The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is over 520,000 acres, split between Tennessee and North Carolina. That's over 800 square miles, which makes it quite difficult to explore the entirety of this national park. One way visitors can take in the natural beauty and the rich history of the area is by driving, cycling, or walking the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop.
The Cades Cove Loop takes visitors through the 2,000 acre Cades Cove valley, which is surrounded by the highest peaks of the mountain. This is not only a path with spectacular landscape views, but the perfect place to spot a large variety of wildlife. It's not uncommon to see deer, turkey, and even bears, said Public Information Specialist Dana Soehn.
She also noted that it's the perfect spot for birders, who come from all over to see the different species that utilize the area, along with migrants passing through.
“In recent years, because of all the meadow restoration we've done, we have seen the return of the Short Eared Owl,” Soehn noted. “That's a success story for a bird that was driven out of a lot of other habitats.”
Because there are so many open areas along loop, there's higher possibilities of spotting white-tailed deer, elk, black bears, raccoons, turkeys, and woodchucks, as opposed to some of the other parts of the park that are covered by dense forest.
Black Bear found walking down Hyatt Lane in Cades Cove. [Photo/Warren Bielenberg]
The Cades Cove Loop's official website even offers some tips for viewing the abundance of wildlife within the valley. They recommend coming in the early morning or the evening for the most advantageous viewing times. Bring binoculars, sit quietly besides the trail, and don't forget to scan the trees. They also warn visitors to “resist the temptation to share your sandwich with a bear.”
While wildlife is a huge draw of the Cades Cove Loop, that's only half of what this part of the park has to offer. The valley is home to a rich Appalachian farm history. For hundreds of years, Cherokee Indians hunted in Cades Cove, but never quite stayed in the area. By 1820, the first Europeans settled in the cove. Just ten years later, the population of the area had already swelled to 271.
“We are trying to make sure that people understand what it was like to live here in the late 1800s. We want to share those stories of the settlement,” Soehn said. “There are great lessons to be told. You can learn a lot about how people utilized the land to survive. About how they depended on their neighbors for bartering. They developed their own economic system. It's a great way to learn about the social customs that we have descended from.”
According to its website, Cades Cove offers the widest variety of historic buildings of any area in Smoky Mountain national park. Three churches, a working grist mill, barns, and log houses are scattered along the loop. The restored structures from the eighteenth and nineteenth century are not only available to walk through, but sometimes occupied by demonstrators.
“You can see a blacksmith at work in his shop. Or see the miller processing corn into cornmeal,” marveled Soehn.
For Soehn, who started working at the national park 30 years ago, she automatically gets that feeling of “stepping back in time” when she enters the Cades Cove Loop. This allows visitors to slow down a bit. To unplug.
Some of her fondest memories of Cades Cove Loop over the years involve bringing her children to ranger-led programs and demonstrations. They really got a glimpse into the early settler life, thanks to dedicated volunteers.
One of the most unique experiences at Cades Cove Loop is the star-gazing, she added.
“It's spectacular to experience the loop at night,” said Soehn. “It's a one-of-a-kind experience to see the night skies that are protected by the national park.”
No matter if the plan is to get out of the car and star gaze, or meander through the historic buildings, this is a leisurely loop that visitors should set aside three to four hours to complete. Cyclists are also welcome, and the park is closed to vehicles twice a week during the summer months so cyclists can safely enjoy the path. Since it can get crowded in the summer, Soehn recommends arriving in the early morning or during weekdays.
Adventure, Destinations, National Parks, Outdoors, Tennessee, Travel