A Photo Guide to Cades Cove

A Photo Guide to
Cades Cove
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
by Bryan Nowak
A Photo Guide to Cades Cove
Cades Cove is a broad, verdant valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most popular
destinations in the Great Smokies. It offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in the
park. Large numbers of white-tailed deer are frequently seen, and sightings of black bear, coyote,
ground hog, turkey, raccoon, skunk, and other animals are also possible.
For hundreds of years Cherokee Indians hunted in Cades Cove but archeologists have found no evidence
of major settlements. The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 1818 and 1821. By
1830 the population of the area had already swelled to 271. Cades Cove offers the widest variety of
historic buildings of any area in the national park. Scattered along the loop road are three churches, a
working grist mill, barns, log houses, and many other faithfully restored eighteenth and nineteenth
century structures.
An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sightsee at a
leisurely pace. Allow at least two to four hours to tour Cades Cove, longer if you walk some of the area’s
trails. Traffic is heavy during the tourist season in summer and fall and on weekends year-round.
A visitor center (open daily), restrooms, and the Cable Mill historic area are located half-way around the
loop road. Numerous trails originate in the cove, including the five-mile roundtrip trail to Abrams Falls
and the short Cades Cove Nature Trail. Longer hikes to Thunderhead Mountain and Rocky Top (made
famous by the popular song) also begin in the cove.
It is always a great time to visit Cades Cove – all seasons and any time of the day. The camping area has
a store that is open from Spring to Autumn for snacks, bicycle rentals, gifts and ICE CREAM. Oh, yeah…
don’t miss their soft serve chocolate & vanilla swirl! There are restrooms available here as well, so stop
here before you depart on your 11-mile trip because it takes most people half a day to drive around with
so much to see.
As you exit the main road from the park into Cades Cove the area opens up into a beautiful valley
encircled by mountains. You will most likely be greeted by horses. They are not wild, but usually have
the freedom to roam many of the grassy areas enclosed by a barbed wire fence line.
You will also see a number of deer and turkeys as you drive the 11-mile loop. Keep your eyes open for
deer leaping over fences in front of your automobile.
#2 on the map is Sparks Lane. Why would you want to drive down this road? This is a great place to
photograph those horses and turkeys. As you cross over Abrams Creek you will also see a parking area
immediately to the left where I enjoy sunrise, meadow, fence line and tree photos. See below…
If you are visiting in late June or early August be sure to look up in the cherry trees and along the tree
lines for one or more of the parks more famous animals – the black bear.
Since Sparks Lane will lead you out of the Cove earlier than you would want, find a place to turn around
and head back so that you can visit #3 on your map, the John Oliver Place. You will walk a worn path
through a field to get to this cabin. Photo opportunities abound using the split rail fencing and color in
the trees.
#4 on your map is the Primitive Baptist Church, formed in 1825. You will turn left off of the loop road
and drive a short distance to this beautiful structure. Be sure to take photos inside as well as outside.
#5 is the Methodist Church, organized in the 1820’s. It was a small congregation and was probably
started by circuit riders. Walk around the graveyard and take notice of the names and years engraved
upon the stones.
#6 is Hyatt Lane. Again, this is a wonderful place to experience the meadows with its songbirds, tall
grasses and picturesque gravel road.
If you are there early in the morning you may find dew covered spider webs too.
As you drive the loop, remember to keep your eyes peeled for photographic opportunities in the many
varieties of trees, wildflowers and butterflies.
Cades Cove may be best appreciated on a blanket or lawn chair placed in a field rather than from behind
the wheel of your car or truck. Take time to hear and experience Cades Cove – don’t rush it!
#7 is the final church on the loop, the Missionary Baptist Church. It was a split off of the Primitive
Baptist Church because of their desire to be more mindful and supportive of mission efforts.
#8 is Rich Mountain Road. This road was once an Indian trail across the mountain. From 1830 to 1930,
the wagon road was the main access to Cades Cove from Tuckaleechee Cove (Townsend). The one-way
out road is open in the summer season. It is 12 miles long, with one-way traffic to the Park boundary
leading to Dry Valley and Townsend. There is one place to take a photo of the cove, but there is no
turning back from this location.
#9 is the Cooper Road Trail. The next officially maintained trail by the park service is about 4 miles from
the entrance to the loop road and is called Cooper Road Trail. You are not likely to encounter more than
a handful of hikers on this old wagon road which the residents once used as an easy way out of Cades
Cove. It is almost entirely flat, and goes all the way to the edge of the park. For a day hike you can go as
far as you have time for and turn around and come back. For most people this would mean hiking to the
Beard Cane trail. This would be about a 10-mile round trip, but with almost no elevation gain. It would
only take about 5 hours, giving you enough time to do a little more sightseeing after you get back.
This was the trail to Maryville in the 1830s. Eventually it was improved into a wagon road by Joe Cooper.
Today it is a 10-mile foot trail terminating near the Foothills Parkway.
As you travel the loop road there are many opportunities to take photos of the mountains and
meadows. As you pass the Missionary Baptist Church the views really open up.
#10 is the Elijah Oliver Place. There is a large parking area for the ½ mile walk to the cabin. Black bears
frequent the area between the parking area and the cabin in late summer, especially when the cherries
are blooming.
It won’t be long after you leave your car that you
encounter this old barn. I do not believe it is historic,
but is probably used by the Park Service. It has some
nice old weathered wood which makes it a nice
photo spot.
Along with this uniquely built
cabin, you will also discover
Elijah’s smokehouse, corn
crib and barn. You will really
get a feel for what it may
have been like to survive in
this pioneer environment.
Don’t be afraid to get in close rather
than just getting all the “big picture”
views.
Next is the Abrams Falls trailhead. This is a 5-mile round trip hike that crosses three significant hills. The
view is worth is though. Be sure to take along pretty of water and snacks for a rest break before turning
around to head back to the car. There are restroom facilities at this parking lot 9the first you will
encounter on your drive).
#11 is the Cable Mill area. There is a huge parking area here, restrooms with flush toilets, and many
pioneer structures to photograph including:
The Great Smoky Mountains Association Store & Visitor’s Center
The Becky Cable House, circa 1879.
The John Cable Gristmill, circa 1868.
There are also a couple barns, chicken coop, smokehouse, corncrib and molasses still. Take your time
here and shoot the many structures from various angles and perspectives.
As you exit parking for the Cable Mill area, turn down the road immediately to the right. This is Forge
Creek Road. Here you will encounter a nice little set of cascades in the creek.
Just a little further down this two-way gravel road is #12, the Henry Whitehead Place, circa 1896.
If you proceed down this road it will turn into the one-way Parson’s Branch Road which exits the park, so
the Henry Whitehead cabin is a good place to turn around and head back to the loop road.
Gum Swamp
There is no sign here and water may not exist except in the Winter and Spring, but it is just barely down
the road from the Cable mill area to the left. There is a small pullout here. A short fence surrounds the
“swamp” to protect vegetation from wild hogs but you can easily step over it.
You will find beautiful reflections here and often times deer, so don’t miss it!
#13 is the Cades Cove Nature Trail. The Cades Cove Nature Trail is particularly beautiful in the spring
when the dogwoods bloom and also in the Fall when the sourwoods and maples turn a beautiful red.
This Smokies trail one of the best hikes for those who want to stretch their legs, learn about Cades Cove
via brochure, and yet not get tired out.
On the Cades Cove Nature trail you can see what remains of what was once a thick chestnut grove in the
1800's. Almost one third of the forest surrounding Cades Cove's was made up of Chestnut trees at that
time. Chestnut groves were used so advantageously by both Cades Cove mountain farmers and wildlife
alike. Now only chestnut sprouts grow from the vast chestnut root system of the giant trees which were
once plentiful in Cades Cove. Today the large trees growing along the Cades Cove Nature Trail are
primarily oak, dogwood, sourwood, and pine trees.
#14 is the other end of Hyatt Lane (see #6).
#15 is the Dan Lawson Place. It was built in 1855 by Dan’s father-in-law, Peter Cable.
#16 is the Tipton Place, circa 1870. Be sure to photograph the corn crib and uniquely designed doublecantilever barn (built in 1968 but based on the original design).
# 17 is the Carter Shields Place, built in the 1880s. This is an especially scenic view in Spring and Fall,
sunshine of fog. 
You will finish the loop road back at the camp store. If you didn’t get your ice cream going in then you
don’t want to miss it on your way out.
See other photos at my website www.gadoodles.com and my FB page at
www.facebook.com/bryan.nowak.photography
I hope you enjoy the trip around Cades Cove on your next visit and remember to stop at all these
wonderful locations.
Photography by Bryan Nowak