Numerous trails originate in the cove, including the five-mile roundtrip trail to Abrams Falls and the short Cades Cove Nature Trail. White-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, turkeys and other wildlife are frequently spotted in the open valley of Cades Cove. 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. Scattered along the loop road are three churches, a working gristmill, barns, log houses, and many other faithfully restored eighteenth- and nineteenth-century structures. Cades Cove offers the widest variety of historic buildings of any area in the national park. By 1830, the population of the area had already swelled to 271.

The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 18. For hundreds of years, Cherokee Indians hunted in Cades Cove but archeologists have found no evidence of major settlements. While driving the loop road, please be courteous to other visitors and use pullouts when stopping to enjoy the scenery or view wildlife.Īn inexpensive self-guiding tour booklet available at the entrance to the road provides a map and information about the cove.Ĭardinal flowers blooming beside the Tipton Place. Traffic is heavy during the tourist season in summer and fall and on weekends year-round. Allow at least two to four hours to tour Cades Cove, longer if you walk some of the area's trails. On these days, the 11-mile loop can be enjoyed on foot or bicycle.Īn 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sightsee at a leisurely pace. Vehicle-free access along the Cades Cove Loop Road takes place each Wednesday, from May 3 through September 27, 2023. 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. It offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the park. Even turkeys have been known to attack humans in the Smokies, so be a friend to wildlife, and keep your distance.Ĭades Cove is a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies.

Are you too close? Approaching wildlife endangers both humans, and the wildlife they're getting to close to for that ultimate photo.

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