Cades Cove is a poular tourist site near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Cades Cove is part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Any vacation plans to the Smokies should include for a full day at Cades Cove. Most visitors to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park stay in the Tennessee towns of Gatlinberg or Pigeon Forge. Less popular is Townsend, which is known as the quiet side of the Smokies. Cades Cove happens to be closest to Townsend. It is about a 45-minute drive from Gatlinberg and Pigeon Forge.
Settlers first settled in Cades Cove in 1819. The land was transferred to Tennessee after an Indian treaty was made. By 1850, there were 685 residents and 137 households. They had newspapers, mail service, and circuit riding preachers. Telephone service was introduced in 1896. The first automobile appeared in 1915. From the 1830s to the 1920s, there was usually a resident physician.
Visiting Cades Cove is like stepping back into history. The loop road through the Cove is 11 miles. Much of it follows old wagon roads. During the summer, it can be quite busy with heavy motor vehicle traffic. The visitors' center is located halfway through the loop. This is the only area that provides restrooms, water fountains, etc. Many visitors plan accordingly and pack lunches, drinks, and snacks.
The fist cabin along the route is the John Oliver Place. The Olivers settled in the Cove in 1826. This is a two-story cabin that is situated with a beautiful view of the mountains in the background. A split rail fence surrounds the cabin. Often, in the early morning, deer can be seen grazing in the fields next to where the woods start.
The next stop is the Primitive Baptist Church. The church was organized in 1827. The present church was built in 1887. The church cemetery is a history lesson in its self. Down the lane is the Methodist church. The building was built in 1902 by J.D. McCampbell who also became the pastor. Reportedly, it was built in 115 days at the total cost of $115. The next church over is the Missionary Baptist Church, formed by former members of the Primitive Baptist Church. As the name implies, the Missionary Baptist's favored supporting missionary work while the Primitive Baptists did not.
The next cabin is the Elijah Oliver Place. This is one of the more unique cabins in the Cove. There are different outbuildings on the site that help depict what life had been like in the past. There is a corncrib, smokehouse, barn, and springhouse. The cabin has a few different building styles, so it is easy to see where it had been added on to.
The visitors' center has many buildings that were part of the Cades Cove community. There is a blacksmith shop, a cantilever barn, the John Cable mill, and other structures that depict what life was like at the time. One of the first framed houses was built by Leason Gregg in 1879. The Gregg-Cable house was the only frame house preserved by the park even though in the 1930s frame houses outnumbered log houses.
Each of the remaining cabins along the route have subtle distinctions. Each one is worth of taking some time to explore. The Henry Whitehead place, built in 1898, is distinct because it was built with square logs. The Dan Lawson place was built around 1856. Like some of the others, it was built onto at various times. It has a brick chimney, which is extremely rare for the time and place.
Spending a day at Cades Cove can be enjoyable. Depending on the season, don't be surprised to sit in traffic at times. For photographing the buildings, early morning is the best time especially on weekdays. With a little patience, it's possible to get great pictures of the cabins without other people in the shot. The two best ways to do this is to pick your positions while the other mill about. Then when they leave, get the shots. Another suggestion is to set up the shot, and wait for the people to go into the buildings. This usually gives a few minutes for clean pictures.
Throughout the entire loop, there are rolling meadows that usually have some kind of colors spread throughout. It's common to see families having picnic lunches on spread blankets. Any location provides astounding views of the mountains. In the spring, the Dogwoods and the Redbuds are spectacular in their blooming reds, pinks, and whites. During the fall, the leaves are beyond describing. The view is always impressive no matter what the season.
Cades Cove is a remote location. Persons who have asthma or are allergic to bee stings should prepare accordingly. It's possible that traffic could be heavy and slow going. It's better to be prepared for the possibility of a medical problem. The Park Service does have Rangers that are trained in first aid, but it could take some time to alert them if needed. It could take even longer for them to reach the person needing help. So safety should be stressed. If somebody has reactions to bee stings, they should ensure they have their bee-sting kit with them. If they don't have one, most doctors will write prescriptions for them. There are a lot of bees, wasps, etc in certain areas of the Cove.
