I cannot tell y'all how many times I've heard about Cade's Cove but I have never been nor had I any idea of all the treasures within it's acreage. My husband, Eric, surprised me with a mountain cabin weekend getaway to Tennessee and when he told me about it, he told me we can do anything I wanted. So naturally, a hike/outdoor adventure was my heart's desire. I did some research, asked some friends, and read many an article to be sure we were fully prepared for this epic day!
The hours vary as seasons change and currently, Wednesday's are closed to cars driving the 11 mile car tour loop. We went on a Saturday, they opened at 8. We arrived at 7:40 after waking up at 5 am for coffee, breakfast, showers, and travel. The drive was not very far from Gatlinburg, about an hour and a half but very scenic and peaceful and happy as we watched the sunrise and the flowing river constantly beside us. There was a line beginning as we arrived, cars anxiously, and excitedly awaiting the chance to spot wildlife....bears, deer, turkey, and more!
Here was how our day went there:
As the ranger opened the gate for the cars right at 8 a.m., we unbuckled our 3 year old daughter, Ellie, and let her move about the car freely, usually in one of our laps or on the console as we slowly drove, scanning the windows, bouncing back and forth excitedly, hanging out the windows, snapping photos, pointing, oo'ing and aww'ing.
On the 11 mile loop, pedestrians, bikers, and automobiles are all welcome. Mostly there were vehicles. As noted before, on Wednesdays, there is no car traffic which is awesome for bikers and pedestrians as they have more road space. On our first loop around (we took the loop twice intentionally) we drove without making stops at all the historical cabins and churches and trails first so they we could capture any wildlife in the early morning. The best time to find them is sunrise- 9a.m. and in the early afternoon. We saw a bear early on! We got out of the car along with many others, and quietly, wide eyed, and adrenaline rushing joyful bodies, came as close as was respectable and took photos and took in the beauty of the black bear. It was am older cub and mama was near by. Then, we continued on, watching the morning sun lighten the earth, fog rolling away off the hills and mountain tops, and drove on through the trees, spotting many deer and wild turkey. It was breathtaking and humbling. It was fun!
After we drove the loop slowly and observingly, we went to the campsite area for bathroom breaks and snacks. They have some dang good snacks up there and good pic-nic spots if you brought your own lunch. There are places by a creek bed on a bank to relax with your family. But we weren't relaxing! We snacked and headed back out to the loop again, this time to stop at all the stops on the $1 map we purchased at the kiosk at the start of the loop. Even as we walked short trails to cabins, many a deer roamed right alongside us. They watched us and we watched them and time stood still and all was so peaceful. Leaves were changing colors already and the weather was cool and the sun was warming. It was the best family time. We did each historic stop on the property with the exception of two that happened to be longer hikes. We would go back another day and time to do those two that we missed. One was a hike to Abram Falls, a little over 5 miles. Ellie can hike 7 miles barefooted but even 5 miles is too much after a 5 a.m. wake up and all day exploration. (We did do another smaller hike later in the day nearer the cabin). Ellie wanted to live in all the cabins. She loved exploring the meadows and creeks, farm equipment, and animals. The visitor's center was incredibly nice on the property. So much history out there to take in and beauty to explore.
We arrived there at 8 a.m. and left at 1:30 p.m. So it was a good full day and if I had not planned another hike, we could have ended the day there for sure. There is also a horse stable. You can ride horses and do carriage/hay rides though I do not know when these are offered. However, this and Abrams Falls hike are on the docket for the next visit. We wanted our daughter to be older for horse trail riding. She can rock a corral, though. Haha!
There is the option to camp here in this part of the national park at Cade's Cove and I think it is probably one of the most wonderful campgrounds I've seen!
Plan to go and plan to spend your day there and take your time, from sunrise. There are many good articles and resources online. I am so so so happy we made this the big part of our trip.
Photo time!! And these do not do this wonderful place justice! You must go!!
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