As the unofficial restaurant of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we love sharing tips about some of the best places to explore in the park! In our opinion, the best way to spend a day here in the area is discovering the natural beauty of the park, before heading on over to our Gatlinburg restaurant for a tasty meal. If you are looking for your next day-trip destination at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, look no further than Cades Cove:
Getting to Cades Cove
It takes just over an hour to reach Cades Cove from Gatlinburg, making this spot an ideal destination for those looking to venture out and explore, while still being located within a day-trip distance. To get there, take US 441 into the national park, turn right on Little River Road past the Sugarlands Visitor Center, then continue onto Laurel Creek Road into Cades Cove after roughly 20 miles.
Cades Cove Scenic Loop
The main feature of Cades Cove for visitors is the 11-mile one-way scenic loop road that winds throughout the valley and offers plenty of great opportunities to see plants, animals, and mountain views. There are lots of pull-off areas throughout the loop, encouraging visitors to stretch their legs, breathe the fresh mountain air, and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Cades Cove. Typically, it takes somewhere between 2-3 hours to complete the entire loop, depending on traffic and how often you choose to make use of the pull-off areas. This means it can be a good idea to use the bathrooms at the Cades Cove Visitor Center before starting the loop!
Places to Explore at Cades Cove
When you visit Cades Cove, there are a handful of spots that you may want to check out aside from the main scenic loop. For instance, if you are interested in seeing some of the historic buildings that the settlers of Cades Cove lived in, you can visit spots like the John Oliver Cabin, which is a 10-minute walk from the loop road. If you prefer to stick to the loop itself, the Primitive Baptist Church is a great stop. Or, if you want to discover the waterfall at Cades Cove, you can hike the 5.2-mile round-trip to Abrams Falls, the most voluminous waterfall in all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
Wrap Up Your Day with a Meal
Once you have finished exploring Cades Cove, there is only one thing left to do… head back to Gatlinburg for a delicious dinner at The Park Grill! You will have no doubt worked up an appetite throughout your day, and our restaurant is the perfect spot to fix that! Plus, you can make sure that you have a spot here at The Park Grill when you arrive by reserving a table at our Gatlinburg restaurant in advance.
We hope this information has been helpful to you as you plan your next adventure in the Smokies! And, if you are looking for even more places to explore here in the area, then check out these places to visit at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
