Cades Cove

Most visitors choose to view Cades Cove by taking the 11-mile one-way Cades Cove Loop, which is a paved road that allows automobile, bicycle, and foot traffic. From there, you can see the old structures (dating from the late 1800s), including a grist mill and log homes, which are the last remaining signs of the people who used to live in the cove. It's like traveling backward in time, especially when you're surrounded by the untouched beauty of the forests and mountains.

If you're interested in enjoying nature, then Cades Cove has a lot to offer. You can take a hike on the Cades Cover Nature Trail where you could spot deer, wild turkeys, foxes, and even one of the estimated 1,600 black bears which call the area home. Besides hiking, you can also enjoy camping and fishing.

The area also has an interesting history. Cades Cove is believed to have been named for Chief Kade, an important Cherokee who lived in the area before it was made a home by white settlers. In the early 1800's, most people did not believe anyone could settle the cove. An entrepreneur named Josiah Jobe convinced the Oliver family that the cove could become a livable area. The Olivers moved into the cove in 1818, nearly died during the first harsh winter, and only continued to stay because Jobe gave them a cow. At least that's how the early story goes.

Eventually more people moved into the cove. Just 35 years after the Olivers called it home, the area had grown to include as many as 750 residents. In fact, the settlement's church was still activity until the 1960's and the last Cades Cove resident died just seven years ago.

If you are interested in nature, outdoor activities, or history and you want to explore one of the most beautiful areas in all of Tennessee, you should make the short drive from your Gatlinburg hotel to Cades Cove. We know you won't be disappointed.