Details

Please note: This year the park system is reguiring everyone purchase a $5 parking pass.

Get ready to enjoy all that is Cades Cove.The roads in Cades Cove are gravel but well maintained. In the past we have seen bears, turkeys and deer. The animals in the park are wild and may or may not be visible. Bring a camera with a long lens or binoculars. Bring water and snacks as there aren’t any vending machines in the park. 

Cades Cove is a lush valley surrounded by mountains and one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies. Deer are almost always sighted in the fields, and observations of other wildlife, including bear, Wild Turkey, and fox are possible.

A wide array of historic buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries is scattered through-out the cove. These include a grist mill, a variety of barns, three churches, and a marvelous collection of log homes and outbuildings. An 11-mile one-way loop road takes you around the cove. A visitor center (open daily), restrooms, and the Cable Mill historic area are located half-way around the loop road .

After lunch we'll motor along the "newish" extension of the Foothills Parkway before hitting the Dragon on the way back to Fontana. This will be a tourist pace run so we can enjoy all the scenery.

Note: Beginning March 1, 2023, all vehicles parking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 15 minutes will require a valid parking tag. 100% of all proceeds from the new parking tag program are used to protect and preserve the park for generations to come, You can purchase your annual tag online and have it shipped right to your house or get one at a visitor center. Daily($5) and weekly($15) parking tags can be purchased online and printed out and will be available for purchase by credit card from automated fee machines available year round, 24 hours a day at these locations: Deep Creek parking area, Newfound Gap overlook, Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Sugarlands Visitor Center, Cades Cove entrance parking area, and Metcalf Bottoms picnic area