Bring your own bikes or rent bikes (kids and adult bikes available) at the Cades Cove Campground Store. Rental bikes are available on a first-come, first-served basis on 730am on Wednesdays and at 9am other days of the week. Adult bikes are $7.50 an hour and kids bikes are $4.50 per hour .
Is Cades Cove hard to bike?
Although the Cades Cove Loop Road is only 11 miles in total, it is a pretty hilly journey. The hills aren’t so strenuous you will have trouble biking the area , but it does mean that it will take a little more energy than your casual ride around the neighborhood.
Is Cades Cove kid friendly?
Cades Cove TN, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a great location for family-friendly fun . This picturesque mountain wonderland is a one-stop-shop for viewing wildlife, photographing scenic views, hiking, biking, and immersing yourself in historical Appalachia.
What can kids do at Cades Cove?
- Seeing Wildlife. One of the best parts of riding along the Cades Cove Loop is seeing wildlife. ...
- Mountain Views. As you drive through Cades Cove, you’ll have incredible views of the mountains. ...
- Hiking to Abrams Falls. ...
- The Picnic Area. ...
- Riding Stables.
Can you ride Ebikes in Cades Cove?
According to a release, low-speed electric bikes, also called e-bikes, will be allowed in the park in locations bicycles are currently allowed . Officials stated both Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, which provide electronic assistance until the rider reaches 20 mph, will be allowed.
What day can you ride bikes in Cades Cove?
Bike The Loop With No Cars
Fortunately, the good news is that you can bike or walk the loop without cars on Wednesdays from May 5 to September 1 . On this day, the loop is closed to motorized vehicles for 12 hours during the day.
What is Cades Cove famous for?
Today, Cades Cove is one of the most visited areas in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . Visitors are able to explore historic cabins, churches and a grist mill; spot white-tailed deer, turkeys and black bears; enjoy gorgeous mountain scenery or take a leisurely bicycle ride around the loop road.
Can you walk Cades Cove at night?
In order to night hike Cades Cove simply park your car at the pavilion and walk the paved loop . Start about a half hour before sunset. This way you will have 2 experiences in one. You will get to experience Cades Cove Loop both during the day and at night by foot without traffic or crowds.
What else is near Cades Cove?
- Abrams Falls Trail. #21 of 102 things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. ...
- Tuckaleechee Caverns. ...
- Cades Cove Visitor Center. ...
- Davy Crockett Riding Stables. ...
- Smoky Mountain River Rat Tubing. ...
- Cades Cove Riding Stables. ...
- Townsend Visitors Center. ...
- Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center.
How long does it take to ride through Cades Cove?
Access the Cades Cove Loop from Laurel Creek Road, Parson Branch Road, or Rich Mountain Road—the latter two roads are closed during winter. The Loop is a one-way (one-lane) paved road. The scenic driving tour through the Cades Cove Loop takes approximately two to four hours depending on traffic.
How long is the ride through Cades Cove?
Meet our beautiful carriage horses and learn how things were done in days gone by. It’s the best way to discover the old Cades Cove. Carriage rides are 30 to 45 minutes in length. They depart throughout the day have no weight or age limit.
How hilly is Cades Cove?
The cove loop is 11 miles and does have a couple of challenging hills both up and down where you will enjoy gearing down into an easier gear for the brief but steep climb. Many folks just walk the hills – there aren’t that many. There are two downhills where riders are cautioned to dismount and walk your bike down.
What will I see at Cades Cove?
- 1) The Black Bears. The Smoky Mountain area has one of the largest protected areas in the eastern U.S. where black bears can live. ...
- 2) Tuckaleechee Caverns. ...
- 3) Spruce Flats Falls. ...
- 4) Rockefeller Monument. ...
- 6) Clingmans Dome Observational Lookout.
Where do you enter Cades Cove?
The entrance from Townsend, Tennessee , is closest to Cades Cove. From Townsend, TN: Take TN-73 E into the park. Then head southwest on Laurel Creek Road to Cades Cove. From Gatlinburg, TN: Enter the park on TN-441 south through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to Sugarlands Visitor Center.
What road is Cades Cove on?
Cades Cove Loop Road is located about 31 miles from Pigeon Forge. Take the parkway to traffic light #3 to Wears Valley Road. Take 321 to Townsend. Next, turn left onto highway 73 until you see the sign for Cades Cove.
How long does it take to bike Cades Cove Loop?
You could complete the Cades Cove bike ride in 2 hours , but I’d allow at least three so you can soak up the gorgeous scenery and spend time with the bears!
Where do you park to bike at Cades Cove?
When you arrive, you have several parking options. The best spot is before the one-way portion of Cades Cove Loop Road , but it’s small and fills up fast. Your next options are the campground picnic area or near the stables. Rumor has it that on road closure day, drivers “create” their parking spot off the road.
Can you rent bikes in Gatlinburg?
The most popular of the Gatlinburg bike trails is Cades Cove, an 11-mile loop filled with historic homesites, wildlife and wonderful scenic views. You can rent bikes in summer and autumn at the Cades Cove Campground Store .
Why is Cades Cove closed?
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced Cades Cove Loop Road will be fully closed for three weeks in the fall to resurface the roadway .
Is Cades Cove Loop free?
Admission is free . Cades Cove features an 11-mile, paved loop road around the cove. A self-guiding auto tour booklet is available for $1 at loop road entrance. The booklet provides an excellent description of the historic buildings and other sites in the cove.
Is Cades Cove Loop closed?
Cades Cove is open year round from sunrise to sunset, weather permitting. The Cades Cove Loop Road is closed on Wednesdays to all vehicle traffic from May 5th through September 1st . This provides bicyclists and pedestrians the opportunity to explore the Cove without vehicles.
Were there slaves in Cades Cove?
No slave ever worked the Cove , and the mountain people shared few cultural ties with the South. Still young men fought for both sides, 21 for the Union and 12 for the Confederates. Most remaining residents were pro-Union, but surrounded by hostile territory, they paid for their northern sympathies.
Does anyone live in Cades Cove?
Cades Cove Today
Although the Caughron family’s home no longer stands today , it’s marked by an old apple tree and a handful of lilies that bloom in the spring. The National Park Service manages and maintains Cades Cove the way it looked in the early days of the settlers.
Why do they call it Cades Cove?
Cades Cove was named after a Tsiya’hi leader known as Chief Kade . Little is known of Chief Kade, although his existence was verified by a European trader named Peter Snider (1776–1867), who settled nearby Tuckaleechee Cove.
Can you go to Clingmans Dome at night?
Yes, Clingmans Dome is open year-round, including at night . Though the dome is open year-round, Clingmans Dome Road typically closes from December to late March and under certain weather conditions.
Can you be in Cades Cove after dark?
Cades Cove is beautiful to visit, no matter what time of day it is. However, it is remarkable to see this area lit up by moonlight right after the sun goes down or just before sunrise. Please keep in mind, the main entrance to the Cades Cove Loop Road closes at sundown every night .
Does Cades Cove close at night?
The Cades Cove Loop Road is a scenic roadway that stretches 11-miles in total around the secluded area. Along this drive, you will find historic home sites, rolling mountain views and acres upon acres of open fields. The Cades Cove Loop Road is open daily from Sunrise to Sunset .
