Cades Cove

Great way to get back to nature. A 11 mile loop road that you can drive to view all types of nature that can be found in the smokey mountains. This year we were able to catch a mommy bear with her 2 cubs foraging for food by a fallen log. Also saw wild turkeys and deer. We stopped at the John oliver place trail to see his old cabin. Also hit Abrams falls trail. It was a long hike but was worth it. Don't forget to visit the visitors center about 3/4 of the way through the loop. They have great stuff in there for great prices.

What a great place to experience. The leaves changing color and animals abound, we spotted, Bears, Deers, Flocks of turkeys, native birds, snakes, rabbits. The second most surprising thing about our scenic drive thru visit was the amount of traffic on the one way small asphalt trail. Pro Tip - To rude guest, follow the park's directions and signs, pull off the road & let other pass If you want to observe & photograph the wild life. Also leave a donation in the roadside box, to help maintain this beautiful area.

Gorgeous drive through the smokies! My husband and I had a great time viewing the mountains, taking some walks to the scattered houses and churches around, and seeing some wildlife. We took a different path through the mountains and enjoyed it, but felt like we missed out on the rest of the Cades Cove Drive, so we turned around and did it again! The main road is perfect for any vehicle, but if you're gonna stray, have 4wd.

We have been coming to Cades Cove since 1991. It has always been a daily routine while vacationing in the Smokies. While it has evolved over the years, friends and relatives passing on and their presence becoming memories woven into the loop, I never grow tired of visiting Cades Cove. The wild life and the view combined with the rich history make the loop a must see. Piece of advice: don't rush through. Use the pull offs to let people around that don't want to enjoy the beauty and take your time. Be kind. Don't block the one way road whilst watching wildlife. But, please do take your time. You won't regret it. A small slice of peace and heaven in a hectic world.

such a good place to enjoy a good hike. The views are insane, it gives me Austrian vibes and got plenty of good photos.

Love this scenic drive. It was so breath taking when the sun hit certain trees and mountain was just beautiful with the snow flurries. Came here during winter time so it was freezing. I would love to come back during fall or summer and spend more time here. The one bad thing is only one car can go through. We were driving a bit slow to take in the beauty. But felt rush to go fast because we can see a car behind us driving fast. So we would drive fast or try to pull over when we can to let them pass.

Ok so, the place itself is beautiful! But!!! Im starting to do RESTROOM REVIEWS where ever I travel! They had the WORST kept bathrooms. It would be nice to hire someone JUST TO KEEP THE RESTROOMS CLEAN!? LIKE I said, other than this issue BEAUTIFUL scenery! Pics of the womens restroom! Also I noticed this trip 6-2024 IT TOOK SO LONG TO DRIVE THROUGH! People kept stopping and NOT allowing cars to keep moving. Was frustrating. Like 20 or more vehicles STOPPED AND STUCK having to WAIT for them to move on. I SURE HOPE SOMEONE LOOKS INTO THIS!

I don't know we have been to Cades Cove how many time. But this time we have visit in detail. We stop at every attraction. We visit all 12 historic sites. This take half day of the trip time. We start at Oliver cabin, primitive Baptist church, Methodist church, missionary baptist church, Elijah olive place, cable mill, and more. One thing you may want to plan is bathroom break. The two bathrooms location are entrance visitor center and cable mill area. Cable mill is half point of the Cades Cove loop. In the loop, there is a water falls that you can visit. Watch out for black bear on the trail.

We were told that Cade's Cove was a must-see while in the Smokey Mountain National Park. We didn't get a very early start, so traffic literally crawled along for these 11 miles, which was frustrating at times. Still, it was a beautiful drive, and there were sites to stop and explore. There are signs reminding people to keep moving, but of course they didn't pay that any heed. One particularly slow area turned out that people got out to watch a bear, hence the line came to a standstill. I feel like there must be a better way to handle the number of people going in, maybe a timed entry ticket or something like that. Thankfully, we weren't pressed for time, so just went with the flow. The visitor's center halfway through was worth stopping at. We even got to see a bear who was by the creek next to a building we were looking at.

We were visiting the Smokies and I decided that a visit to Cades Cove was a must after reading all the reviews - boy, am I glad we did it. We had flexibility to our schedule so I planned on a Wednesday visit, since cars aren't allowed on the road that day. We rented bikes in advance from the nearby shop and had a wonderful 5 hour bike ride around the 11-mile loop. We stopped to see each of the historic cabins, churches, and graveyards. The scenery is absolutely spectacular and peaceful. I would love to come back here again some day.

Disclaimer before entering: have fuel in your vehicle & pack drinks. There is a "visitor store" at the half way point with $1.25 bottles of water room temperature. Amazing views. Incredible wild life. The "parking pass" is $5 at the main entrance, after you leave there it's a one way loop that is around 7-9 miles. Plenty of pull offs for you to park and enjoy the views and eat a picnic. There are a few cabins and churches to look at along with a working mill used to make corn meal. Amazing presentation done at the mill to explain how it works. We were able to see 5 bears, two bucks with velvet on, and a bunch of turkeys.

10 stars!!!! What a wonderful trip around the Great Smoky Mountains.. I followed the loop around watching for any wildlife. It was about 11am on a Tuesday about 72 degrees... I came around a corner and spied a black bear coming down the tree line! I parked where I thought they were headed and YEAH! he came straight at me ;) So well worth the trip! The weather was perfect with all my windows open enjoying the fresh air!! Such amazing landscapes, pastures and mountain ranges!

This is one of my favorite places to stop while visiting the Smokies. It's a great place to just take in the open air. You can stop and visit historic cabins and churches. You may get lucky and see some wildlife during your visit. We always see some deer and turkeys. If you're lucky enough you might get to see some bears! This is a great place to get some pictures with the mountains. But PLEASE be courteous of everyone there and use the pull offs to take your pictures. Do not stop in the middle of the road.

This is one of the recommendations when visiting Gatlinburg so obviously we went. It's an 11-mile, one-way loop road that circles the cove, offering the opportunity to sightsee at your own pace. I'd say allow yourself at least 2-4 hours (also suggested on their site) to tour Cades Cove. Consider longer if you walk some of the trails. There are advisories posted letting you know how long each trail is so pay attention to that and the time of day as you'll want to give yourself time to return before sunset. We only saw deer on our visit and we attempted the trail to see Abram falls but given the times of day and fact that it's a 3-4 hour hike we turned around half way there. The view from half way was also great! We climbed the rocks to see the surroundings. The views of the river and surroundings were also beautiful. Pack yourself a picnic lunch and stop to eat with a beautiful view. That's what we did!! Was it worth it? Eh, it was a beautiful ride and the trail was beautiful next to the river but would I do it again? No, probably not. We only saw deer, the restrooms are disgusting and some didn't have toilet paper, fyi pack some. Maybe choose to get there early so that you can park and take some of the trails.

An absolute must do in the Gatlinburg area. Cade's cove is an amazing 11 mile loop through some of the most gorgeous mountain scenery you will ever see. The loop is self guided but very straight forward, slow paced, and relaxing. There are plenty of places to park and take photos, and there's a ton of wildlife!! There are also historical sites along the loop with plaques that explain them so you can learn something along the way! Pro tip: once you start the loop there is no bathroom until the end, and depending on traffic it can take a WHILE to get through, so make sure everyone goes before you start the drive!

It seems this is a reoccurring problem / issue that will easily run a person's day due to both the park inability to control it plus stupid inconsiderate people not giving a darn about anyone but themselves. Traveling the 11 mile Cades Cove loop is done on a one way road that is just wide enough for a car. The park will let as many cars wanting to turn into the loop. You are at the mercy of all the car traffic ahead of you so if they decide to go slow then all cars behind are forced to go as slow as they are. Along the way you may see a bear... it's obviously a cool thing to view right?. So all cars slow down to gawk at the bear. In the meantime... 200 more cars behind the gawkers are at a dead stop all pee'd off! It's totally ridiculous to be honest & a shame it's not controlled in a much more manageable way. For us it took 60 minute to travel just 2 miles of the loop! YES that's right 2 miles in 60 minutes... worse than a Los Angeles traffic jam. Our intent was to go hike Abrams Falls which would take us 3 to 4 hours. We never made it. Totally frustrated... I finally took some road that exited the loop. It pretty much ruined the day

A really great drive to see spectacular scenery. Even in the winter it looks awesome, and the drive there is worthwhile too.

Beautiful any time of the year. Cades Cove is such a wonderful place, always changing. First time that we didn't see much wildlife, just a single wild Turkey. Usually see black bears and deer.

We were told about Cades Cove mobile 11 mile loop that it's a 3 hour loop due to the slowness of everyone going through the trail. We were planning to go on Wednesday but the trail was closed to motorists. We waited and went on Thursday, because what else could we do on a day of nothing but raining. We actually went through the trail in 1 hour and 45 minutes. That wasn't as bad as I anticipated it would be. A lot of history that I've learned existed in this part of the Smokey Mountains. It's not all about visiting the area in hopes to run across a bear, elk and other wild life, but mainly bears. Note, lots of areas to stop and pull off in the area. Must have a pass to park anywhere in the park. You can visit any of the welcome centers in the area, especially in the Gatlinburg area to pick up a pass. They have a week, day and monthly pass. We purchased (2) weekly passes for $15 each. Now let's talk about the European settlement that happened on this land. John Oliver (1793-1863), a veteran of the War of 1812, and his wife Lurena Frazier (1795-1888) were the first permanent European settlers in Cades Cove. The Olivers, originally from Carter County, Tennessee, arrived in 1818. Another well known piece of history is the chestnut flats area of Cades Cove, located at the base of Gregory Bald, was well known for producing high-quality corn liquor. Among the more prominent moonshine distillers was Josiah "Joe Banty" Gregory (1870-1933), the son of Matilda "Aunt Tildy" Shields by her first marriage. The Primitive Baptist Church, constructed in 1827. The church was organized as the Cades Cove Baptist Church in 1827, and renamed "Primitive Baptist" after the Anti-missions Split in 1841. The Olivers and Russell Gregory are buried in its cemetery. The Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church, current building constructed in 1915-1916. The Myers Barn, constructed in 1920. The Myers Barn is a more modern-looking hay barn located along the trail to the Elijah Oliver Place. The Elijah Oliver Place, constructed in 1866. Elijah Oliver (1829-1905) was the son of John and Lucretia Oliver. His original farm was destroyed during the U.S. Civil War by Confederate marauders. The homestead includes a dog-trot cabin, a chicken coop, a corn crib, a spring house, and a crude stable. The John Cable Grist Mill, constructed in 1868. John P. Cable (1819-1891), a nephew of Peter Cable, had to construct a series of elaborate diversions along Mill Creek and Forge Creek to get enough water power for the mill's characteristic overshot wheel. The Becky Cable House, constructed in 1879. This building, adjacent to the Cable Mill, was initially used by Leason Gregg as a general store. In 1887, he sold it to John Cable's spinster daughter, Rebecca Cable (1844-1940). A Cable family tradition says that Rebecca never forgave her father and refused to marry after her father broke off one of her childhood romances. Various buildings have been moved from elsewhere in the cove and placed near the Cable mill, including a barn, a carriage house, a chicken coop, a molasses still, a sorghum press, and a replica of a blacksmith shop. The Henry Whitehead Cabin, constructed 1895-1896. This cabin, located on Forge Creek Road near Chestnut Flats, was built by Matilda "Aunt Tildy" Shields and her second husband, Henry Whitehead (1851-1914). Shields' sons from her first marriage were prominent figures in the cove's moonshine trade. The Dan Lawson Place, built by Peter Cable in the 1840s and acquired by Dan Lawson (1827-1905) after he married Cable's daughter, Mary Jane. Lawson was the cove's wealthiest resident. The homestead includes a cabin (still called the Peter Cable cabin), a smokehouse, a chicken coop, and a hay barn. The Tipton Place, built in the 1880s by the descendants of Revolutionary War veteran William "Fighting Billy" Tipton. The paneling on the house was a later addition. Along with the cabin, the homestead includes a carriage house, a smokehouse, a woodshed, and the oft-photographed double-cantilever barn. The Carter Shields Cabin, a rustic log cabin built in the 1880s. The land as you can see has a lot of rich history. A lot more than searching for bears. We did see 2 bear sightings on our trip.

Get there EARLY, is what I'll say!! Once folks start entering the park and bears are spotted, prepare to sit bumper to bumper!! Understand your route beforehand. Phone reception is not that great out there. It's very picturesque! We saw about 11 black bears, some deer, horses, and turkeys! Then we took the winding (and dusty) road out of the park, Rich Mountain Rd

It could be us. But, we didn't get the hype. The drive UP to Cade's Cove is way more scenic. Cades Cove? It's gotta lot of old barns and structures to look at. It's got turkeys. Open grassy fields with foresty borders. You'll be behind discourteous drivers who do not know how to use the pullouts even though there is a half-mile long conga line of bored sightseers behind them. I kept waiting for some otherwordly sight to pop up around the next bend in the road. It never came. Hey, if driving for hours on a narrow, two lane twisty mountain road, only to arrive at another, one lane twisty road that drones on for another 11 miles puts the butter on yer roll, knock yourself out. I guess this is the place to occasionally see bears? We didn't see any nor did we expect to. The bears were probably bored and stayed at home.

Love it. It is getting a little crowded but still doable in a weekend. This is one of my favorite things to do while in this beautiful national park. We usually visit three to four times a year, once a season if possible. If you want to see a bear or two this is the place to be. you can also see other wildlife such as, deer, wild turkeys, elk (if you're lucky) and tons of small bushy critters. Please use the pullouts and parking spaces that are provided to stop and view the wildlife. Please do not be the idiot that prevents others from seeing the wildlife. If you feel the need to stop, please pull over to the side and allow others to go around you. There are several spots to pull off the main road, you should take all of side roads as they allow you more opportunities to see more wildlife and take hikes. They also allow you to get away from the crowds.

I highly recommend driving Cade's cove. It's beautiful scenery and if you're lucky you might find a bear or two.

The only thing I can say that is anywhere close to negative is that it is so irritating when people stop in the middle of the road and won't follow the signs that say to pull over if you stop so others can pass while you enjoy the view. I could go here every day and be perfectly happy! It's breathtaking and they did a fantastic job at making sure they disrupt as little nature as possible and all of the buildings are very well maintained and preserved. It's approx 11 miles and can take SEVERAL HOURS to get through, especially if people don't follow directions and if they are really busy. There a tons of animals and tons of rich history throughout the park. I go through every single time I am in Tennessee and always will!

Loop drive outside Gatlinburg. Have went for yrs to see bears and finally sawxa few. Think going earlier is a better idea. Drive slow. Its a one way loop sobwhen u start you are committed. Then we realized very very low on fuel. That is bad! No cell coverage on internet. Stopped at ranger there big solution was thecway back to Gatlinburg is mainly down hill. Luckily campers had a few gallons for their generator. Lol just another travel funny memory.

This is about a 10-mile drive where you'll see a ton of scenery as well as some animals. It's 100% free, how could you pass that up! They have pull offs throughout the drive, plenty of opportunities for pictures. The views are breathtaking, and with no hiking it can't get better than that. Just please be respectful, you're in these animals natural environment. Please don't litter or honk at people when you're visiting these animals home.

Heads up - this is 100% a tourist spot with heavy traffic even during non peak times... Now that we got that out of the way - I still wanted to check it out and DO think it was worth it :) We went here for the drive through and to get to Abrahms Falls. We pulled over quite a few times for the scenic views and they were nice but the parking situation was severe and frustrating. People everywhere and they will straight up walk right in front of your car. The views were nice for most of the drive and we were lucky to have seen a Momma bear and a couple cubs right near the end! IT WAS EXCITING! Note that this is a free attraction, but there are lots of donations boxes throughout if you want to help support it. There is also a restroom and picnic area right at the entrance/exit. I recommend using that as you will be here for a couple hours at least. The drive through line is slow - like 10 miles an hours most the time.

Definitely do this! I arrived around 10AM, and I didn't leave until 1PM. My first drive through, everyone was being redirected down Hyatt Rd, which runs through the valley. The scenic route around the loop was blocked off temporarily because of something Townsend Fire and Rescue had to take care of (hurt person, maybe?). On the way out to the exit, a bear was spotted, so there was a LOT of sitting in the car, waiting. I also saw a large deer before the exit. After stopping at the restrooms in the Picnic area (had toilet paper but no soap), I decided to stop and dip my toes in the creek at the picnic area. Good grief, that water was COLD! But hey, I did it! It was extremely peaceful, just sitting on the rocks and listening to the running water. I then did another drive through Cades Cove, and I was able to do the full 11-mile circuit. I saw 7 turkeys, 5 horses, 3 bears, and 3 whitetail deer. The views are amazing, too! Do this, for sure!!

Really a terrible trip on a motorcycle. We were doing 8mph on a heavy bike, stopping every 50 feet at a dead stop for up to 15 minutes. The people in cars/suvs were not courteous at all. They did not pull over, they stopped dead in the roadway to watch turkeys or deer or flipping duck and not let anyone pass them. It was an hour or so wasted. It would have been beautiful except for the clueless inconsiderate bastards. There should be a minimum of 15mph thru the park or at least a requirement to pull off. It took an hour and a half to do the 11 miles on the motorcycle. Maybe that's your thing. It was very frustrating for us w no way to do otherwise.

Beautiful, peaceful venue in the SMNF that we enjoyed touring. We saw significant numbers of whitetail deer and stopped at most of the buildings/churches scattered throughout the cove. The visitors center was another nice stop. We will return!

Such an awesome place to take your family. Nice slow drive , avg 10mph through I believe 9 miles of scenic driving. You'll see lots of wildlife. We saw a few bears as well. They have places to stop and see the churches the families built almost 200 years ago. The hike to the falls we a long one but worth it . Couple areas allow you to pull off and walk in the fields.

Want to step back in time & enjoy wildlife in their natural environment? Then Cades Cove is we worth the drive from Gatlinburg! While driving through an 11 mile loop, you'll have an opportunity to see wild turkeys, deer, coyotes & bear. This trip the bear were active, and we saw 11...all from a safe distance in our car. There are stops along the loop where you can park & tour an old homestead and churches. All ages will enjoy this unique adventure!

Beautiful scenery! Path is nicely paved and easy to drive. Free unless you want to stop longer than 15 minutes, then you will need to buy a $5 parking permit.

So beautiful, went on Dec 26 2023.. if you're down for a car ride with beautiful scenery & nature definitely take the cades cove drive!!

This is a great place to go and see wildlife! We saw a total of 8 bear and a lot of deer. Several large buck and lots of turkey. Donations at the beginning and end of you would like to donate. Give yourself at least 2 hours to go through. Look up the bears like to hang out in the trees!

I can see how this loop would be a disaster in the high season. One lane with people stopping to see animals we have in our backyard (except for bears). Be advised the drive could turn into a three hour nightmare.

I love this loop. Definitely get in early if you can. The line gets long and you can easily spend the entire day here. My friends and I got in early after stopping at a couple pull offs to get photos. We stopped at nearly every place to explore, take in the fall colors, and get out of the car. I had tried to research before coming here and was glad I did. I knew to take drinks and snacks because we'd be here awhile. There's an excellent hiking place to stop at about halfway in. We hiked to a waterfall, up and down mountains, there and back for a total of about 5.5 miles. I thought I was going to die. But it made me feel so good to finish. There are some super gross bathrooms (vault because you can't just run plumbing through a national park) so that was a necessary evil. It was nice to get to the store with real bathrooms and I love me some shopping. Any excuse to get stuff and support the national parks you know?

Beautiful road! Lovely views and amazing history, HOWEVER, it took us 3 hours to drive 11 miles! Traffic was TERRIBLE. The road is beautiful. We saw 4 blacks bears, white tail deer and lots of birds and wild turkeys. The historic buildings are so cool and there was lots of info about each. I recommend this road, but plan on lots of traffic.

What a panoramic view while you drive the course of 11 miles course. A valley of beauty. Sightings of wild horses turkeys and other animals can be seen. During the busy season bring a lunch and water as it can take hours to get thru. Just plan on a chill day and do stops to take pictures. If you want time with the family all together this is a good choice.

I had very fond memories of Cades Cove from when I was a kid but after my last trip I don't know that I'll go again. People don't use the pull offs, they just stop in the middle of the road to take pictures which cuases traffic to back up horrendously. We barely moved for over an hour, it was insane. If I do it again I will bring a bicycle as you can get through much faster and spend time where you want.

This is one of my all time favorite spots in the Smokies. It's a perfect trifecta of mountain view, wildlife, and hiking. Don't want to get out and hike? No worries, you will still enjoy this spot. Love history? Stop on the way in and grab a booklet that gives info on several old buildings and landmarks along the way. This place truly has something for everyone. Be aware that it can take hours to go around the 11 mile loop, especially if it's bear season. Expect to also see deer, turkeys, and lots of birds. Bring snacks or a picnic lunch, there's really no place to get food nearby. About 3/4 of the way thru the loop there's a welcome center and gift shop, also the bathrooms are located here. There is a short cut that you can take if you want to exit the loop without going all the way around. My favorite time of the day is first thing in the morning, it's also the best time to see wildlife. It's closed to car traffic on Wednesdays during the summer months, when you can bike it. If you've never been, check it out and I'm sure it will become one of your favorite stops as well.

Flat valley between mountains and ridges We did a self-guided driving tour. This cove is a showcase of some of the most inspiring natural and cultural treasures from the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The auto-tour is one-way and 11-miles long on Cades Cove Loop Road. Share the road and watch out for bicyclists and pedestrians along the way. If you're lucky you may also see wildlife during your drive. We did not see any but please be courteous and do not block traffic, use one of the roadside pullouts and obey posted speed limits. Before proceeding with our drive we stopped by the orientation center to pick up a map. It's a nice souvenir booklet that gives a brief description of the sites we will be passing through. They sold for $1/ea. We drove most of the time stopping at about 4 or 5 of the sites. There were a total of 17 stops. There are two ways (roads) to leave the Cove. You can use Hyatt Lane or Sparks Lane to take shortcuts. Anyway, the churches and some of the cabins/homes we stopped and toured shed a lot of history of Cades Cove. Not what I expected Great Smokey Mountains to be. There were a lot of people that day and we felt like we got ourselves into an 11-mile long traffic. It's a good idea to start off your tour early in the day. I think it was the one in Gatlinburg we wanted to see. I wanted to catch vistas of the seven states: Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi... where is that?? Review #1871

Terrific drive! Important notes: * Closed to cars of Wednesday, making it great to cycle, hike, or run * If you're driving, go as early as you can in the morning to avoid the worst traffic. This is a one-way mostly single lane road. Backups get intense. We saw 5 bears and 3 cubs, deer, turkeys and groundhogs. This truly is a gorgeous drive. Options: 1) Drive the full scenic loop (11 miles) 2) Drive the smallest loop (5 miles) 3) Drive the middle loop (7 miles) There are a host of historic buildings you can stop and tour as well. We did a few, but because we went later in the day the traffic volume was too high to enjoy sight seeing at our leisure.

Go very very early in the morning on Wednesday when no cars are allowed. We had a great strenuous walk run its about a 1/2 marathon and we saw bears!

Loved the stops along the way! Too bad I only did up to a handful of them! I will definitely save up to go visit again! It was nice to see all the historical sites!

Truly one of the most peaceful places on earth. No trip to Townsend is ever complete without a visit to this magical and sacred land. We spotted 39 bears in the two days we visited. Always such an exciting experience! There is no charge to visit this park but donations are appreciated. Wednesdays are designated for non vehicle visitors. YOU MUST GO!

Definitely worth a visit. Nice little drive thru mountains. Saw turkeys and black bears forgot what else.. but you should definitely try it.

I will always make the drive to Cades Cove because I absolutely love the mountains and the wildlife. If I could just bottle all this up and take it home I sure would you know you would too! I was so happy we had cooler weather and were able to have the windows down and enjoy the fresh air, despite any allergies they might have happened later ( too bad it was totally worth it ). We didn't see any bears this time but that's just fine we have seen them here plenty. We did see the wild horses, turkeys, deer and probably something else I'm forgetting. We enjoyed the entire ride thru. If you can work it in go try early morning or before sunset. It's about an hour and a half from Gatlinburg area but definitely worth it. There are little shops you can stop at on the way there or back to.

Fabulous drive with all the beauty and splendor rounding each bend. A must take drive .... slowly as your luck may provide you with a sighting of bear... fox... wild turkeys... wild horses...deer. It's an amazing adventure with history along the way... and the beauty of nature... the old cabins... churches ... look for the landmarks. The journey is free... with donation boxes as you exit... and it's a blessing to donate to this adventure! Cheers on your travels and enjoy!