blue Ridge, GA.