Cades Cove: Where the Future Looks to the Past
by Andy Cingolani

As the Smoky Mountains area continues to gain prominence as a family destination, its future in the 21st century will clearly include an ever-present look into its past.

Cades Cove, a relatively flat plateau nestled within the rolling mountains, offers visitors just such a glimpse. This geologic anomaly was formed when layers of metamorphic rock, the same rock that makes up most of the surrounding mountains, eroded away, exposing a flatter limestone layer.

This valley was, before the early 1800s, part of the Cherokee Nation, who called it Tsiyahi, or “place of the river otter.” Settlers moved in around 1820, and by 1850, the population had grown to more than 600 people. The area remained populated until the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created in 1934. Many of the families resisted relocation, so a few families were allowed to stay with certain restrictions. The last resident of Cades Cove, Kermit Caughron, passed away in 1999.

Today, Cades Cove is the most popular attraction within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Entering from the east end, visitors follow an 11-mile loop around the cove by car. (Certain days and times are set aside for bicyclists and pedestrians only, so check before you go.) On the far western end of the cove, park the car and enjoy the Mill Area Walking Tour, which offers a window into the commerce of Cades Cove’s heyday.

The Cable Mill, for example, was built around 1870, and served as a water-powered sawmill and gristmill, using the same wheel for both functions. Corn, a major staple used for everything from breads to animal feed, was dried in a ventilated corncrib. A sorghum mill, where sorghum canes were stripped and pressed for boiling molasses, offers a unique insight into how settlers used horses and mules to power machines like mills and presses. These exhibits and others are kept in working order for demonstration purposes.

Throughout the loop, more than a dozen structures, mostly homes and churches, are maintained in excellent condition for visitors to walk through and enjoy. Of particular interest to history buffs are the three churches’ adjoining cemeteries.

A stroll through the headstones, reading the engravings, provides a feel for the history and culture of the cove and the families who lived there.

Finally, Cades Cove is one of the park’s best spots for observing the region’s wildlife. Visitors are usually treated to several deer sightings. However, on occasion, one of the park’s majestic elk finds its way into the cove. And early morning visitors stand a good chance of seeing a black bear.

To get to Cades Cove from Gatlinburg, enter the park and turn right on Little River Road.

Cades Cove is approximately 30 miles from Gatlinburg. Directional signs to Cades Cove are clearly marked.