Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cades Cove
3 Hour, 11 Mile Bicycle Ride - Second Half - Visitor's Center
(Back to First Half)

Driving instead of biking? Be sure you read this, too.

If you don't get tired, and are able to pedal your way all the way to the loop's halfway point--the visitor's center--you'll find a large collection of historic buildings. There are other homesteads and barns here-and-there along the route, but there's definitely more to see here, than at any other stop.

Park your bike at the bike rack in front of the restrooms, and take a few minutes to rest and explore this area.

After you stop in at the small visitor's center, wander past the old well to the Gregg-Cable house. It was built in 1879, and is the oldest frame house in the cove.†

You can walk inside the old Cable Mill and see how the water-powered mechanisms grind corn. If the water flow isn't strong enough, the mill may not be grinding, but you can still buy a sack of corn meal that's been ground here.

The Cable Mill is named for John Cable, and was built around 1870.† This entire area of buildings is known as the "Cable Mill area".

No surprise, split rail fences are everywhere.

This is one of the cove's cantilever barns. The counterweighted roof allowed for shelter over a large area, without support posts standing in the way.

Signs warn that old buildings are natural habitats for snakes. It's something to think about as you crawl through a tiny door into a dark cabin or barn.

An old wagon sits in the shelter of the cantilever barn, where it's probably been for decades. One of the wheels is half-buried in dirt, which doesn't really matter, since it's clearly in no shape to roll anywhere, anyhow.

Feel like a hike, in the middle of your bike ride? The popular Abrams Falls Trail begins just up the road from the visitor's center parking area. The falls are relatively short (just 20 feet) but often make up for the small drop with a large volume of gushing water. The round trip (on foot) is roughly 5 miles.

As you leave the Cades Cove visitor's center, make sure you have plenty of water. Keep in mind that from here, you're gaining altitude, even though the road continues to go up and down small hills.

Dan Lawson Log House

The next place worth stopping (ok, at this point, every place is worth stopping, if you're as tired as I was!) is the Dan Lawson Log House. Lawson was a son-in-law of Peter Cable (of the family that owned the grist mill), and probably built the house around 1856.†

The small building next to the house served as a granary (a storage place for grain; i.e., a pantry). There's also another out building (a smokehouse), and a barn nearby. You can walk inside any of the buildings. Inside the house, you can climb a tiny staircase to the dark, spooky attic.

Hamp Tipton's House & Cantilever Barn

Your next excuse to hop off your bike comes at the old Hamp Tipton homestead. The house is behind a picket fence on the upper side of the road...

... while the old cantilever barn is on the other side. This is one of the larger barns in Cades Cove, and you'll probably see it in pictures many times during your visit. Ironically, it's not an original building. It was constructed sometime in the 1960's, with a design similar to the original barn.

There's also a blacksmith shop at this stop. James McCaulley brought his skills as a blacksmith to Cades Cove in 1878.†

Shortly after your stop at the Tipton homesite, you'll catch another great view of the cove, as you round a corner. After that, the final mile or two takes you through the forest, with little to see on either side of the road (except for deer and other wildlife, which can pop up anywhere). In addition to being void of any side attractions, the final couple of miles are relatively flat--that's uphill flat, meaning the grade steadily climbs, as opposed to a bunch of dips and hills.

When you reach the end of the circle, and after you've returned your bike, walk next door to the small store and grab a snack (they serve burgers) or a soft-serve ice cream cone (perfect on a hot day!).

Driving Instead of Biking

If you choose to drive around Cades Cove instead of riding a bike, walking, or taking a hay ride, there are several things you should know.

Be prepared for your trip to take just as long as a bike ride--2 to 4 hours. It's only 11 miles, but you will be stuck in traffic for a good portion of that time. If someone ahead of you sees a deer or a rabbit at the side of the road, they will stop to take a picture. There are no places to pass, and even if you could, the road is too curvy and narrow to travel more than 10 miles per hour, anyway.

Parking is limited at many stops. I saw plenty of parking at the visitor's center, however, smaller roadside attractions may only have room for 3-4 cars.

Remember that on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from May through September, the loop road is closed to motorized vehicles until 10 a.m. If you get there early, you'll have to park and wait until they open the gate.

Leaving Cades Cove

Once it's finally time to leave Cades Cove, you still face that long drive back to Gatlinburg. At least it's scenic--passing through tunnels...

... and winding alongside a creek for much of the trip.

There are a few alternative routes that will take you out of Cades Cove. If your car is up to the challenge, two dirt roads lead out of the cove (Rich Mountain Road will take you to US 321 on the northwest side of the park, while Parson Branch Road heads southwest to US 129). You can also backtrack to TN Rte. 73, which will also take you back to US 321. Be sure you grab a park map at the visitor center, to help plan your escape.

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†Many of the miscellaneous facts about Cades Cove buildings and history were found at smokymtnmall.com and smokyphotos.com, a great collection of pictures from the park.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cades Cove 3 Hour, 11 Mile Bicycle Ride - Second Half - Visitor's Center (Back to First Half)

Dan Lawson Log House

Hamp Tipton's House & Cantilever Barn

Driving Instead of Biking

Leaving Cades Cove

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cades Cove
3 Hour, 11 Mile Bicycle Ride - Second Half - Visitor's Center
(Back to First Half)