Where history and nature meet
In the western corner of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our eyes are drawn down rather than up to follow the lower contours of the mountain ridges as they encircle a secluded cove that is simply, unbelievably beautiful. Known as Cades Cove, this 4,000-acre valley is both a nature’s paradise and a historical museum. As visitors drive the 11-mile one-way loop around the Cove, they are taken back in time to the mid-1800s when life was simpler but ruled by the rigors of a self-sufficient lifestyle.
Our Cultural Heritage
Abundant with wildlife, Cades Cove was for centuries a hunting ground for the Cherokee Indians. When the first white settlers started arriving in the early 1800s, they were helped by Kate, the wife of Chief Abraham, and it is believed that the name Cades Cove evolved from Kate’s Cove. A treaty in 1819 officially opened up the valley to settlement, and by 1850 there were 132 families (685 people) farming the precious flat land.
Today, Cades Cove is home to one of the most complete collections of historic structures in Southern Appalachia, letting visitors see first-hand how people subsistence-farmed and lived off the land. The self-guiding Cades Cove Tour booklet, available at the visitor centers for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, introduces visitors to the churches, cabins, and barns of the pioneer families.
Cades Cove today is home to three churches: the Primitive Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, and the Missionary Baptist Church. The settlers took their religion seriously and did not work on Sundays. However, dinners-on-the-ground were a favorite social event, and many a courtship began there at church.
The first cabin in Cades Cove belonged to John Oliver. It was hand-built in the early 1820s, using round logs hewn with an ax, and is the oldest cabin in Cades Cove. The second cabin belonged to John Oliver’s son Elijah. His farm homestead includes several outbuildings, such as a springhouse, a smokehouse, a corncrib, and a barn for the farm animals.
Halfway along the loop is the Cable Mill area, which includes a working grist mill, a blacksmith shop, a cantilever barn, a sorghum cane mill and adjacent molasses furnace, and the Gregg-Cable House. Moved from its original site, the Gregg-Cable house was built in 1879 and is believed to be the first frame house built with sawed lumber in Cades Cove. Visitors will also find a staffed visitor center and restrooms at the Cable Mill area.
Three more homesteads line the second half of the Cades Cove loop: the Henry Whitehead Place, the Dan Lawson Place, and the Tipton Place. All three show how labor-intensive life on the farm was. However, neighbors helped each other, and time-consuming tasks became social events, such as cornhusking, beanstringing, apple peeling, and molasses making.
Nature Sanctuary
While the human history displayed in Cades Cove is fascinating, it is overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the natural setting. Take some time to soak in the peace as the golden meadows, spotted with hardwood forests and crossed by Abram’s Creek, stretch across the valley. Savor the magic of each season, from the delicate buds of spring to the bright colors of autumn.
Wildlife viewing is a favorite activity. Pause at the pullouts and watch the herds of white-tailed deer graze. Listen to the quiet, especially in the early hours of the day, and you may hear the cluck-cluck of the wild turkeys. As the light dims towards dusk, you may even see a black bear pawing at an old log in search of food. But please, for your own safety, watch from a distance.
Take advantage of the many other activities Cades Cove offers: hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnicking, and camping. Inquire about various Park Ranger-led activities such as storytelling, historical talks, wildlife lectures, guided walking tours, even guided night hikes. Come early Saturday or Wednesday mornings May through September when the Loop Road is closed until 10 AM to automobile traffic. It’s the perfect time to bike or take a quiet stroll.
With so much to see and do, it’s no wonder Cades Cove is one of the most popular destinations within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For popular trails in Cades Cove, download the map on our Maps page. |
