![]() ![]() Īnd eventually crossed over a rocky ridge. We crossed a footbridge over a side stream. It went up and down gently most of the way. The path was quite muddy at lower levels and dried out as it went up. The trail would run along the creek for awhile and then it would climb up the ridge above the creek. Which is wide and well-known as a one of the better fly-fishing streams in the park. Soon, we were ready for the 2.5-mile hike to the falls. ![]() We arrived there at 9:00 and there were very few cars in the parking lot. The Abrams Falls spur is about five miles into the Cades Cove Loop, and then it's about a half mile gravel road to the trailhead parking area. We saw some wild turkeys and several deer. Well, we got started later than I hoped, but we arrived at Cades Cover around 8:30. Plus I was hoping we might see some wildlife in the morning hours. ![]() Knowing how popular the hike is, I wanted to get an early start. Tackling this trail means taking a 1.6-mile round trip and is suitable for hikers of all abilities.The plan for today was to do the 5-mile round-trip Abrams Falls Hike on a spur of the Cades Cove Loop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Then there’s the Lynn Camp Prong cascades, which can be viewed while hiking the Middle Prong Trail. It is 80-feet tall and it takes around two hours to hike there and back. Laurel Falls is another popular waterfall and it is located along the Laurel Falls Trail. Although it’s only 20-feet high, a large volume of water rushes over the edge into a long, deep pool at its base. It’s worth it for the picturesque waterfall, which is located on Abrams Creek. The hiking trail to Abrams Falls is located past the #10 stop on Cades Cove Loop Road, and it takes around three to four hours to hike there and back. Waterfalls are a huge attraction of Cades Cove and Abrams Falls is one of the most popular falls. Day Hikes In & Around Cades Cove is available for a minimal fee. Pick up the self-guiding Cades Cove Tour booklet ($1) from any visitor center to discover more about Cades Cove's attractions and history. The best wildlife viewing occurs in the very early morning and late afternoon. Allow at least two to four hours to tour Cades Cove, and longer if you walk some of the area's trails. The road is open to car traffic from dawn to dusk, except on Wednesdays and Saturdays from early May through late September, when bicycles and hikers rule the road until 10am.Įntrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free. Although you may see many online maps that may appear to show multiple entrances, this is the only one leading directly into the loop. There is only one driving entrance into the Cades Cove Loop from Laurel Creek Road. Be aware that because of bumper-to-bumper traffic during peak season, it can take five hours to drive the road – longer than it would take to walk. It is possible to stop at pullouts to enjoy the scenery or view wildlife. An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sightsee at a leisurely pace. Visitors can see an abundance of wildlife at Cades Cove © Rob Hainer/Shutterstock Getting there and other practicalitiesĬades Cove is the most popular area in the USA's most popular national park, so go early if you want to beat the crowds. Scattered along the loop road are three churches, a working grist mill, barns, pioneer log cabins and many other faithfully restored structures. Today, thanks to the excellent preservation efforts of the National Park Service, you can still get a vivid sense of life in Cades Cove during the 19th century. The national park was chartered by the US Congress in 1934, and officially dedicated by President Franklin D. By 1850, the valley's population had swelled to 70 households and 451 residents, later reaching a peak of 708. European settlers – most of them English, Scots-Irish and Welsh – arrived in the 1820s. Historyįor hundreds of years, the Cherokee used Cades Cove as a hunting settlement and the valley is named after their local leader, Chief Kade. It offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the wider National Park, and whether blanketed in bright wildflowers in the spring or vivid colors in the fall, its scenery never disappoints. ![]() One of the most popular destinations in the Tennessee section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, many consider this 6800-acre valley to be a national treasure due to its poignant cultural legacy, pioneer architecture and plentiful wildlife.Ĭades Cove has more than two million visitors a year because of its historic homesteads, waterfalls and scenic viewpoints all within a verdant landscape of lush green fields enveloped by an unbroken expanse of mountains. In Appalachian parlance, a cove means a valley, but Cades Cove is far more than that. ![]()
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