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Cades Cove
Perhaps one of the most visited areas of the Great Smoky 
Mountains National Park, Cades Cove offers visitors a taste of the
rich cultural history and abundant natural beauty of the area, all
within an 11 mile paved loop that can be traveled on foot, on
horseback, on bicycle, or by car.
Formerly home to the Cherokee Indians and early European settlers,
Cades Cove retains the picturesque, quiet landscape and
centuries-old architecture that entices over 2 million visitors
each year. Farming was a way of life for settlers who first
arrived in Cades Cove in 1818, and original structures such as a
smithy, smokehouses, corn cribs, churches and a cantilevered barn
still stand among the grassy fields, rolling hills and lush
forests. The 1830s ushered in the Indian Removal Act and “Trail
of Tears” from 1838 to 1839, in which thousands of Cherokees were
removed from the area and relocated west of the Mississippi. Just
two decades later the inhabitants of Cades Cove were embroiled in
the divisive politics of the Civil War; most residents were Union
sympathizers and found themselves on the receiving end of
neighboring Confederate harassment. At the turn of the century,
Cades Cove’s primary industry turned from farming to logging; by
1930, approximately two-thirds of what would later be designated
as Park land was clear cut. Growing concern with the environmental
impact of logging led to the Park movement in the 1920s, which
culminated in the congressional establishment of the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park in 1934.
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