Cades Cove

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is the most popular spot in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited of our national parks. There are many reasons for this but two come most readily to mind. The first is that it is accessible by an eleven-mile loop road. Most visitors to the Smokies rarely get out of, or at least very far from, their vehicles. This is a great boon to those of us who like to hike, photograph, fish and explore.

The second reason is that the cove (mountainese for “valley”) is serenely beautiful. That is opposed to, say, Yosemite Valley, which is spectacularly beautiful (and very often spectacularly snarled with traffic). Unfortunately, Cades Cove has its share of traffic issues as well. Despite numerous turnouts intended for the use of those who wish to stop and look at the wildlife and pastoral scenery, the sighting of a herd of deer will cause traffic to slow to a snail’s pace. A bear sighting (a.k.a. “bear jam”) will stop traffic completely until a park ranger can get to the scene.

Despite these inconveniences, the valley nestled in the southwest corner of the park remains a magnet for those attracted by the abundant animal population, the splendor of the natural setting and the artifacts of a simpler way of life. The Visitors Center, which is at the half way point of the drive, includes a working water mill as well as a preserved farmhouse, barn and farming implements. There are other homesteads throughout the valley as well as three churches – one Methodist and two Baptist (there is an abundance of water in the Smokies) – an equestrian center and a campground. The trailhead for one of the most pleasant day hikes in the park, the Abrams Falls Trail, is located in the cove.

The gate opens at sunrise and I like to be among the first to enter so that I can avoid any serious traffic tie-ups and quickly get to my favorite spots to check out the light. Morning fogs are common and cold winter mornings often produce an abundance of hoarfrost. The landscape photo ops are generally favorable for two to three hours after the gate opens. When the fog burns off and the sun is higher in the sky, it’s time to visit the buildings, the interiors of which can afford exquisite light on overcast days. Alas, the photographer will have to do some work with the healing brush and cloning tool in Photoshop in order to get rid of all the “Leroy wuz here” carvings in the structures.

Should Cades Cove sound like a place that you would like to visit, I strongly suggest that you avoid going there on a weekend. In fact, I tend to avoid the Smokies altogether on weekends and for the better part of the summer months because of the crowds. Bike riders can make an exception, however, because the loop road is closed to motorized vehicles until ten a.m. on Saturday mornings.

I have another recommendation. If you have any Type A personality characteristics, I advise you to avoid the loop road altogether or make certain that you have enough valium on board to survive a bear jam.

Cades Cove – Missionary Baptist Church