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Here, readers can get information on the Cades Cove campgrounds, Cades Cove loop road, Cable Mill, Abrams Falls, Cove religion, and some of the famous people that lived in the cove like Becky Cable, Dan Lawson, Carter Shields, John Oliver, Elijah Oliver, Henry Whitehead, and many others... people that have become generally synonymous with the Great Smoky Mountains, and Cades Cove in particular.
The Cades Cove loop road is roughly an 11 mile road that encircles the majority of the cove. There are a couple of caveats about the loop road. First, traffic is one way only. Second, from early May until late September on Saturday and Wednesday mornings, it's bicycle and foot traffic only from sunrise to 10:00 a.m. Anyway, as is often the case, this older loop road map is much more detailed. And, although Rich Mountain. Road, Cooper Road, and Parson's Branch Road act as seasonal exits (weather permitting) from the cove proper, the only way in is along Cades Cove Road. From the Sugarlands entrance to the park, it's about 26 miles to the cove. Coming in from Townsend, TN along U.S. 321/S.R. 337, it's about nine miles to the cove. A lot gets missed along the way if one skips the milage between the Sugarlands and Townsend intrances to the park.
The 1941 map above won't do the modern traveler much good, nor will the enlargement. For an up-to-date, basic road map, complete with all of the new road and highway numbers, click the link. There are two additional National Park Service maps of the Smokys on this page; Interesting because it shows many of the pre-park names, there is a 1941 map, and, there is a current 1997 map which has all of the new and improved info. The Library of Congress has high resolution originals of these maps. They're available at Maps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Some of the sights to see in the Cades Cove area of the park:
First, A Little History
Of course, there are always exceptions to the "rules", so to speak, but most
of the name places in the Smokys got their names in one of a few specific ways:
Some were named by the Cherokee and have never had another name throughout
their history. Some were interpretations, or often mis-interpretations,
of the Cherokee language by early Scots-Irish or German immigrants into the
area. Some ware named for early dignitaries of the Park Service.
And, some were named for early settlers of that lived in, on, or around whatever
was named for them. But, most names are ascribed to places rather than
structures.
Yeah, there are creeks, waterfalls, and such in Cades Cove, and most of them got their names the same way the majority of the rest of the park's name places did. Here in Cades Cove though, and over in Cataloochee, things are just a little bit different. Most of the things to see here in the cove are historical buildings that were used day-to-day to live, worship, and work in. They depict life as it was over various periods of time, from the earliest cove settlers, up to the time it was made a federal park. They are there for your sense of history. But, they are also there to spark your imagination; What was it like to live here? What were the good times? What were the bad? Most of these buildings were named for the early settlers that built them... named for the people that "lived" them.
Long ago, before the European settlers began to come, the cove was used by the Cherokee. Cherokee Chief Abraham (or Abrams) of Chilhowee was a frequent visitor to the cove area, and indeed, both Abrams Creek and Abrams Falls in the Cades Cove area of the park, are named for him. Some historians had previously believed that Cades Cove was possibly named for "Kate," his wife. The Cherokee never really lived in the cove. Rather, they used it for hunting and fishing grounds. They did, however, establish small settlements for hunting expeditons. One such settlement was called Tsiya'hi, meaning "otter place." Most historians now believe that Cades Cove is named for Chief Kade, one of the Tsiya'hi chiefs. Very little is known about him, but his existance was verified by Peter Snider, a European trader who settled near Tuckaleechee Cove.
No one knows how many millenia the Cherokee called this land theirs, but in 1819, U.S. Secretary of War, John C. Calhoun, negotiated the Treaty of Calhoun which ended all claims by the Cherokee to lands between the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee Rivers, including Cades Cove and the Smokys. Occasional skirmishes between settlers and the Cherokee continued until 1838 when they were removed to the Oklahoma Territory along the Trail of Tears.
Cades Cove Campgrounds, Ranger Station
As of this writing, the Cades Cove campgrounds boasts 159 sites that are open
year round. Everything from tents to RVs (up to 35' in length) can be
accomidated. The sites have fire rings, lantern hangers, and picnic
tables. Some of the sites are even wheelchair accessible. There
are also several designated backcountry campsites that are available.
They're located along the trails, but these require a permit from the park.
Check with the Park Service
for up-to-date information, availability, reservations, and possible road
closures.
As for amenities, there are restrooms with running water and flush toilets, but no showers. Make sure you take that into account if you're going for an extended stay. The Cades Cove store is a lot of fun to visit. It has some very basic items, but it's not a supermarket competitor by any stretch of the immagination. And, of course, there's the Ranger Station. The Rangers in the park are some nice folk, and most of them are pretty knowledgeable about the park, but incredibly knowledgeable about the cove. Ask them your questions... they'll give you the straight scoop. One final nicety; cell phones typically don't work anywhere in the park, so one won't start ringing and blow the serenity for the rest of us. Hooray for "iffy" coverage.
One final thought about the cove, and it's of caution. Be aware of the wildlife... bears are in the park, and Cades Cove is one of the prime spots for viewing them. In the history of the park, no one has ever been killed by a bear, but rare attacks do happen. These are usually caused by interaction between park visitors and bears. Remember, these are wild animals, so leave them alone. More often than not, bears that are habitual offenders are tagged as nuisance animals. Park Rangers remove them before anyone gets hurt, but sadly, most wind up being euthanized for the safety of park visitors. Common sense should prevail. Put food away, don't feed them, don't approach them, and for God's sake, if you see a cub, don't get near it... mom isn't far away. With all the bear education resources that the park provides, they still can't prevent stupid, and it's always the bears that pay the price. Cades Cove is also a great place to see deer. In a strange twist of fate, a bicycle rider was killed several years ago when he collided with a deer on the loop road. Bears 0 - Deer 1... go figure.
Anthony Creek Horse Camp
The Anthony Creek horse camp is located nearby and offers easy access to the backcountry. Call (877) 444-6777 or visit http://www.recreation.gov to reserve a site.
Cades Cove Initial Resources
Your Smokys - Cades Cove
Cades Cove Tour
"Cades Cove Loop Road Auto Tour." CadesCove.net. 2007.
<http://www.cadescove.net/auto_tour.html>.
(17 Jun. 2007).
"Great Smoky Mountains.", and linked articles. National Park Service. 2005.
<http://www.nps.gov/grsm/>.
(22 Mar. 2006).
"Maps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.", and linked articles. Library of Congress. 2006.
<http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/nphtml/gsmhome.html>.
(22 Mar. 2006).
"National Park, The.", and linked articles. All the Smokies. 2005.
<http://www.allthesmokies.com/the_national_park.html>.
(22 Mar. 2006).
DeLaughter, Jerry. Smokies Road Guide: A Complete Guide to the Roads In Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Gatlinburg. Great Smoky Mountains Association. 2006.
"Recreation.gov." Explore Your America. 2007.
<http://www.recreation.gov/>.
(22 Jul. 2007).
"Smoky Mountains Guide and Information ", and linked articles. Rod's Guide 2006.
<http://www.rodsguide.com/>.
(27 Jun. 2004).
"Tennessee County 1895 Maps " 1895 U.S. Atlas 2006.
<http://www.livgenmi.com/1895/TN/County/>.
(27 Jun. 2004).
