(828) 526-0173 | [email protected] | Copyright 2024 – All Rights Reserved.
Nearby Living History
Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: August 2024
Cades Cove is a spectacular window into a past where people and woods and wildlife lived in harmony.
Sometimes we forget, but we have one of the most visited national parks of the 63 total right here in our backyard.
Just an hour or so drive toward Cherokee and we can enter for free (although a parking pass is needed) the preserved Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which is filled with protected wildlife and historic structures.
And one of the most fascinating aspects of the 814-square miles of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which encompasses a portion of both North Carolina and Tennessee, is Cades Cove. The 6,800-acre valley is geologically unique for the area because of its limestone window, meaning weathering limestone resulted in deep, fertile soil. A true valley of lush meadows surrounded by a perimeter of forests and protected by a ring of mountains, Cades Cove became a haven for upwards of close to 700 settlers during the 1800s and into the early 1900s.
Before the land was purchased for the establishment of the 21st national park, Cades Cove residents flourished due to plentiful natural resources. Not only was the soil more than sufficient for growing mostly corn as well as wheat, oats, and rye, but it offered nutrient-rich grasses on which livestock could fatten. Plus, an over-abundance of chestnuts fed animals and people. Today, deer, turkeys, bears, and squirrels are still abundant in the valley as well.
An 11-mile loop affords anyone traveling by car or by bicycle an opportunity to see the animals up close and personal. On Wednesdays, through October, no cars are allowed on the loop, so cyclists can meander without worrying about weaving in and out of cars.
For anyone not bringing their own bike, bicycles can be rented near the entrance to the loop at the Cades Cove campground. The walking/hiking or biking is doable for most any activity levels.
More than 80 preserved structures still existing in Cades Cove attest to the settlers’ resourcefulness when it came to constructing their log home, corn crib, smokehouse, outhouse, chicken house, and barn, all of which were standard for anyone setting down permanent roots in the valley.
Cades Cove has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district since July 13, 1977.
From the entrance to Great Smoky Mountain National Park at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to the Cades Cove loop is approximately 60 miles, and drivers there can expect to see plenty of elk and an occasional bear while on the drive. see plenty of elk and an occasional bear while on the drive.
