It’s NOT All About the Loop

Cades Cove Has Some of the Best Trails in the GSMNP

Taking In the Cove

Very seldom will yours be the only car driving on the Loop Road. There are usually a few others soaking in the serenity found in the Cove, but sometimes, circling the Cove can seem like an impossibly daunting task. Traffic is heavy during the summer and fall and on weekends year-round. On those days, you can fight the traffic around the one-way loop road, or you can choose other more pleasurable activities while visiting.

Hundreds of people choose to go to the Cove to spend their day, not driving but walking among the colorful flowers, strolling under the shade of the trees, and observing the fascinating wildlife. Cades Cove is home of interesting walks to old home places, short walks on long trails, and some of the best serious hiking trails in the GSMNP.

Walks To Old Home Places

Old home places are what OldCadesCove.org is all about; the respectful acknowledgment of the people that once lived in the Cove, their family, their abode, their livelihood, their spiritual side, and anything else discernable about anyone ever living in the Cove.

We acknowledge two types of Old Home Place Walks; those demonstrated with bricks and mortar, and logs and mud, maintained by the park service, and those that were removed by the park service. Let's call them Tangible and Virtual, respectively.

We hope that everyone will get out of their automobile and not only learn about the lives of the Tangible residents but the Virtual residents as well, and start looking for Aunt Jenny's and Uncle Josh's old home place.

Short Walks On Long Trails - Out and Back

Don't have time for an all-day trek through the woods? Need to rest and get away from the car for a spell? Anything wrong or illegal with hiking to a destination other than the name of the trail? i.e., Gregory Bald Trail, but only travel half way.

Not a problem in Tennessee. Without blocking traffic, get out, lock your doors, and start walking. There are a few places along the loop that will work exceptionally well.

Check out our Out and Back suggestions.

Walk as long as you want, then go back to your car. You may find your abbreviated walk turning into a full day hike next time.

Short Day Hiking Trails

Even the big momma bears are cute, but bears are dying needlessly due to improper disposal of garbage and illegal feeding by park visitors. A bear has a remarkable sense of smell, and that sense many times lead it to human foods, such as in a picnic cooler, food left on a picnic table, garbage not disposed of properly, or food scraps thrown on the ground. Often, once a bear discovers human food or garbage, it eventually ends up dead.

It may leave the safety of the backcountry, panhandle along a road and eventually killed by a car. It may injure a visitor and be euthanized. We were staying in a cabin that bordered the park in Gatlinburg and forgot that we had left three small packets of instant oatmeal in our vehicle. We awoke the following morning to see momma and two cubs having a to-go breakfast in our SUV.

Serious Day Hiking Trails

You will find some of the best hikes in the GSMNP originating in Cades Cove. There are at least five hiking trails that will give you beautiful views of the Cove and the Smoky Mountains.

Millions of visitors travel to Cades Cove each year to experience the historical structures, the animals, and to see a different and unique, close up view of the Smoky's, but most never climb any of the surrounding ridges or mountain peaks, what a shame. They are missing an unforgettable sight resulting in a memory that will become permanently etched into their mind.

Check out our Seriously Strenuous day hike suggestions.