Cades Cove, Part 1: Daytime

Check out a newer (2020) updated version of this post on my new blog: The Ultimate Guide To Cades Cove

Prior to my trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park every single blog post that I had read stated that Cades Cove was a must see/can’t miss spot. Pretty much all of those posts also suggested getting there at sunrise, when the gates to the cove open. You see, Cades Cove is the only place within Great Smoky Mountains that closes at night. It’s open from dawn to dusk (although with the line of traffic at dusk it will take you until after dark to get out).

Cades Cove, Part 1: Daytime. Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As one of the most popular and visited destinations within Great Smoky Mountains you can imagine the crowds that Cades Cove draws. This 11 mile one way loop road circles the cove and should take between 2 to 4 hours to complete.

As one of the most popular and visited destinations within Great Smoky Mountains you can imagine the crowds that Cades Cove draws. This 11 mile one way loop road circles the cove and should take between 2 to 4 hours to complete. It really depends on if you exit your car to check out the historical buildings or if you just drive on through. Either option provides some spectacular scenery.

Cades Cove is an isolated and lush valley that was home to settlers well before the national park was formed. If you arrive at the right time this beautiful valley can be peaceful and relaxing and it’s known as one of the best places to view wildlife within the park. However, if you arrive at the wrong time of day you can expect major crowds, no animals, very little parking and going about 1 mile per hour because of vehicle backups.

Shout out to GSMNP and Cades Cove: I love that you have a no idle policy in this part of the park.

Historically speaking, the cove itself has a long and rich history. According the National Park Service, Cades Cove while used as hunting grounds for the Cherokee was never settled by them. That’s right, the Cherokee never lived in the cove and referred to it as the river otter place. It remains unclear why the Cherokee never settled here but the first European settlers ended up there sometime in the early 1800s. Within the first 10 years of settlement the population in Cades Cove swelled.

My Honest Opinion

Cades Cove is unarguably beautiful and it really transports you back in time. Until you hear horns honking and kids riding in the back of pickup trucks screaming. There is the option to ride a bike through this loop road. If you choose to go the bike-riding route, please remember that you have to SHARE the road with the motorists.

I decided to head to Cades Cove on a Thursday after reading that weekends can be very congested. Although I had every intention of getting there when it opened at sunrise, in reality, I didn’t actually get there until around 11 am. Big mistake on my part. I would not suggest trying to visit Cades Cove any time other than sunrise and sunset.

I grabbed a self-guided brochure ($1), left a donation and made my way into the cove. I do suggest that you get the brochure if you are at all interested in history. The first stop was John Oliver Place, which is a quarter of a mile walk off the road. This is basically everyone’s first stop, which makes the parking situation a bit of a mess (although there is plenty of parking here). I’ll also add that for September it was an incredibly hot day, 90 degrees, and I was sweating after this short walk.

The cabin itself was built in the 1820’s and is the oldest log home in the park. Although it was gorgeous and the craftsmanship was really impressive, I think I was expecting something to be inside of these structures, but they are all completely empty. Perhaps this is for better preservation but I found myself a little disappointed.

I also stopped at the Missionary Baptist Church that was founded in 1839 and the church itself was built in 1915 and then headed onto the visitor’s center. I needed to use the bathrooms and wanted to check out the little store. It was insanely busy as I stopped here right around lunchtime. I walked around a bit and saw the Cable Mill Area but it was so packed with people that there was a line to get inside the incredibly small building.

The next stop was the Dan Lawson Place built in 1856 and probably my favorite historical building in Cades Cove. Interestingly, the original house of hewn logs was built before Cades Cove even had a sawmill.

My final stop was Tipton Place and honestly the Mr didn’t even get out of the car for this one. The home was built in the 1870s. All of the homes and buildings that we didn’t stop at were mostly because there was no parking. Yes, it really was that busy. No, I am not exaggerating at all. And yes, I know that photos are deceiving but there were a ton of people!*

Around 2 million people visit Cades Cove each year. I can understand why but based on all of the blog posts I had read I think my expectations were just too high for this particular location.