Explore by foot, bike or automobile

A tunnel of foliage hugs the roadway as it winds its way up to Cades Cove, the most visited spot in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Often described as an open-air museum, Cades Cove is 1,800 acres of wide-open space nestled along the base of the Appalachian Mountains in East Tennessee.

The cove’s rolling hills, meandering streams and generous selection of plants and wildlife, as well as a handful of structures remaining from its first settlers in 1819, let visitors see what life was like in the Smokies during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Cades Cove was actually part of the Cherokee nation from early history until approximately 1819. When the white settlers started moving to the fertile land, the Cherokee found ways to adapt to their new neighbors and the two groups even lived in harmony for a brief time. 

While the historic sites in Cades Cove are preserved for visitors to enjoy, one thing that attracts visitors year after year is the changes the park goes through each season, making it appealing throughout the year. Approximately 1,500 black bears live in the national park. White-tailed deer also frequent the area, as do raccoons and wild turkeys. Autumn is a popular time to visit the Cove, with its starburst of color in October. 

Cades Cove Heritage Tours provides an 11-mile, three-and-a-half-hour guided tour for visitors to relax and enjoy the natural scenery and wildlife while listening to stories of Appalachian life in the cove. The heritage tours operates year round but offer regularly scheduled trips at 1 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sundays until Nov. 15.

The Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to motorized traffic on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10 a.m. to give bicyclists a car-free opportunity to enjoy the Cove. 

Visit nps.gov/grsm for more information.