The Cades Cove Campground Store
Bike rental is $4.00 per hour or $20.00 per day. From June through August, bikes may be used from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. with the last rental at 4:30 p.m. (Rentals start at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from approximately May through September.) For the rest of the season, bikes are available from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., with the last rental at 2:30 p.m. All of these times may be subject to change based on weather conditions. Call (865) 448-9034 for additional information.

The 11-mile Cades Cove loop road within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a favorite destination for bikers. This is a paved road with gentle slopes. It provides access to many hiking trails plus all the scenic attractions that make Cades Cove so popular: old log cabins, churches, an old grist mill, mountain streams, panoramic vistas, and many forms of wildlife. 

There are miles of country roads in the region around Townsend for exploring by bike. In addition, within Townsend there is a 3 mile paved bike trail paralleling US 321 and TN 73. The Townsend Visitors Center is on this trail.

Bicycles can travel on most roads within the park. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is the exception. The Foothills Parkway provides good biking opportunities. Cyclists may traverse the parkway's unfinished portions. 

No mountain biking trails are available. A few graveled trails, including the Gatlinburg Trail and Oconaluftee River Trail, allow bicycles. For more extensive mountain biking opportunities, visit the Tsali Recreation Area near Fontana Village, NC, or take a trip to Big South Fork National Recreation Area. Safety is always a major concern where cars and bicycles must share the road. Please wear helmets, use rear view mirrors, and follow all traffic regulations.

Early fall is a traditionally excellent time to enjoy bicycle riding. The air is crisp and the colors of the trees often breathtaking. Riding at this time of year presents few problems. True, the early morning and evening hours can be somewhat chilled, but the simplest of preparations will cover any problems. However, as fall progresses into early winter, the necessity for more elaborate preparation becomes obvious.