Cades Cove Reviews

The drive through Cades Cove is beautiful! There are old houses and churches to walk through and places to stop and view the scenery and wildlife. We saw bears, turkeys and deer.

Absolutlely beautiful. Just leave your EVs at home. Someone's battery died on the trail and blocked traffic for over an hour. Can't wait to go back when they only allow bicycles and walkers there.

This 11 mile loop was a nightmare! It would have been fun and interesting but the SLOW traffic ruined the experience and after half way averaging about 1 mile an hour for 5 hours we abandoned the tour and cut through to escape to an exit way out of our way but faster than sticking it out. The loop is only one way with very few areas to get around people blocking the road to see a few bears that were so far away it was difficult to tell that it was even a bear. We did stop to look at several churches and homesteads which was interesting hoping the traffic would subside but it never did. We spoke to a couple of locals and a ranger about our experience and were told it is pretty much always too crowded during the summer and maybe even worse in the fall. Too bad!

This review is based on riding our bikes in Cades Cove on a Wednesday when no motor vehicles are allowed. The Townsend visitor center recommended that we get to Cades Cove by 6:30 am. We arrived at 6:30 am and got one of the last paved parking spaces. Although, it did look like there was overflow parking on gravel. We brought our own bikes. The road loop was great, we did not have much bike/pedestrian traffic and could move at our own pace. It is very scenic. We saw deer and horses, but no bears. I really did not want to see the bears when biking anyways. I would recommend going to Cades Cove on a Wednesday to bike or hike.

Cade's Cover Loop is the best part of the trip to the Smokies. Your on a bear hunt. It's 11 miles one way so takes a couple hours mainly because when a bear is spotted, people stop to take pictures. We went twice. One early afternoon and saw only 3 bears. Second day saw 6 bears which included a mamma bear who had 3 cubs up in a tree. The scenery is beautiful with open fields and mountain backdrops. Half way thru the park you can stop at the Cade's Cover Visitor's Center and check out the Grist Mill.
Also other buildings along the way. Was worth the two hour ride.

Cades Cove never disappoints. We did the 11 mile loop via car. We saw a few wild turkeys, two black beers from a distance in the tall grass of the cove and a couple dozen deer.

The Cove continues to be a great place to visit the natural scenery of the Smokies from the comfort of your own car.

The drive into Cades Cove was beautiful. The 11 mile one way loop through Cades Cove was not worth the hype. It took us 3 hours. Cades Cove should consider what Zion and Denali parks did, offer shuttle rides every so often. The buses come around and drop and pick people up at all the different spots. You can do a hike, visit a cabin and the hop back on the bus. Having traffic stopped and taking 3 hours to drive 11 miles was not worth it to me.

Very nice place to drive in a preserved area.
Lot of bears, turkeys, dears.
Do not drive only once, but multiple times the same and several days.
Early morning is good, but all day as well.

Traffic mid morning was terrible. It was hard to even drive without being stopped. Some views were good but not worth waiting

We went during Thanksgiving break so the loop was very busy. But since we were on vacation, we just enjoyed the views, the history and nature... It took us over an hour to go around the loop. But the views are spectacular. Totally recommended for a picnic. We failed to bring food.... You should park at the end of the loop or in some of the sports designated to park and just enjoy a picnic with your family

We had an amazing time visiting Great smoky mountains. We camped at Cades Cove Campground for one night during the week. It was very close to the entrance to the loop. We drove through the loop as many times as we had the energy at all hours of the day and evening. We ended up seeing many bears, deer, a coyote, turkeys, and other animals. It was quite humid and we even had a bit of rain at one point but the views of the "smoky" mountains were outstanding. There were some big lines to get in at times but we didn't have any issues with traffic jams. People do stop in the middle of the road sometimes but that's to be expected. Most people were helpful in showing each other where the bears were.

Avoid this at all cost. Would be worth a half hour of your time, but we got stuck for 4 hours due to a selfish ignorant couple going 3 mph and stopping constantly. Dozens of spots to pull over to look at the fields and mountains, yet too selfish to let the hundreds of cars pass to do their gawking. Were ok sights, but will never take this gamble again. Ruined a whole day of our trip preventing us from doing the mountain loop.

This 11 miles one way single lane road is a great drive thru nature. We saw bears, deer and wild turkeys. There is a small gift shop well into the drive with rest rooms and some old buildings to check out. In this area we also saw some families picnicking. Allow at least a couple of hours to enjoy the drive and all that it has to offer.

We always see bears when we go... It's nice to know that there is still beauty, untouched land for my children and grandchildren to see. I never get tired of Cades Cove!!

I used to live in the area about 30 years ago, and I have fond memories of visiting the Smokies, pulling off and looking out at beautiful overlooks, going on short hikes to waterfalls, etc. So when I was visiting relatives in the area with my family, I suggested we visit the Smokies. A relative suggested Cades Cove, so off we went.

I thought I had been to Cades Cove when I was younger, but apparently not. Cades Cove sucks. Do not waste your time. You'll be stuck in a traffic jam doing 5mph around a 9 mile loop. And the view is just fields. Not mountains, but fields. Fields that look no different than fields right off the highway. There were shortcuts along the way that could have bypassed part of the loop, but we persevered, hoping things got better. They didn't. Our highlight was the drive to and from Townsend through the Smokies. I apologized to my family for how bad the trip sucked. Wish we had gone elsewhere in the Smokies.

As for wildlife, I saw none. But then again, I see fox and deer everyday in the suburbs.

Beautiful views and so much wild life. From deer, to turkeys, to birds - unfortunately too early in the season to see bears, but the drive was peaceful and the views were great!

We try to visit Cades Cove anytime we are in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg areas. The 11 mile ride (one way) around the Cove is really pretty and we almost always see some wildlife. For our recent visit--- wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, and a mother black bear with a couple of cubs made our trip a great one. Suggest that visitors take a picnic lunch to enjoy while there. NOTE: During the peak of the year, the loop road is closed to motorized traffic on Wednesdays-- only hikers and bicycles are allowed on those days.

There is much to see and it would be a really interesting place, if you were there alone or with considerate people, or on a better road. Unfortunately when we were there, there was a bear and her cubs, about 1000 yards from the one lane road. Many cars stopped to look and take photos. It took us 3 hours to get the first 3 miles of the 11 mile loop. Park rangers were at the site and told us it was a "bear jam" and to move it along. (I had no place to move along to as there were 10 cars in front of us doing 1 MPH.)

After the bear jam we rushed through the rest, only stopping at a few buildings. We were really cheated of a nice experience, and did not get to hike or visit all the buildings.

Really needs to charge a few dollars, and use the money for a better road, parking for people who need a photo of a bear and need to block the road. Not enough parking at the buildings, nor at the places wildlife is likely to be seen.

This was a great way to see nature and the history of the area. We even saw a bear! Lots of structures, churches and cemeteries to learn about the history of the area. The only problem was when one car would go way too slow and hold up the whole line behind them when there was no reason for it.

My husband and I were on a road trip and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was on our list. I'd had been here years ago, but not to Cades Cove. The road in Cades Cove is a one way loop with two opportunities to cut across the center to shorten the trip. There are bear and deer in the area, so keep your eye alert. There are several stops along the loop, including the Primitive Baptist Church, John Oliver homestead, a visitor center, among others. If you're in the park and you have the time, consider it. Yes, it's pretty flat in the center, but you have opportunities to do some hiking or set a chair out and enjoy it.

We were the fifth car as the gate open at 7am, saw two sets of bears immediately. Nice loop, views and wildlife. Don’t be in a rush, it can take a few hours to drive the loop as you are not able to pass others. The area gets very busy as the day goes on.

Very nice to hit the road here on the bike on a Wednesday early morning when the roads are shut. Saw 5 bears (including some cubs), and some deer so a great experience overall!

We went the end of June about 3pm. The traffic was not as bad as I had expected. The only time it bogged down was when a bear crossed the road and everyone parked and got out of their cars. Then 2nd time was when a women, driving 8 mph, would stop to take pictures instead of pulling over as directed. Thankfully a park ranger spotted her and reminded her to pull off to the side for other traffic. I took some amazing pictures and this was one of the highlights of our trip! I highly recommend going!!

A beautiful drive and very high chance of seeing black bear, deer and turkey. Need to go early, late evening is better cuz most people going to dinner. There are lots of places to pull off to the side. Do Not sit and block the road so no one can pass!!

Do not go here. Especially in peak season, and on a weekend. Bumper to bumper traffic to see absolutely NO wildlife. If you like taillights and going 1 mph this is for you! We barely moved the entire time. Once we finally finished the never ending loop, we sat in another bumper to bumper traffic jam just to get out of the state park! Mind you we got up early to beat the crowd. & that sure didnt work! We will never go back. Wasted an ENTIRE day. I think we saw a few turkeys and crows. We didn’t make a donation either, bc all I could donate was advice. Nobody is directing traffic. The bathrooms smell like rotting sewage on a hot summer day. The toilets were practically seeping over with human turds.

Expect a slow drive. We first visited Cades Cove some years ago making several stops before arriving at the visitor center. Traffic was slow then. We visited again in December of 2005 and saw more especially wildlife and traffic was OK. The situation has not really improved except that in the summer months Wednesdays are reserved for bicycles. Is the drive worth a visit? Yes, it is. Just be prepared. Perhaps some day the park service will find a solution to the traffic problem.

Great views and peaceful area to visit in the Smokies. We came through during a high traffic time, and it was also raining, and didn't get to see any wildlife but still enjoyed the experience. I recommend going earlier in the day or later in the evening during non peak times. Also, do a little research on the area so you have some background on what all is there. You'll appreciate it more. Consider packing a lunch a taking a hike while there too.

I loved going on Cades Cove Loop so much I did it a second time around. So much wildlife to see. The old buildings were great also. Beauty abounds!

Our favorite parts of Cade's Cove were the picnic area (we've reviewed it too), the gift shop at the mill, and the view about half-way on the loop. We were given a self-guided auto tour book by a friend (they are on sale at the 1st visitor shelter). I'm not sure how you'd enjoy driving around without it. Maybe there is something online that could explain things. Bathrooms are located at the mill and in the picnic area. We'd recommend checking out Cade's Cove when it is cool out and you can head out to all of the buildings and trails comfortably. We saw deer and turkey when there. Rattlesnakes and bear are also frequently seen. The loop is one way, but there are several access roads that you can use to leave from several places.

We arrived at the entrance before dawn thinking we would beat the traffic…Wrong! It was already backed up and creeping along. People would see a couple of deer or turkeys and stop in the road and take pics… where are these people from? Have they never seen a deer?
We were only on the loop to hike to the waterfall at Abrams falls trail. Took us 1 1/2 hours just to get half way around to get to the trail head!

No way they could pay me enough to do this drive again.

Don’t waste your time here.

We visited in the off season. We figured we better check it out while it wasn't busy. No wonder how it can take so long during the busy season. People are not considerate of others in their speed or where they stop. If you stop at each stop it can take you awhile to drive the loop. Bathrooms are limited, no food or phone service.

I will freely admit that old buildings are not my vacation forte, but Cades Cove offers more. I found the drive, very slow along the many twists and turns, among the beautiful setting to be relaxing in and of itself. Whatever was written on the exhibit boards along the way was a bonus. And it seemed that the pace mirrored the crowds, none of whom were hurrying about or riding the bumper

Simply gorgeous drive through the serene cove. We were so glad to see a bear and a red fox. Lots of pull offs to stop at with historic places. A free attraction, we didn't need a parking pass because we didn't park for long so if this is the only thing you're doing in the park, its absolutely free.

This is definitely worth a trip. We did this drive twice. One on a Sunday at around 7am and the other on a Monday at 10.30am. Neither were very busy and we easily got parking spots.

There are lots of places to stop and do short walks from. I think you’re more likely to see wildlife if you go early in the morning or late afternoon. We saw 3 bears early morning.

I used to frequent Cades Cove as a child and have many fond memories but unfortunately this trip has made me confident that I will never return. The traffic was HORRIBLE. It took us a good 4 hours to do the 11 mile loop. Bumper to bumper traffic the entire way with no way to get out. After 45 minutes and not even going a mile, we realized there was a bear family in a field that was the holdup. As we were driving along and I (the passenger) was taking a video with my window down, a park ranger drove up and looked right at us and said “we can’t even get an ambulance to the visitor center because you all had to stop to look at bears.” We were not stopped and we had just gotten to the area with the bears. Being scolded for something that was not even our fault was the icing on the cake and we will not be back.

Loved driving cades cove loop. 11 miles of nature and scenic views. The mountain views were stunning and we made sure to take plenty of pictures. The traffic was stop and go for a while, but we went on a weekend. It didn’t take away from the experience though. We even saw a bear!

What an amazing experience! After a year battling Breast Cancer my wife just wanted to take a break and come to the Smokey's in hopes of seeing a live Black Bear. Well Cade's Cove did not disappoint. We were able to see many momma's with cubs, and other wildlife as well. Close up as many passed us by. We seen a total of 11 bears inside the park as well as a couple outside in the nearby areas. I will forever remember this trip with my love.

We explored Cades Cove during our stay. It's a long windy drive to get to it and then a slow drive around the 11 mile loop. The views of the mountains are awesome though. Bring a picnic and plan to be gone a few hours. You can explore old buildings and lots of spots to pull off and explore. Usually there are all kinds of animals but we just saw deer. The Sugarland visitor center had a booklet explaining the buildings. If you have a day to spare, I'd recommend and would suggest hiking Abrams Falls. We wanted to but didn't plan right. It was highly recommended to us.

Beautiful valley in Smoky Mountains National Park. Many fields and mountain views with historical buildings sprinkled through out. One lane one-way road which we elected to bike vs. drive. Wednesdays are no car days. Supposed to be May through November so we planned our vacation the 1st week of June. When we got there the Park Service changed the no car Wednesdays to start June 18. Very disappointing.

There is no entrance fee to Smokey Mtn. NP. There is a required parking fee if you park for more than 15 minutes. They do not take the America the Beautiful annual or lifetime pass for this fee. It was only $15 for a week long pass but still a cheesy way to get money from a visitor. Visitor centers did not open until 9am. What?! We also did not know that you can get a parking pass at the numerous kiosks in the park. So we got a late start waiting for the visitors center to open. Get your pass from the kiosk and get out early. You will see more elk and beat some of the crowds. Even in the 1st week of June the traffic was heavy. Can't imagine in July or August

There were many volunteers here. They mostly were stationed to keep people away from the bears. They were very well informed and helpful. I was surprised at the lack of official rangers. We never saw one. Thank you to those volunteers.

A word about biking Cades Cove so you are not led astray like we were. We read that someone in decent shape will have no problem with biking this road. Not true. For perspective my wife and I are in our late 60s and carrying about 50 extra pounds. We bike 10 miles every day. But it is in Florida and though it is against the wind often there are no hills. Cades Cove is 11 miles and we had to walk our bikes for about 2 miles of this road due to hills and traffic. There are some significant hills. Especially the second half. In addition, we often had to stop at the bottom of a downhill grade due to cars stopped on the road negating some good downhill momentum. Cars are not allowed to stop on the road and must use the numerous turn outs to park. Nope. No one cares. They stop, especially for bear sightings and don't move until the animal moves off. We saw a 1/4 mile backup and many shorter ones. I know the Park Service is short handed but they must get a handle on these drivers not obeying the rules. Maybe an e-bike patrol to keep cars moving.

We still think biking this road is the way to go. If you do, some tips: First, Do not go when cars are allowed. Car free days are a must. Second you need to be in good bike shape. Biking often that includes hills. Third, recommend a 21 speed bike at least. The alternative is to ride an e-bike. If you don't have one they rent them at the campground at the entrance. Well worth it.

Great area of the park that we may be loving to death. Maybe it is time to forbid traffic and do shuttle bus and bikes instead like Grand Canyon and Denali.

Hard to describe the beauty of this peaceful, pastoral place, including the drive from US441 to the cove. Arrived at the cove about 4:00 PM. Saw seven black bears durning the first half of the loop. Took the seasonal roads (Forge Creek Rd and Parson Branch Rd) southwest from the visitors center to exit the park on US129. Saw two more bears during that part of the trip. Note: these barely-improved roads are one-way, ford at least 10 streams on concrete slabs, have lots of twists, turns, hills, and no-shoulder drop-offs; overall an amazing 18-mile adventure. With stops for bear sightings, this drive took us two hours. Recommend only during daytime with clear weather.

Driving slowly thru the cove and seeing deer, elk and bear. Beautuful and educational for families. We got to see and imagine what life was like when families settled in the cove.

We almost didn’t go. We decided to and boy were we glad! We went before 10 am and we saw bears! A lot of them! They were not scared of us at all. We even saw two bear cubs in a tree! When the cars start to slow down, start looking! There’s usually something everyone is looking at.

Drove the entire area from Pigeon Forge, to Townsend, the Cades Cove Loop. It's unfortunate the Park Service is trying to rip off folks with their new "Parking Pass" for more than 15 min stops. This National Park is supposed to be free on any admission fees or charges. The road is OK but obviously the narrowest possible by minimum standards.Our "Loop" trip took 4 hours - all to see only 1 turkey, 4 crows, 1 bear (far in the distance after a backup of over an hour to go mile or so). Roads too narrow, not nearly enough safe pullovers...The one way road was obviously a cost cutting mistake... only takes one or two disrespectful drivers to back things up because there's almost no where to pass them.... I would never do the Loop again..... stay on 73 going east to Sugarloaf visitor center... better scenery, roads reasonable.

3 out of 10
One turkey
2 crow
Beautiful views along the way and if you like old cabins and churches it's great. Very little traffic when we went but barely seen any animals.

Beautiful views! Cades Cove, an amazing place to see mountains, wildlife, historic homes and churches!

Absolutely stunning sunrise! We went there for the sunrise and the sunset, the sunrise was absolutely amazing and we saw a lot of animals! We got at the gate around 6 am (sunrise at 7:30) and there was a half a mile cars lined up already.

10 STARS! What a wonderful trip around the Great Smoky Mountains! I followed the loop around watching for wildlife. It was about 11am on a Tuesday about 72 degrees.. I came around a corner and spied a black bear coming down the tree line! I parked where I thought it was headed and yup! it came straight at me ;)
So well worth the trip! The weather was perfect with all the windows open enjoying the fresh air! Such amazing landscapes, pastures and mountain ranges.

Always love the scenery. Timing is important for the best experience. Since some amenities close at five o'clock, it is recommended that you go earlier in the day if you want to visit the different homesteads, some of which require a short hike, explore the trails, or visit the gift shop. If you are just there for the view, I recommend midday to evening, especially toward sunset if the timing is within park hours. Drive through only is relaxing, but exploring is more fun. History is all around you and science is a natural happening for explorers of all ages. Do check into the more detailed histories of this community as there is much to learn that can't be discovered by exploration alone. There is more to this place that you can see with your eyes. The wildlife never lets you down if you seek it out.

Beautiful day at Cades Cove! We had the pleasure to see a mama and 3 cubs at a safe distance of course. Two cubs were in the trees and one was on the ground with mama. If your goal is to spot a bear, be patient and watch for movement both in the brush and in the trees. When it is warm they will move to the shade so you can see them moving through the open to the trees. Early morning or later in the evening are best times to spot them. What a awesome experience to take in nature while watching the cubs play. One of our favorite places. Good luck to you!

It was a bit crowded at times along the motorway. Turns out it was because a bear had been sighted! We saw 6 different bears! The old timey buildings were interesting to check out.

We did this trip with my in laws, and due to the fact that I broke my toe, the night before going to Gatlinburg! It’s a great alternative for those who enjoy hiking, but can’t. Keep in mind there are several spots to get out and see old homesites and cemeteries. We didn’t see any wildlife, but it was still a beautiful ride in the car..

This loop was absolutely beautiful and worth the visit for sure. Just maybe make sure to do it during the week or early morning. There were so many cars and so much traffic, we could not thoroughly enjoy the beauty. At one point near the end, traffic was just stopped for for quite a while. I almost ran out of gas! I also did not see any wildlife other than a turkey. There are opportunities to pet the horses that roam around in the meadow if you're lucky!

Excellent views, deer,Turkey, and an abundance of crows. 😊
A cloudy but beautiful day to visit the cove. The park staff at the visitor center very helpful and friendly. Need a parking pass online the park, but worth it. Only $5.00 for a day visit.

We went on a rainy day in March, very much off-season. The views were lovely. But the people were oblivious. There are a number of signs asking people to be courteous, not stop in the road, and pull over if they want to stop. The most charitable thing I can say is that perhaps people were caught up in the views and didn’t realize how selfish they were being by stopping in the middle of the road and holding up 10 or 20 cars behind them. There are a number of places to pull out, but most people don’t use them. we went about 5 mph for most of the drive, when it would have been safe and still scenic to be going to 15 to 20 miles an hour. The park service would do a great service to us all if they would issue timed entry tickets as they are doing in some other national parks in the west. I can’t even imagine what this place would be like on a summer day. It was bumper-to-bumper traffic on a rainy day in March.

Took a drive around Cades Cove. This was my 3rd visit, my daughter's 1st. She wanted to take scenery photos of which she did get plenty. There are old cabins to walk through and a couple churches. It seems that more parking areas were added since my last visit. It really is a beautiful area to drive through. On Wednesdays, it is car free so one can ride bikes around the 11 mile loop. I did so with some others and it was enjoyable. A couple areas are pretty steep and there are signs to walk your bike. Remember there are bears in the area. Didn't see any on my 1st nor 3rd visit but did see a couple on our 2nd visit in the distance.

The views here are great, the wildlife you see is nice.

The thing that ruins the whole experience is the moronic people who do not use the pull ins and instead decide to stop their car in the middle of the road with 30 cars behind them all idling and waiting.

Then when someone starts honking these same people go even slower in order to try and spite everyone. Its like they get some kind of enjoyment out of holding everyone up. PULL OVER if you want to take pictures. If you see a bear Pull in somewhere (there are many pull in spots). Stop wasting everyone's time like a selfish fool. People who do that are better off going to the zoo and then can take all the time they want. Stop being an inconsiderate fool.

We had a similar experience to the other person who left a review, we just wanted to hike to Abram's falls and it took nearly 2 hours just to get over there because some inconsiderate fool was driving 2-3 miles per hour (No joke) and frequently stopping in the road for 5-10 minutes with 30 or so cars trailing them.

What's more amazing is EVERYONE was frustrated but NO ONE told them anything. When you see someone doing this dont be afraid to honk (If enough people honk they will get the point) or if you are close enough to their car yell at them to pull in, people like this are self -entitled and think everyone else has to be on their time. Realistically the Park rangers should eject these foolish people from the park. I saw a family with 2 young kids trying to bike ride and enjoy the scenery and all they got was a face full of exhaust from the idling cars. It's a shame the inconsiderate fools who cant use pull in areas continue to ruin the experience for so many people. Start fining these people who stop in the road and I bet it will correct their selfish behavior real quick.

I find it ironic that people will stop to take pictures of deer at the national park, but when they see the same kind of deer on the highway they run them down and have no remorse, but yet once they get into the park they all of a sudden become wildlife lovers an want a picture of the deer.(what a joke these types are) These are the same people that NEVER get out of their car to walk, they see the park like a drive through safari and are so lazy they never leave their cars. I had people ask me from their car as I am coming back from a trail "What's down that trail" all I said was go find out. I mean c'mon. You come all the way to the Great Smokey Mountains and you dont hike any trails? Why are you even here?

These are the same people that all they do is go and sit at their hotel and drink booze and smoke cigarettes all day. Stay home, no one needs you ruining things for everyone else. Stay home and you can drink booze and smoke all day there if you want to. This isnt a one-time incident, been multiple times at different times of day and its the same thing happening, just dumb people who feel a sense of entitlement. Do everyone a favor and stay home you don't know how to behave anyway.

Believe the signs that say how long it takes. We did not think it could possibly take 2-3 hours to make the loop, but it did. The traffic was solid. We did not see any wildlife. We enjoyed Clingmans Dome much more. If you are limited on time, do Clingmans. We did not get out of the car on Cades Cove. While it was pretty, the other parts of our drive were just as pretty or prettier. I wouldn't really recommend.

When we went it was foggy so didn’t get great views. Got there early but bumper bumper traffic throughout. Saw turkey and deer but no bears. I heard it’s beautiful and have seen great pictures but not on day we went. I’d like to go on wed when no vehicles allowed and ride bike thru loop.

As a family we went to cades cove I. Search of seeing wildlife especially bears. No luck a couple days but then we switched time of day to the afternoon and bam (bears) walking across the street in front of us. So excting

Very disappointed. The view of the mountainous was great, but I have that same view from the balcony of my cabin. Plus, it was the same mountain view, all we did is drive in a "loop" around it.
The worst part for us was the drive was supposed to be 30 min, but it took 3 hrs. There are signs all over for cars not to stop except at designated pullover stops, but nobody cared about that when a bear was spotted about 100 yards off the road laying in a field. When we FINALLY got to that spot we saw park staff there, but made ZERO attempts to keep traffic moving.

There are some structures along the loop, like old churches, but we came for the natural scenery and must say again that we were very disappointed.

Oh my goodness. So many forest animals! We drove Cades Cove between 11am and 2pm. WOW Did we see a ton of Bears, Elk, Deer, Turkeys, Otters, and Buterflys! Very cool! Lots of places to stop off along the drive and great historical houses and churches too. We really loved it! We plan to make sure we are there much earlier (like 6am) next time to maybe see even more animals.

Beautiful drive tons of wild life we even saw 3 bears on our trip no power poles anything just you and nature from your car!

This was our first stop in the park. We had heard good things from others. We did a couple of short hikes (1/2 mile to 1 mile) to see cabins, visited a cemetery, and saw a bear up close (100 yards) in a meadow. Take time and see this part of the park.

We saw a 🐻 in the meadow!!!!!! We also saw deer, elk, and lots of birds. It was pouring when we arrived, but we stuck it through and it was GREAT!!!

Great day outing..traffic was bumper to bumper and at a stand still during 80% of the ride due to several "Bear Jams" was still a nice day

Cades Cove has seasonal hours so be sure to check before you make the drive. Stop at the bathrooms and the general store before you enter the park and be sure to purchase the map so you can plan your stops along the way of the one-way route. We saw bears in multiple places and enjoyed a few short hikes. We also saw turkeys. Make sure you park in designated spots and know that there may be moments when traffic will stop along the way. Bring water and snacks too!

This was pretty much the worst thing we did while in Pigeon Forge. Individuals drive along a one-way loop at a snail's pace as individuals try to spot black bears out into the distance. Most of the drivers do not heed the signs to pull over for faster drivers. Some people will even stop in the middle of the road to get out to take a picture. It is frustrating, and the views are not nearly as good as some of the hikes you can do elsewhere. We were told this was a drive we needed to make; I would tell you that this is a drive you need to avoid. From Pigeon Forge, it would seem worth the time to take a drive over to Townsend and back. Wish we would have just done that.

Loved this do at your own pace mountain tour. Make as much or as little out of it as you please. Overall would recommend as a great starting point for mountain/ hiking in the area

The colors were amazing. The traffic was slow moving through the mountain but it was worth the time and allowed us to enjoy the scenery

Well worth the drive. Beautiful scenery. We were able to get out of our car and take pictures of bears that were along side the road eating walnuts. (There were volunteers there to keep us and the bears safe.) We also saw turkeys on our drive. I highly recommend the loop.

We had the opportunity to see wild turkey and bear!! You just never know what you're going to see when you visit Cades Cove!!

This place was terrible if i could -100 stars everyone wasnt following the rules and guess what we saw animals but no bears or elk just deer and crows if you want to wait 2 full hours just to see nothing except fallen trees go here

We hadn’t driven to Cades Cove in many years, had our eight-year-old granddaughter with us so we thought she could experience it for the first time.
The drive up is probably easiest on 321 out of pigeon Forge, it doesn’t take long and there are some nice stops along the way for homemade pork rinds and kettle corn (see review for Mountain Brothers store!) Many pull offs along the way, to get out of the car and just enjoy the scenery and the beautiful creeks.
We went on a Thursday, the traffic wasn’t bad at all and it was a nice ride through the 11 mile loop, stopped a few times for pictures and information about the old Home sites.
Had packed a lunch so we stopped at the picnic area, all so well maintained and clean!! Little one even got to enjoy the creek, August the water is cold!
Nice inexpensive!!! day trip! You don’t hear that word much down here!

Drove the scenic loop. Lots of traffic. No vehicles on Wednesday-reserved for walkers and
Bikers. Saw turkeys and deers today. Mid-day. Visited Primitive Baptist church. Very old. Saw some wild flowers blooming. Yes, we will visit again.

This Free drive through Tour has quite a lot to offer. the scenery is beautiful, there are lots of places to Pull off and take pictures or take a hike. the trail to the falls is 2.5 miles (one way) from a parking lot. I highly recommend this trip. we saw several deer, didn't see any Bears but we saw a huge owl. the old houses and churches along the way were very cool. I think it was verry interesting to see how people used to live. I'd expect to be half the day, take a pair of binoculars, and phone service is practically nonexistent (yay)! Go early, I think is better, be prepared to spend some time, we loved it! If we went prepared to Hike, we would have spent the entire day.

What a phenomenal waste of time! We got behind a truck pulling a flatbed doing a hay ride. There were people standing up in the trailer so he went about 5 mph the entire way. There was a jam of traffic behind him with clear roads ahead. It was a very painful two hours. The majority of the sightseeing that I did to keep my eye glued to my odometer waiting anxiously to see each tenth of a mile tick up so that I would know I was just a bit closer to finishing this horrible ordeal. We saw one buck and a few turkeys.

Seriously people, I have no idea why this is highly rated. The scenery is very basic. The ride up is more scenic and so is the ride between here and Gatlinburg.

Do yourself a favor and read the 1-star reviews and you'll see that many have had a similar experience to mine.

I've heard so much hype about this place but oh boy what a hoax. The only reason I didn't go with the lowest rating was the area itself is pretty.
If you want to see a few small deer in a field while spending a couple of hours in a bumper to bumper line of cars breathing diesel fumes from the truck in front of you this is for you. Otherwise forget it! So disappointed.
If you want to see a prettier area of the park l, miss the crowds go on the Roaring Forks loop instead.

We drove around codes cove in the middle of the day. This is a winding one way road that you share with bikers and hikers. There are lots of places to stop to see the old cabins and appreciate the way people lived in the cove. I would highly recommend the park issue passes for the road. It would be more pleasurable. Most of the national parks are going that route and I think Smokey mountain should follow suit.
I do not understand why we don’t pay a park fee. I get mail every week asking to donate to the. National parks ! If every person gave a dollar, they would get a million dollars a year, based on the recorded number of visits.
It is lovely and we got to see mama bear and her 2 cubs

After reading reviews and watching videos, I expected that there was 100% chance of viewing wildlife galore and that just did not happen. We ended up going twice on our trip; once beginning at about 8am and the 2nd time around 9am. While the drive is nice, it's nothing special and without the wildlife, it got boring quickly. Our first time through, we just saw a couple of deer and the 2nd time yielded some turkeys; no bears or elk at all. While I understand this is not a drive-through zoo, it was still a bit disappointing nonetheless. I would still recommend it to anyone visiting the area, but just be prepared for not much!

By far the worst thing I’ve done in Tennessee. Don’t expect to go more than 2-5 miles per hour through here. Took almost 2 hours to get through thanks to the most awful tourists I’ve ever experienced. Literal miles of traffic because of one single tourist. As a tourist myself this is awful. No respect for absolute anyone else on the trail. If you wanna stop and look. PULL OVER AND LOOK! Worst experience in the smoky mountains.

The view is amazing, easy course for follow, got to see a couple of deer. We had to ignore some drivers that wasn't patient who wanted to speed by. Regret not buying a parking pass so we could get out and explore.

My fiancé and I rented bikes for the 11 mile loop and loved it. The views were stunning and we saw 6 bears. A park ranger came out to help visitors move around the second group of bears safely. The bike ride had quite a few hills, but it was so worth it for the views and the wildlife. Absolutely would recommend to anyone interested in seeing the park!

Nice scenery and places to stop along the way. We visited a very old church where the preacher was giving a sermon on a Wednesday morning. Saw several bears and one mom and cub frolicking on the field. Everyone stops driving as soon as they see an animal so it can take a long time to get through. At one point we sat for 45 minutes, and another time over half and hour so pack your patience. Everyone wants to get a shot of the animals!

While a nice area, people are just rude and think they’re taking pictures for National Geographic when they see a bear! They park anywhere, jump out of cars, go after the bears, take picture after picture even with 50 cars behind them. Come on people, be considerate…where are the park rangers? We never saw one on Saturday and were delayed three times for up to 45 minutes.
The park needs to think of implementing permits to control things if the public cannot police themselves.

It takes a while to get to Cades Cove through the Loop Road and so an earlier start means you’ll see less traffic. Once we reached the loop road, a pleasant drive, we then saw a few bear cubs climbing a tree with Mama Bear at the base, an elk, and various birds. At Cades Cove, there are historic mill buildings and cabins, along with various ranger programs. We took in the Burning Daylight and Old Time Technology programs. The rangers were knowledgeable and prepared in answering our questions.

My first impression was that we weren’t going to spend much time in Cades Cove but in the end, we spent a number of hours there, taking the time to eat our lunch before getting back on the Loop Road to Sugarlands. If you have the time, I’d recommend taking the trip out to Cades Cove.

There are some really cool views. If you’re into history the old buildings are neat to see. We saw a good amount of deer but were disappointed we didn’t get to see the bears. Definitely go early in the morning if you’re wanting to see more wildlife. We went later in the afternoon. The views were really pretty. There are a bunch of places to stop and take pictures or walk around. The traffic is not too bad. Overall would definitely do it again.

It was really cool, nice location.
We will definitely go back here again and would definitely recommend this.
It was an experience to remember.

Beautiful drive in the loop to see wild life and easy to spot black bears, pop cat or birds. Best time to visit is early in the morning and there is a free two hours guided night walk every Friday

It has been years since we have been to Caves Cove. We went May 2025 excited to see the Elk we heard they had introduced to the park. We didn't see 1 single elk or sign of them. We did see 5 bear 4 black 1 brown, 2 turkey millions of butterflies.
But there was this loud obnoxious noise that hurt your ears. If it wasn't there, I'm sure we might have seen more. But that noise took away from the nature sounds you go to hear. Not sure what it was, but know it was Man Made!😡 grass needs to be bushhogg so you can see better.

Two adults visited this on a Monday in late September 2023. Interesting visit but frustrating. Beautiful area with many old buildings moved from other areas of the park. The downside is the horrendous traffic and lack of parking at the various points of interest, as this is one of the more popular park areas.

We left Gatlinburg about 9 am and arrived at the entrance to Cades Cove auto road about 1 ½ hours later due to traffic and then the fun started on the 11 mile one way round trip auto road. We purchased one of the auto tour books for $1.25 and were pitched to donate the change to the park. Book was OK but not spectacular but at least it explained the exhibits/cabins located along the auto route as the Park had very few signs explaining anything. For the trip to the Cades Cove Visitor Center about in the middle of the loop, I estimate we averaged about 10 mph due to the heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic. We couldn’t even stop at a couple of cabins/landmarks because there was no available parking. Very disappointing. All the wildlife we saw were a few turkeys and 3 deer. Once at the VC, we were able to get one of the few available parking slots. Estimate we spent maybe 1 ½ to 2 hours here eating the lunch we brought and wandering the exhibits. The VC is essentially a park store only. The best exhibit was the working grist mill. The employee manning the mill was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and explained the mill workings in detail. By the time we left the VC area, the crowd had thinned and there were plenty of parking spaces and the ride through the rest of the tour route averaged maybe 20 mph. Overall, a somewhat disappointing start that got better as the crown thinned. YMMV greatly as noted in many of the other reviews.

We knew this drive from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove would be our event for the day, and it took a good half day. It was a pretty drive out to the Cove but just know once you get to the one-way road, there are only 2 ways to cut the 11-mile drive shorter. If there are many cars, you will be stuck in traffic. And if someone in the front of the line spots wildlife - of any kind - they stop. And so does everyone behind them. There are pull-outs, please be respectful of others behind you and use them.

There is a visitor center, bathrooms and a few historical buildings mid-way on the drive. Worth a stop. Make sure you have enough gas - there are none after Gatlinburg.

Bring walking shoes, water bottle, binoculars, jacket. Lovely driving loop. Trail heads. Displays. Church. Mill. Wonderful views of mountains.

Went intentionally on a Wednesday when loop is closed to cars. Throngs of cyclists, parking a hassle. Should you be graced to find a parking spot at all, nope. Must pay for it elsewhere. And they do not honor the America the Beautiful pass.
Whole town the same.
And google maps is no help. Sends you to the Townsend Visitor Center instead of the NPS office at the Cades Cove Campground.
Wasted trip.

It took almost 90 minutes to drive to Cades Cove from Gatlinburg. We left early in the morning and were glad we did. We finally got to Cades Cove around 8 am and it wasn't that busy yet. We stopped at every house, church, cemetery, and site and so the whole driving trip took nearly 4 hours. Plus we had to drive 90 minutes back. Just keep that in mind when planning your trip.

But it was so worth it. There is so much history here. You can go inside every house and church which brings the history to life. As a bonus, we saw 6 black bears on this tour!! They seemed to be everywhere!! The only sad part was the amount of graffiti on the walls of the houses and churches. I cannot believe that people think it is ok to deface historical buildings. And in case you think that happened a long time ago, these idiots wrote their names and dates on the walls and these are recent dates.

This is a do not miss site. 5 stars. Make the drive. It's worth it.

It's not a racing loop. Slow down and absorb the scenery.To see wildlife go very early in the morning or late in the day. I would suggest touring the buildings between those times. It was a very hot day but it was cool at dawn and dusk. We saw 6 bears and numerous deer and wild turkeys. There was also too many horses to count at the beginning of the loop.

We visited in the late afternoon. For 3/4 of the loop, we just saw open areas. Right towards the end we saw a mama bear with her babies. It was nice to pull over and watch them for a little while. Other than those fifteen minutes, this was too quiet and "boring" for our teens.

If I could leave less than 1 star I would. This the most agonizing and horrific excursion I have ever taken (and I travel quite a bit). Traffic crawls along at maybe 3 mph, people stopping hanging out the window taking cell phone shots if NOTHING.. Literally nothing. Yes there's a field and a small mountain in the back. Often traffic is stopped and you're sitting still for 3-5 mins..dead stopped... Yes there's a little history about the people and their houses who used to live there.Do yourself a favor and Google it..Look it up on Wiki..There is nothing more excruciating (vacation excursion wise) boring and painful than what we just did for almost 5 hours!

I don't usually write reviews, but Trip Advisor was so helpful in planning my visit to Cades Cover that I wanted to offer some suggestions. We arrived at the entrance around 4:15pm and bought the $1.25 guide, which was helpful to understand what we were seeing from the car. We didn't stop and did the whole loop in about an hour. There was very little traffic except when a bear was spotted (we saw two babies together by the side of the road and two separate adults in trees). If I were to return, I would stop at the half-way point mill section with plenty of parking and a chance to stretch the legs. Nevertheless, we had a much more pleasant visit than I had anticipated!

Beautiful scenery as as drove around the loop. Saw lots of wildlife, including deer, turkeys, etc. A must do every trip to the Smoky's.

We just completed driving the Cades Cove Loop. While the scenery is beautiful, the drive is excruciating. In the 11 mile loop, some inconsiderate drivers drove no faster than 5 mph!! Since it’s one lane of traffic and no passing is available, one driver could hold up many, many cars. Yes, I experienced road rage and it kind of negated the pleasantness of the whole trip. We DID see 2 bears and one red fox, but that was after we got back on the two lane road and most of us were driving 30-35 miles an hour. I would suggest more signs on the one lane part of the road imploring slow drivers to pull over and let others pass!

During off-peak season took 1-1/2 hours to drive through Cades Cove. I went from zero-2 MPH the entire time. Waste of time

I love visiting Cades Cove!! Each visit is unique and very beautiful scenery! Highly recommend if you love nature (and also great place to take nature pics!!)

Cades Cove was on our list of places to visit while in the Gatlinburg area because of the historical value of this settlement. Driving the loop was not busy at this time of the year which allowed us to not rush through. With it not being so busy, we were also able to walk through the grounds and soak in the history. We recommend putting Cades Cove on your itinerary when visiting the Smokies and Gatlinburg.

Ten of us hiked and picnicked here. Among us were young children, so we did not walk the entire loop but took a short cut. We had a great time hiking, and it was extra exciting in the last mile, because a bear walked across the road in front of us. The picnic area was a nice end to our time as we waded in the stream.

there is Cade's Cove scenic loop, but it takes a long time (a few hours) for us to drive through the loop, as the car drive slowly, esp. when there is bear, when the people spot a bear, all the cars will stop there, we can be stuck there for an hour without moving, we don't know what happen, until we pass by, then we know why the cars stop, because there is a bear. The cars won't move until a ranger come to urge people to go, otherwise I don't know how long we will be stuck there, so I don't think it's "lucky" to see bear there, it will certainly cost you much more time, it will be bad esp. when you are not the one that can see the bear, but just the cars at the back, just stuck in the car and nothing can do. Actually, there are other places in the park that you can see bear more clearly and easily without blocking others' cars, e.g. you can see bear when walking the Laurel Fall trail.
talking about the scenic drive, there are several spots you can stop, and take a walk or take a look to the building, the most common things you can see are cabins and old churches.

It's a one way 11m drive. Speed limit is 20mph, but you're going 5mph at the most as people on the road stop for every damn thing, from turkey to a deer. A bear means a 30 min jam. There are signs not to block the road and stop on turnouts, but people ignore them. Rangers stood in a couple of places, but they were mostly ignored as well. And it's not even that pretty there, not much to see. We pulled out and did a 5 mile hike. It was ok, and it was a highlight of the trip. The visitor center is pretty good. Generally, not worth going.

If you don’t have family members that get car sick, this is worth the drive to get there. We enjoyed the ride, wildlife, and history Imbedded throughout the drive. The mill is well worth the stop to see the buildings and visitors center.

So we were told that the best time to see wildlife at Cades Cove was early in the morning or late in the evening when it's cooler and quieter. So we got up and drove from Pigeon Forge to Cades Cove and arrived for about 7am.

Upon arrival there is the picnic spot where there are a few restrooms to use before you start the drive around and when we arrived no one else was to be seen. We thought this would be great for potential wildlife spotting (especially bears) as it was a colder early and quiet weekday morning.

Unfortunately for us this was not the case, we drove the entire route and get out a number of times to look around the old abandoned buildings etc and walk off the beaten track so to speak and saw next to nothing. No bears at all, a few Elk, Turkeys and that was it.

If you are staying in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg and are primarily looking to try and spot bears (like us) I would not recommend driving all the way to do this when you have the likes of Roaring Fork Motor Trail on your doorstep. If we’d have had a proper camera with us and not just our phones it would have been better for the stunning scenery, but aside from that it felt more like a wasted morning and journey.

One thing to note however is the drive too Cades Cove is very nice and some of the roads if you come off the normal track have some stunning views and photo opportunities as you drove out past and around the Townsend area.

Having been forewarned about the literally bumper to bumper traffic, the gridlock from wildlife viewings and the total luck of the draw for parking anywhere, we decided to just suck it up and do the tour. It is a very pretty drive with great views of the fall colours, mixed with lots of local history, and I'm glad we made the effort. Even thought we didn't get to stop at everything, we did manage enough stops to get a very good feel for the history of the folks who settled there and lived their lives in this lovely area.

Cades Cove offers a quiet drive through Appalachian history, with rustic cabins, open fields, and frequent wildlife sightings. It’s ideal for photography and slow exploration. Just be ready for traffic during peak seasons—it’s popular for a reason, and patience pays off.

We had a wonderful visit to Cades Cove. It is a nice mix of history and natural beauty. The location itself in the midst of the Smoky Mountains is beautiful. There are many historical buildings including the John Oliver cabin which was built in 1820. We enjoyed looking through the historic cabins and churches. The drive on the Cades Cove Loop is pretty. We did see some wildlife. We saw deer, turkeys, and even a bear with cubs. We went in the middle of the day and we still saw wildlife.
The traffic can be congested. We went on a Tuesday. People drive slowly and parking for historic sites can fill up. When there is wildlife to see the traffic can slow down considerably. I understand that during the Summer Cades Cove Loop is closed to automobiles on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays it is still open for walking and cycling.
We very much enjoyed the visit. I highly recommend a visit to Cades Cove.

Spent a day in the area with the family. Great section of the park for all ages. Saw all kinds of animals and got in some great hikes.

Today we drove the Cades Cove Loop. I highly recommend taking some time out for this very scenic drive. We spent over 2 hours there today. We saw spectular mountain views, along with bear, turkeys, deer, and numerous birds. We did not see any elk today, but understand from Park Rangers that they are present as well. Driving it is free. A parking pass is necessary if you stop for more than 15 minutes. Don't miss out on visiting the Visitor's center& gift shop about half way through the loop by the Cable Mills.

Beautiful ride through Cade's Cove. We stopped and toured several of the cabins. Slow drive taking us approximately 4 hours. Lots of traffic. Make sure you have at least a half tank of gas. We saw lots of deer and turkeys. Shades of Autumn were breathtaking.

We have read reviews on this place several times in the past and it sounded like something we would enjoy. We decided to finally check it out. It was ok but it probably would have been a lot better if the rude drivers going thru would have pulled over to look at things instead of going 5mph/ stopping and holding up the "funeral procession line" we had to endure for over an hour. Unfortunately, we never saw any of the wildlife that people say they see here. We saw more driving up on the road to Cades Cove. We were disappointed that we wasted so much time getting there, driving thru and getting back and think there are other areas we should have looked at instead.

This was the highlight of our Smoky Mountains experience. We went on Wednesday when the road is closed to cars. I would highly recommend doing this. We arrived at 6:30 a.m. and there was already a large line of people hoping to rent bikes at 7 a.m. Fortunately, they have lots of bikes and we set off on our 11-mile trip around 8 a.m. We saw 4 bears, 1 buck, and many deer. It was so peaceful riding with the animals either on the side of the ride or crossing right in front of you. We stopped at the historic houses and churches along the way to experience some of the history of the area. There are lots of ups and downs, but the road is paved and in excellent condition. What a beautiful way to experience this area!

Beautiful but too crowded. Especially people who obviously have never been around nature. Kids hanging out of sunroof yelling. People throwing trash out of windows. I also noticed no one of the 8 cars in front of us gave any money in the donation box. It really is sad they didn’t care enough to even give just a little bit. Society now.

That was 2,5 hours of my life I will never get back. The traffic was ridiculous and all we saw was 4 turkeys and a few crows. We see more than that in our backyard at home.

We saw bears and deer and the views.....amazing!! Make sure to have plenty of gas if you drive the trail because when the wildlife is out people do stop to try and take pictures and you can be there a while. There are plenty of areas to pull off if you want to stay longer. The historic buildings are very interesting.

We go here every time we come. We came a little before 7 and they just must have released the beautiful horses that came running thru the field. We saw turkeys. One guy got his feathers in a huff. Beautiful owl sitting in a tree. 2 Ravens came and sat on a post about 2 feet from my car window, while we were on a pull off. Saw 2 bears in the fields. Saw some deer. Group of young bucks came by. We picked a great time. Not too busy. Trees were beautiful and full. You need to go 10 mph and only pull off where all 4 tires are off the road. We learned that the hard way.

We really enjoyed the 11 mile tour thru Cades Cove. I highly recommend spending a dollar at the nature center on a Cades Cove booklet so you get the history of what you’re seeing as you drive through. We didn’t see any bears but did see a bunch of wild turkeys. It was fun learning about the families that lived in that area many, many years ago. Be sure to stop and get out of your vehicle to go inside the log cabins etc… along the way. We are planning on going back to Cades Cove in the fall to see the beautiful fall colors. The views in March were amazing too.

Very pretty but if someone spots a bear it could be an hour delay. The old homestead was neat but had very little history to read about and no guides share it's history. Was starting to fall o to disrepair which was so sad. Same with the churches along the way.

Our friend was anxious to show us the area so we drove through late on a Tuesday afternoon in September. It's all so pretty and I enjoyed the old buildings and photo ops. Traffic wasn't bad at all, even with a bear jam towards the end of the loop. The next day, Wednesday, we were back to ride bikes. At 10 am, the parking lots were about full and it helped to have Rangers directing the traffic. It seems the e-bike explosion has made this a popular destination. We rented bikes (they weren't the best) and thoroughly enjoyed seeing Cade's Cove by bike at a slower pace. There were a few hills that I had to walk the bike up but that is still exercise and I was able to slow down and chat with other riders./walkers. It was a highlight of our trip and we were so glad we had time to drive it and ride it.

Cades Cove is so hyped that visitors flock there by the thousands and cause traffic jams and it takes at least way too long in bumper to bumper traffic to see it. Parking is jammed. People everywhere. Reminds me of the traffic jams in Yellowstone. There are so many breathtaking areas in the mountains. Don’t understand why everyone has flock to Cades Cove. To each their own

We arranged to stay in Townsend because we thought that Cades Cove would be our favorite part of the park to visit. As it turned out, Cades Cove was the only part of the park where we had a negative experience.
The historical buildings were interesting, and the scenery, although not spectacular, was very nice. Our problem was navigating our way thought the eleven-mile loop road. We traveled the first few miles at a slow but pleasant pace. We then came to an abrupt stop with vehicles ahead of us as far as the eye could see. We remained stopped for 10-15 minutes and then traveled 50-75 feet before coming to another stop. This pattern continued for almost two hours. A young man, who had run up to see what was causing the stoppage, told us that three bears had appeared near the roadway. A group of cars stopped to see the bears, and, after they finally moved on, another group of cars had stopped. An hour and a half to two hours later, a ranger appeared and got the bears to move. We incurred another stoppage which only lasted approximately 30 minutes. We spoke with a ranger the next day who told us that our experience was quite common and that bears were a frequent cause for delay. Needless to say, sitting in traffic breathing exhaust fumes from the other vehicles is not a pleasant way to spend the afternoon in the park. Ecologically speaking, all of that exhaust has to be detrimental to animal and plant life. The park personnel need to do a better job moving cars and people along.

Went with some of the older family members because they wanted to visit some of the old home places and churches because seeing these old places for them brings back a lot of memories of how they lived and were raised. Being from Eastern, Ky it doesn’t seem like it was very many years back this is how we lived and some people actually do to a certain extent. I found myself often being a guide to people and explaining to them what that horse drawn sickle and rake was. What they stored in their old barns, how the mill worked and how the blacksmith made the horse shoes. Actually some of these homesite’s would have been considered, better off or well do family’s but don’t that let that fool because there was a lot of hard work put in these places. We didn’t do much animal site seeing because we have all that back home also. Before you plan to come just make sure you are filled up on fuel. It’s good round trip to the nearest gas station.

With the exception of paved roads and several modern amenities, it’s easy to step back in time and see valley as it was. Beautiful doesn’t begin to describe it. The loop proved provides you with summer of the most beautiful scenery around. Hiking and biking trails are found all over, so it’s easy to get your nature kick in. A definite most stop!

If you like history or wildlife or just beautiful views you'll love it. Don't be in a hurry. Signs everywhere saying don't stop in the road and to use the pull off. People don't read those so just sit back and enjoy the views

My advice is to go early. I get there shortly after sunrise and was able to travel the loop with not a lot of traffic. I also got to Abrams Falls and had it to myself. The natural surroundings is beautiful and there are various kinds of wild life to be seen such as deer, bears and turkeys. I only saw turkeys and deer, no bears. The Cades Cove Visitor's Center was also nice and I was able to get souvenirs that I could not get at the others. Remember to go as soon as it opens because it gets more crowded as the day continues. For this activity, be a morning person.

We loved this area. Yes, a longer drive from east side of park, but worth it. Saw five bear in the area. The loop road was great, but very slow due to traffic.

This place is incredible! Beautiful area in the Smokey Mountains. We used Chaka Guide and was able to see everything we wanted to see.

This is always a must-do when in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. We saw bear and turkey during our drive. We love driving through Cades Cove; the scenery there never gets old.

I highly recommend driving the Cades Cove loop when visiting the smokies. The views of the mountains are breathtaking and if you’re lucky, you will catch a glimpse of a black bear or two. Be prepared for a long drive taking about 2-4 hours to complete the loop. Be courteous of others and be prepared for long stops especially if a bear is spotted. There are plenty of pull off spots for photos with the most gorgeous backdrop of the Smoky Mountains. This is a must do in my opinion!

beautiful drive for miles and miles...stopped and took lots of pictures of bears too!!
windy roads but it was great. we stopped at center and I bought jelly,sorghum.and pickles...plus husband got a Wears Vally hat.

The views from this spot are breath taking. I took the family twice during our visit because the first time we were unable to get in. We did not know that Wednesdays are reserved for cyclists only. So, we went to explore the city of Townsend. But the next day we went back and seen all kinds of animals. Bears, deer, and birds. We will surely be back!

This was our second time going to Cades Cove in the Smoky's but our first time bringing our three kids. The loop is really long no matter what time of year you go, but it's way more doable in the winter months. We got snow in the cove while we were there and the kids had so much fun seeing the elk and deer. Beautiful drive through the forest if you're coming from Townsend. Signs make it really easy to navigate. Stop on Elkmont on the way and make a day out of it!

A hidden gem of the Smokies. It is about an 11 mile loop from start to finish but the views are excellent and a lot of history about the property is along the way. Visitors can see a lot of wildlife including black bears, wild turkey, deer, etc.... Bring a picnic lunch with you if you wish to enjoy at some of the stops. At various times and days of the year, the ride can be very slow and stopped in places, so bring your patience and a full tank of gas. There will not likely be any type of cell svc once you leave the Townsend area. From about May -Sept, the loop is closed to autos on Wednesdays-- only bicycles and hikers may enter. But periodically, they do have other special events that may also mean closure to motorized vehicles, so it is advised to do a Google search before you plan for a trip to that area.

It was average. Huge meadows with backdrop of mountains. However, you can see those mountains everywhere and for 10 hours straight if you drive Blue Ridge Parkway. But if seeing old cabins is your thing, you might like it. Keep in mind that Roaring Fork motor trail has old cabins too and it is much shorter drive from gatlinburg.

The drive from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove was nice with pull outs close to the river. But once you hit Cades Cove, you would be stuck in slow traffic and hunting for parking spots to see deers, turkeys and old cabins. I was expecting Maroon Bells (Aspen) kind of scenery but this was below average for the hype and driving frustration. Maybe it would be different in Fall.....

We drove over from our accommodations in Townsend on 2 successive mornings, a Thursday and a Friday. The weather was gorgeous both days and so were the views. On Thursday, we arrived mid morning and stopped at several of the points of interest (pick up the $1 Cades Cove booklet, if interested in details of the sites), including one of the churches and several of the old settlers' homesteads with cabins, barns and outbuildings. We also stopped at the Cades Cove Visitors' Center to see the historic grist mill and cantilevered barn.

We saw more wildlife here than anywhere else in the Park because there are meadows...but it comes at the price of monumental traffic jams. Because it's a narrow one lane, one-way route, just one vehicle stopped to take photos or waiting for a parking spot to open up can cause a back up that goes on for a mile or more. It's frustrating, and often by the time YOU get to the spot where the animal that caused the back-up was, it's disappeared into the brush.

The second morning, we got an earlier start and made it to the Visitors' Center, about the half-way point, with no bear jams...but few animal sightings. But after this point, there were bears about and it was over a half-hour at a crawl, bumper to bumper, to cover the remaining 5 or so miles (but we did see 5 or 6 bears, so it was worth it).

Bring good binoculars or a camera with a long telephoto lens. Have water, maybe some food with you, and plenty of gas in the tank.

Take your time through Cades Cove. If you rush, you will miss out. In addition to the beautiful scenery, we saw bears, deer, turkeys, and more. It was lovely!

Very historical area, although I would recommend purchasing the Cades Cove brochure prior to your visit so you can read along as you travel on the journey. Good signage at all the stops. Definitely stop, get out, and go see the individual buildings for insight on the area. Traffic is very heavy at the beginning of the tour, but after the midpoint, traffic drops off dramatically. Bathrooms are aplenty at midpoint, and are clean flushers.

Really glad we did this - TONS of traffic and people in the park in July so we didn’t have a chance to hike. We took this loop instead, and in spite of a long caravan of cars, it was nice. Be prepared to be in traffic and go slow…so just chill. “Bear Jams” are real. We saw 5 bears - 2 in trees and a cub.

You get to see the same scene throughout the trip. Can just cut the trip and take the first exit. On a hot summer afternoon was stuck up behind a truck where 4 gentlemen decided to put on picnic chairs in the back and enjoy their drinks while the car moved at literally 5 mph and less. Imagine doing half of the loop behind these 4 idiots because of which there was this a big line of cars and bikes. They refused to move in spite of being requested since they were within thr speed limits. So be prepared to get stuck behind such idiots.

We started the loop road mid Saturday afternoon and traffic was essentially bumper to bumper. Result was when we got to Cade's Cove parking lot was nearly full; visitor's center overcrowded and getting ready to close thus leaving little time to explore the buildings and exhibits at Cades Cove

Love this, nice way to catch wildlife in their natural habitat. Unfortunately this time we only got to see turkey and deer

This is a nice scenic loop for part of the Great Smoky mountains. You drive in your own car for about ten miles. There are a lot of pulloffs to look at the scenery or some older buildings and there a few shops and restrooms. It is free to enter and is very enjoyable for the whole family. At one stop we actually seen a small black bear up in the tree.

The Loop is 11 miles. Internet says it takes two to four hours to drive. Not so. Not much to see. If your lucky, maybe a bear and some wild turkeys. They say it's free, but they charge you $5.00 to stop along the way to take photos. Maps are $1.25. Save your money, just follow the signs. Restrooms are at the halfway point. Plan accordingly.

Worth the ride out— long scenic rides it lots of twists and turns and stop offs for waterfalls etc. Can be slow at times due to slow driver and curves but worth the ride— expect 2-3 hours or more to do this. We were glad we did saw 4 bears and some other wildlife in the loop. Was standstill at times when you were near bears as people not great about piling over out of the way

Foliage was pretty but to repeat other reviews the traffic is awful. You end up stopped for long periods of time so people can take photos. They do not pull over to let cars go by they just stop. It was not enjoyable.

This is a scenic place to visit. It is a nice ride through the mountains and stops at the out places along the route. They have a visitor center with a gift shop and a bathroom about halfway. There is also a nice picnic area by the water. We have visited cades come during different seasons when in town. Depending on the time of year depends on how much wildlife you will see. It is a one-way road that you travel when you get to the cades cover entrance.

This is the best place for bear sightings. We went twice and saw multiple bears each time. The scenery is beautiful and the old pioneer buildings really show what life was like for the pioneers.

Traffic can get a little backed up when there is a bear sighting so be prepared to be patient.

Being there at sunset is a great time for wildlife sightings.

Before you go, you can pick up a leaflet guide that will explain all the stops along the way. Go shortly after daybreak when the wildlife is most active. Otherwise, you will drive slowly in heavy traffic. The loop is 11 miles, one way, with a couple of places where you can bail out if the traffic gets too bad.

I enjoy the churches and the cabins. If you like to hike, the trailhead to Abrams Falls is in Cades Cove. The mill is very picturesque. There is a ranger station / visitors center at the mill. At the beginning/end of the loop, you can rent horses for a beautiful ride.

Absolutely love this place ! We make multiple visits when in area !

Try to make your visit during the week to get the experience of less traffic and more wildlife sightings . This year we found out that they closed the loop road on Wednesdays to motor traffic and open it up to Hikers and Biking only which offers a great way to visit without relying on a car to go around.
We did this with our grandchildren 7 & 8 and they loved it there are some challenging hills to go up (we walked our bikes) but that made the downhill that much better. Some planning is involved make sure you can park and get a rental if you dont bring your own.
We didnt get their first thing but found that mid afternoon was a great time to get bikes as well as less crowds.

Had a great day today driving through the loop! Got to see several bears and some up close! And people listened to the park rangers to get a picture and move on, keeping traffic moving

We had the great fortune to be semi-local to this gorgeous park. We lived in WNC and visited often, likewise the GSMNP. This is a beautiful peaceful place, great for horses. It’s a perfect location for picnics and cloud gazing. It’s as wholesome as it gets.

Where to start. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT drive this road on a holiday. It was pure bumper to bumper. sure its pretty, but the annoyance of waiting in line to get to the end was sooo horrible. And I mean, it took over an hour going just a half mile on this road.

We were underwhelmed after a 3-hr. drive, many on winding mountain roads with many switchbacks. We saw minimal wildlife. We thought the views were going to be spectacular, outdoing the Blue Ridge Parkway. Not so. We scratched it off our bucket list and won't recommend to friends like it was recommended to us. It was still a lovely day spent with my husband and best buddy.

Awesome drive with great places to stop for pictures. Actually did the drive twice hoping to see more wildlife. A must see!!!

The scenery and wildlife are NOT any better than anywhere else in the park. I drove this loop at least 40 time so far. Most times I don't even see a deer or a turkey. But it is 45 minutes from Sugarland Entrance, and it takes at least 1.5 hours to complete the loop. (Most drivers are at 5mph. They do NOT park at the PULL-OUT areas and visit the historical sites on foot. They view them through the CAR WINDOW). So the drive takes 3 hours. There is not much time left for hiking, e.g, to Gregory Bald (6 hours round trip). The PARK does not care about the hikers. It seems to me that they are only too happy to see Cades Cove crowded by cars and bicycles.

Although we didn't see much wildlife, which was disappointing, this was a memorable place to visit, and I'd love to go back. It was very crowded as far as driving, and at the visitor center at the halfway point. The slow drive was great, but it was 'crazy' at the visitor center. There is a lot to do there. The scenery during the drive is breathtaking, and that alone makes it worthwhile.

Cades cove is beautiful and so peaceful. This visit we saw bears, deer, coyotes & turkeys. I enjoyed visiting the scenic loop and the beautiful mountains.

The views were amazing. It wasn't too crowded and we stopped at quite a few of the attractions. A very relaxing and pleasant experience.

For this to be home of over 800 bears and several other wildlife, I can tell you that we saw NOTHING! A turkey, deer and horses don't count. We went on Father's Day right at 10am. Without a doubt, Cades Cove us overrated.

I think this place is marketed to get tourists to donate. (They have several donation boxes along the loop). It's free but considering how much it's marketed coupled with the fact that we didn't see anything, I can't think of any other reason.

Also I think Cades Cove is inflated so they can justify continued funding from taxpayers. It does have a nice mountain view in certain areas but you can see that anywhere. Gas is over $3.00 and this loop takes 2 hours!!! Save your money and if you want to see those animals, pay and go to a zoo where you're guaranteed to have a view of them.

Highly recommend cycling on the car-free Wednesdays. Plan for an early morning - both to get to the are if you are not staying on site and then to wait for bicycles. We arrived around 6:45, and saw the line, but were able to get bikes and helmets with no issues. (Those with reservations will be called first; the line progresses for the rest.) We completed the route in 2 hours - stopping a few cabins, the church and an outlook to watch turkeys and later bears.

The hillsare for the healthy! For those renting, you will have to "learn" your bike - and if you "overbreak" you may wind up walking your cycle up the hill (you will not be alone). With more riding, all can be experts at the end, navigating the highs and lows, and returning to the visitor center in time.

Visitor center was a welcome site for drinks and snacks upon return! All staff in the cove - from those handling the rentals, to path volunteers, and the visitor center - were all helpful. A morning well spent!

Well, much like downtown Gatlinburg you won't get away from the crowds if you travel to Cades Cove. Even though this loop road is a good distance from town this attraction is just as busy. If you are headed here, bring your patience and a camera. The upside is that you will see some amazing views and countryside along with scattered historical buildings that are full of history. The downside is the slow traffic that will feel like rush hour on the freeway. DON"T go here expecting to see the bears. The likelihood is not a guarantee. Bear sightings are random, and you just never know when you will get your shot. We had two bear encounters in town and saw none in our two trips to Cades Cove. We are told that bear sightings here are more likely in the early morning and late afternoon, so you probably have a better chance during those times than in the middle of the day during peak traffic. The visitor's center is located halfway through the loop and does not provide much for goods and services other than a few souvenirs, bottled water and a flush toilet. The drive to Cades Cove is very scenic with many places to stop and enjoy the river, have a picnic or hike off on one of the many quiet paths. The journey is more about the natural beauty for those who aren't bent on the bear experience.

Cade's Cove 11 mile loop has spectacular views and is the best place to possibly see a bear. We have been Tennesse for 4 days and have been there everyday

When you come to the area, for some reason every local and every review online will tell you "you have to see Cade's Cove!" Let me tell you, what an absolute waste of life this trip was. Now unfortunately that's not the Cove's fault entirely. It's a neat TINY little drive of maybe 2-3 miles. In that drive are a few cute little stops with small accessible walking trails. The drive would be great to go on if there weren't 10,000 people all trying to do the same drive at once. On this drive we witnessed things we haven't seen in any National Park, and we've been to a few. People were jumping out of their cars and holding up traffic to photograph crows. Kids were hanging out of sunroofs. And essentially a 3 mile little trip (if that) was nearly a 4 hour drive. The best part is once you make the terrible decision like we did to get in line, thinking "there has to be something that will happen, it will start moving again" you cannot undo that mistake, because it's a one way road. Also due to the nature of one tiny road supporting 10s of thousands every day, the facilities were totally wrecked. Save some face, and don't hate the Smokies, by simply not going to Cade's Cove.

While in the loop I visited many of the different cabins and churches and along the way I seen numerous turkeys, horses and even a few bears. The rangers and volunteers are quick to make sure all the guests are safe. I noticed several people standing on the grassy area between the camp store and the RV registration building on my way out. As I went over to park I noticed they were all looking up in the trees with their cameras pointed to the top. Turned out a adult male bear was forging for acorns straight above the ranger rv registration building. He was up in the tree for a while and then eventually made his way back down. All along all the Rangers and volunteers made sure everybody stayed back to a safe distance and made sure the bear was able to safely graze. The views were amazing and the upkeep of everything was wonderful.

Looking for a low key afternoon, although the sign said 1-3 hours to do the loop, wasn’t expecting traffic to hardly move through this loop.

See fields and horses and I suppose the old log buildings are interesting to sone, although so primitive even no chinking in some cabins

Took the second bail out as could not deal with traffic any longer. No bathrooms. If there are bikes the cars will go as slow as bikes yes uphill to.

Not impressed.

The bears at Cades Cove deserves accolades. They are truly amazing. Unfortunately, people who are just visitors there go way too far. On July 9th, a bunch of kids on the back of a truck got out and was chasing a mother bear with two small cubs. I can see getting excited and stepping 30 feet away as a bear passes by, but allowing kids to chase an exhausted mother bear and babies should not be tolerated. It was very hot that day. Please dont feed the bears. A fed bear by a human is a dead bear. The bears live in Cades Cove, everyone who visits are visitors. Please respect the bears. Thank you.

An awesome half day trip. Cost was nothing when we went. Not sure if a parking pass needed on other days, but when we went it must have been a free day. Pass machine said that parking was free that day. An 11 mile loop that has several stops. Churches and cabins from the late 1800s that show a glimpse into life at that time. Even if you don't make any stops, the drive is beautiful. Awesome scenery and a chance to see lots of wildlife. A bit of a drive from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, but even the drive is beautiful. Picnic area at the end tops it off.

Very beautiful scenic drive. Was able to see three Black Bear cubs, deer and Turkeys. There are several historic homes and Church's to stop off and walk thru. The half way point has several places to visit as well as a gift shop.

This drive was really beautiful. It was just long. By the end, was sort of tired of being in the car. We only stopped a few times to see the sights. Sometimes it was just too crowded and tight to park the truck. The highlight was seeing a bear and cub on the drive and then when we stopped at the visitor center at the end of the drive for an ice cream we saw a buck.

The drive loop is fine for various mountain and valley views, but the buildings are in disrepair; none are furnished except the churches - only minimally; and they all need major maintenance and a cleaning. Not what you expect from a National Park.

Cades Cove was recommended to us by several people in the area, one of whom had seen 22!! bears when she visited a week prior. Before entering the park we were told at the visitors lodge there were “lots of people and lots of bears” in the park that particular day. There was a large traffic sign warning it may take 2-3 hours to drive the 11 miles through the park. We should have turned around there… We saw ZERO bears and sat in stop and go traffic for 3 hours. We should have taken the first short cut (or the second) but we were determined we would see something. We stopped at the visitors center in the park and again we were told there were SO MANY BEARS out and about today. Obviously there were no guarantees given but those 3 hours at Cades Cove really out a damper on our day and I could not give a positive recommendation based on my experience.

The drive up was a just as scenic if not more than the loop itself. In the loop, there was tons of traffic and cars at a stop. Imagine being in a 10 mile long traffic jam. People were not using the pull offs to stop and instead were stopping in the middle of the road. We did see a few bears but people were stopping to stare at deer and buzzards also. The entire thing made a very frustrating experience and took us about an hour and a half because of our pace. The speed limit is 20 but many were not moving at all, even though there are no idling signs.

Beautiful scenery and we saw lots of bears. The huge drawback was the cars full of rude, inconsiderate, and selfish people. Instead of using the few pull over areas, they would just stop in the middle of the road and block the view for the other 20 (or more) cars behind them. By the time you moved to the area, the bears were long gone, probably just as annoyed by the rude drivers as everyone else. The park should charge a minimal fee to enter and allow the rangers to ticket these imbeciles, making some money to widen/improve the road.

Interesting place to see. Abrams falls was nice to see and some old buildings. Traffic getting out was crazy, waiting 30-40 minutes leaving. Would recommend getting there early to see everything.

A must see if you’re in the area. We rode through on our motorcycles during the week, which was nice because it wasn’t too busy. The views are incredible and there are many pull off spots to stop and enjoy them. We were able to see a fox, turkeys, a momma bear and 3 cubs and a heard of elk…needless to say I will be back!

Be aware no restrooms after the welcome center and throughout the loop to cades cove! Horribleee

Unbelievable how people lack common sense and they stop on the road even that there are so many signs saying “ be courteous and DO NOT STOP on the road”

How come no restrooms??? 11 miles took me 4h. Terrible. Instead of pleasant, it was an exhausting experience.

People need to be educated before leaving their houses!!! Awful

Park is beautiful. They should charge entrance like all the other parks!

Lots of bears!!!! I had seen one in Yellowstone but here I saw multiple!
Well maintained and roads amazing

Where are the restrooms in this park???
Need more restrooms asap!

Insufferable traffic that doesn't move. Rangers don't do anything to move people along who just park and wait for a bear or something. Hundreds of people waiting behind them.

The 1 Star reviews all tend to be from the same geographic area of the US. You have no respect for the South anyway, so please just stay home.

Cades Cove is a national treasure set aside by FDR and the National Park Service to preserve a small piece of America before it was developed from Coast to Coast. There are a few places like this in the NPS inventory but this place is special.

Will there be traffic? YES, if you don't bother to read any one of HUNDREDS of articles that tell you between 9 am and 4 pm traffic will be horrible and you are also less likely to see wildlife during that time.

Is the a single lane one way road? OF COURSE, it is also advertised EVERYWHERE!

Is the cell phone coverage non-existent? YES, BY DESIGN! Use your phone as a camera if you go early or around dusk.

"There's nothing to do!" It's not an amusement park.

If I had my choice, my body or my ashes would be placed in Cades Cove, other than Yellowstone, it is one of my favorite places in the USA.

Proud Tennessean By Birth, Proud Veteran by Choice!

I hadn’t been to the Smokies in over 17 years. I had forgotten how beautiful it was. In fact the last visit I never drove through Cades Cove. Since we were staying in Townsend this time Cades Cove was a short drive away. We ended up driving through Cades Cove each of the 3 days we were here. For those who don’t know it’s an 11 mile loop filled with beautiful vistas, old churches and cabins, and wildlife, And yes, we did see a bear along with a number of deer and wild turkeys. It can get congested as it is a popular place. So do go early to avoid crowds if possible. Unfortunately my sister consulted an online source that stated the gates opened at 9 am. That’s not true according to a ranger we spoke with. They open at daybreak. We were told to always go to the official NPS site for correct and updated information. That doesn’t mean if you don’t go early you shouldn’t go. Just remember to take your time, stop and enjoy the scenery, and hopefully see some wildlife.

I said I wasn’t leaving Tennessee until I saw bears and Cades Cove came through! So much to see and experience…and the Horses are the best! This place is a must visit if you’re vacationing in the area!

We traveled the cades cove loop while on vacation. The ride was very scenic with lots of places to get out and see other historic buildings along the way. The only bad thing is it’s s one lane road and we were in about 30 minutes of traffic because people stop their cars and don’t pull over like they are suppose to. We saw bears in a distance, but we didn’t have binoculars so they were pretty hard to see. Make sure to bring binoculars if you decide to take this drive. It was beautiful and worth it!

Breathtaking views. Great history! We saw deer - Turkey and Bears! So fun for our grandson! Drive to the park nice too! One of our highlights !

We rode up to Cades cove. We enjoyed it so much. Seeing the mountains. We even caught a small glimpse of a bear

Great route through the foothills of the Smokies. It's one way, so plan on a slow trip as people stop to photograph wildlife. We go every time we visit the Smokies. It wouldn't be a trip without going there.

Beautiful drive. Well worth it.

The Loop is closed to vehicle traffic on Wednesdays when it is open to bikes and hikers only. If you are going to be on foot or a bike this is the day to do it. Otherwise it will be crowded with cars.

That said, we took our truck. The key to an enjoyable drive is to get there early, or later. We got their early and had no problems parking at any pull over we wished to stop at. Also had plenty of times when there was no one in front or back of us. We were there the 2nd week of May. Early was getting there by 9 AM. I am sure during peak season early will have to be sooner than that.

We stopped at the Visitor Center and looked at some of the structures there as well. We didn't see any signs describing any of the building which we wish there had been. There was one that we just couldn't figure out what it could have been used for. Perhaps this information is provided in some audio or other format.

I've been coming to the cove for over 50 years. This is the first time I've been back in 15 yrs. Saw lots of turkey, deer, and a gray fox. Traffic wasn't bad on a Thursday mid-morning. Views were as breathtaking as I remembered.

Every sense I was young I remember going here. I think I go back for the memories. Love the hikes, I see different animals every visit - last time was turkey.

Enjoy traffic jams? Then this is right up your alley. The whole adventure is a total of 11 miles, with a couple of shortcuts. We should have taken the first shortcut. It took us an hour and a half to get through to the second shortcut, and to the exit. It is a one lane road, so once you start, you cannot opt out. Had we known it was going to be a cluster of looky-loos not following the rules, we would have stayed in the main park. Trust me, you do NOT want to do this if you have just drank a bottle of water, have small children who do not fare well on car rides or in traffic, or if you are a normal human being who does not like to be trapped like a rat for going on two hours.

We read all the reviews here and heard in the visitors centers that the traffic here gets unbearable (pun intended). So, we decided to get our two girls up at 6am on an October Thursday to make the drive, hoping to beat the crowds. This worked great for us, so if you're willing to get up and over there early you might have a more leisurely experience than those who had a tough time later in the day.

Understanding when the gates open is a challenge as different sites seem to have different opinions, but the National Parks Service says sunrise to sunset. So, we got there at 7am just as the sun was rising and the gate was open. We used the bathrooms over in the picnic area and got our parking pass from the automated kiosk before entering the loop and off we went.

The crowd was low and everyone's pace was very calm and peaceful. Sure, there were other cars there but, but not too many and we were able to move freely and most of the time we didn't have any cars around us at all. If a few packed up behind us, we would just pull into a pullover spot (there are many) and let everyone pass and then off we would go again at our own pace.

We wanted to see bears, but we didn't. We did see elk, deer and turkeys. But the scenery and beauty of fall was worth the drive itself. We had seen other forest areas of the park, so it was great to see this, a more wide open area with great views.

All in all, the drive took us maybe 90 minutes, perhaps less than that. While we didn't see bears, we did end up finding quite a few driving on the Twin Creeks area - we headed there since we saw a notice that the trail there was closed due to bear activity but the roads were still open for driving.

OVERRATED
Cades Cove seems to be the main highlight in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- it's really not much of a highlight and the traffic was AWFUL upon leaving.

TRAFFIC WAS A NIGHTMARE - AVOID FALL BREAK
I would suggest to the park that they distribute a limited amount of passes for the park to limit the traffic which was the worst we'd ever experienced in a Nat'l Park. Either that, or offer a park-and-ride shuttle service. It was 'Fall Break' which was not good timing on our part. (We didn't know about Fall Break when we planned the trip as we don't have Fall Break at that time where we live). No attempt was being made by rangers to direct or control traffic. In order to join the main road again near the main visitor center, coming from the Cades Cove area, we literally had to turn our engine off and wait and then crawl a bit further and wait. And repeat. And repeat.
It was m-i-s-e-r-a-b-l-e.

IT'S A BIT OF A DRIVE TO GET THERE
We drove over an hour down long windy roads from Gatlinburg to reach Cades Cove around 8:45am. At this time it was relatively quiet. We purchased a $5 parking pass, used the restrooms near the picnic area and checked out the outdoor information booth.

NO CELL SERVICE
Note: There is no cell service in the Cades Cove area, so make sure you have a map.

DO YOUR RESEARCH AND KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR
Starting on the 11 mile one-way loop road, we missed the first cabin and church as there wasn't good signage and they were so nondescript. Since it's a one-way road, there was no going back. I had done my research, but still missed those first two structures.

PARKING IS LIMITED
Eventually, there was a lot more traffic and it was a gravy train of cars, stopping to look at wildlife or pulling off to see the cabins and churches, hoping to get parked in the small parking lots or along the side of the road. A lot of people just seemed to drive the loop and didn't stop much. Maybe they didn't know wha they were supposed to be looking at?

SMALL VISITOR CENTER
Near the mill, there's a SMALL cramped visitor center selling the usual magnets, T-shirts and postcards. The restrooms at the visitor center were not great and there weren't many.

SHORT HIKE
To see Elijah's cabin, we parked and hiked a half mile there and back to see it, which was a pleasant early morning walk.

BE PREPARED
I highly recommend you have a map and do your research beforehand of what to expect to see along the Cades Cove route as the signage and information boards are poor. Also take snacks and water as there's not much around and you may be in traffic a long time.

ULTIMATELY, NOT THAT INTERESTING
Carefully plan your trip to the Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park. Try not to go during peak times like we did (Fall Break) and go early in the day. We found the visit highly frustrating and miserable with honestly not that much to see compared to other parks we've visited. Cades Cove, consisting of several old cabins, churches and a mill is mildly interesting and probably quite boring for most children. We didn't see much wildlife. I'm not sure it's worth the long drive from Gatlinburg.

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We got up early, drove about 45 minutes in the dark from Pigeon Forge to get there. It was around 7:15 am, there was already a line of cars there waiting for the gate open. We had breakfast inside the car. The gate opens around sunrise, it was 7:45 that day. The car started moving, the sign said expects 3-4 hours to drive the loop. Even though the gate just opened, the car didn't move much, the scenery didn't change much. I was bored sitting inside the car, we finally decided to get out through the fast lane. I am not sure what I have missed, but 3-4 hours for 11 miles is just too slow for me.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to GO EARLY! Honestly just don’t go if you get up late and think you are going to start at lunchtime. We started at Sugarlands Visitor Center at 8am (an hour later than I wanted) and our drive was peaceful and moved all long without any back ups or waiting until we got to the Cades Cove Visitor Center area with the working mill. There was a bear somewhere by the parking lot and we were stopped for probably 20 mins. While we thought that was bad, it was NOTHING compared to the miles and miles of line up we saw when we left along the entire loop. Honestly your entire day could be spent in the car just waiting. Don’t think, no biggie, it’s a little wait. I’m talking over an hour on a drive that already takes a few hours to do if you want to get out and enjoy sights. We hiked to everything and got out and viewed all the houses and churches and it was great! We decided to cut out toward Townsend and are so glad we did as we went to the absolute best restaurant - Peaceful Side Social Brewery for lunch and had the most serene drive where we saw a bear and only 2 other cars. Great day! Oh this was Friday early October.

It was a nice drive. Saw several bears, turkeys, and deer. The only reason I reduced by 1 star is because the drivers don't follow the rules. There are literally signs that say, "Be an idol, don't idle." This is because there is only one lane and virtually no space to go around the slowpoke in front of you unless they pull off into one of the stopping areas. There are many pull offs and parking spots, but people aren't considerate of others or the wildlife. I wish there were more park rangers that would monitor that and yell at people to follow the rules, but they are underfunded. I've heard some people hate that the grass in the fields is too tall to see the wildlife. But this didn't bother me. It actually makes a pretty backdrop for landscape photos of the mountains. But again, the grass hasn't been cut regularly due to not enough workers or volunteers to do it. I guess this is what happens when you cut funding to national parks. I would still recommend, as long as you can handle being stuck behind inconsiderate drivers who don't follow the rules.

Utterly brilliant!!! One of the highlights of our road trip holiday. The ranger at the start of the loop couldn't have been more helpful, she was so lovely. I even saw bears (albeit in the distance but I saw them!!). The scenery is stunning, the information/stop off points. Do not miss this.

Love driving through the wildlife loop saw some horses, turkeys, deer and even had a coyote that must have been lonely as he came up to our vehicle and looked almost frighten. But no bear. PS if you drive the loop don't be the butt head who stops on the roadway to take pictures holding the other vehicle at a stand still while your being rude, pull off to the side and allow the roadway to be clear. This is a free event for you cheap travelers. Also anticipate slow vehicles on the ride in or out, frequent showers and possibly not seeing any wildlife. But still worth the trip.

Such a beautiful drive! This is a must if you're visiting The Smoky Mountains. If the weather is nice, roll the windows down! On Wednesdays, I understand they close the road to cars and only allow bikes and walkers. We went on a Thursday. There was some congestion/traffic in some spots, but it was due to someone seeing some wildlife, I think. It's not uncommon to see black bears! We saw some deer and turkey on our drive.

Absolutely beautiful! The road is well maintained. The views spectacular! All of the stops and attractions well marked and parking was accommodating. I wish we had more time to do a second loop.

We set the alarm clock so that we could get early morning pics at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park opens at sunrise, but the visitors' center doesn't open until 9am. We got there shortly after 7am on a Monday morning. Traffic was not an issue. This is an 11-mile one-way loop known for beautiful scenery and wildlife. The loop is closed to vehicles on Wednesdays. We had 3 separate bear sightings, turkey sightings, and deer. In the early morning, you can see why the Great Smoky Mountains were named smoky. So much eerie, beautiful fog/clouds.

Beautiful scenery in the Great Smoky Mountains. We saw many deer, wild turkey, and even a black bear! We went in the morning mid-week during mid April and generally had light crowds. There are restroom facilities at the entrance to the Cove and midway through (after the Abrams Falls trailhead), but no other facilities on the loop. Allow 2-3 hours to drive the loop and stop a few times at some of the historic structures.

We have been seversl times before but had never seen any bears. We had a great time driving the loop. Got there about nine. Quite busy plenty of cars. Didn't have far to go before we saw our first bears. Mama and cubs up in the trees. As we continued around we saw many more some really close up
It was a brilliant morning

Cades Cove is definitely a must see. We got to see the bears which made it worth it the drive. I suggest getting the tour booklet for 1.00. Beautiful "flat land" and alot history which is talked about in the booklet as well. I highly suggest a reliable car. My car which is a very well taken care of vehicle and is a2018 which on average 30mpg did not like the hills and slow driving. Had there been less people and cars it'd be fine, but when the bears are out everyone wants photos. I'd definitely go back. Very pretty

We enjoyed seeing turkeys and wildlife as well as beautiful scenery and vistas. Honestly, everywhere we drove throughout the park was beautiful and doesn't require an out of the way driving tour ---just lose yourself wherever you wind up will be lovely! Bring a picnic for spontaneous stops.

Horrible waste of time. Rather than seeing wildlife and being emersed in wilderness I felt like I was in the middle of a congested city during rush hour. Just takes on moron to stop every few feet to completely jam half a mile if cars behind. We would move a few feet every 3 minutes. Was a total nightmare. Never saw a thing, no rangers were policing this, and rather than a 9 mile drive of serenity and enjoying nature it was a annoying anger filled ride of frustration. Took forever just to get to the location from pigeon forge. What a complete waste of our time. Got lucky and took some random turn off around 3 miles in and was able to escape this abortion. Actually saw a bear on the side road way back as we escaped the never ending line of immobile cars .we saw faaar more bears and other wildlife close up at our rented cabin. Save your time, gas, and frustration. Only thing good was swimming in the river in the side of the road 20 miles before the nightmare cove...

The highly rated valley near Gatlinburg in the Great Smoky Mountains is Cades Cove. It is a lovely 11 plus miles single way loop. Once you get on it you need to drive ahead to complete the loop. There are stops in between and you can also take a few exits if you want to exit back. It is a lovely drive will really cool views. You get to see a lot of greenery, some old buildings, animal life etc. As we started on it after a few stops to take pics, we came across some cars parked. We also stopped and saw a black bear on top of a tree eating leaves. This was our first sighting of a bear in Gatlinburg area. Feeling was awesome. Later on we also some more bears in downtown and in Ober mountain. Cades Cove is a must drive but you need to be patient as cars are slow and everyone is enjoying the views.

This was our first time visiting Cades Cove. The natural beauty of this cove is stunning. A must see for everyone visiting the area. On past trips we thought the 40 minute drive from our cabin would be too long for the kids, but we'll definitely be bringing them back to Cades Cove.

The loop takes quite sometime to complete, and we came in off season. I've had friends say the loop can take over 4 hours in the busy season. It took us about 2 hours with a couple stops at the old churches and cemetary.

You will be in a bumper to bumper line the entire way through the cove so be prepared for that. Bathrooms are not kept clean in this area.

This is the perfect place to let your children run wild and to see wildlife. We saw a turkey, a bear, and lots of elk and deer.

We seemed to take a hitchhiker back with us to our remote cabin after visiting here and ended up having some really strange unexplained happenings after our visit to the cove. I didn't hear the local legend about Russell Gregory until later and how you aren't supposed to read his grave out loud. He's resting at one of the cemeteries in the cove and doesn't like to be disturbed. Apparently this area also saw action during the Civil War.

If you haven't given Cades Cove a chance, you definitely need to visit.

I was concerned after reading other reviews that we would be sitting in a long line of cars. We were pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. We arrived at 9:00 am and moved at our own pace. The scenery was beautiful. Saw a bear and deer. I would say get there early. There were trails along the way that you could pull off and explore.

Was a pretty drive - and the stops along the way were very interesting. It was a beautiful drive. Was clean and we even saw a Bear!!!

Beautiful drive to see wildlife. Give yourself 1-2 hours to drive through the scenic drive. We pulled off and watched a mama bear and her new cub walk through a field. We went in the evening. Bathrooms are at the end with plenty of parking and we’re blessed to see 4 deer eating behind the bathroom.

This place is worth the drive from ANYWHERE! It was beautiful mountains, flora, fauna and a rich history of southern Appalachia. If I could go back in time and live, this is where I would want to be. Spend as much time as you can in this place and prepare to immerse yourself in o little bit of heaven right here on earth.

Nice casual drive through the valley. Very crowded with a line of cars the entire way. But if you take that out of the equation it was a nice peaceful drive. Beautiful views of the mountains with a handful of pull off spots to stip and take pictures. We saw turkey, deer and a bear at the last parking spot.
We went on and Oct. morning and I would suggest going early as when we were leaving there were alot more cars coming in. We didn't do any of the hiking trails. Just drove through. Took about 2hrs.

Overall great experience!!!

If you like hiking, history, wildlife and nature I recommend Caves Cove. It’s 11 miles of scenic drive and you can stop pull off and explore along the way.

Enjoyed the beautiful views and trails. The old cabins and churches are part of the history of the area. Enjoyed the drive.

This was a lengthy trip but it was pretty. We didn't see any wildlife like we were expecting. There are trails to walk however, it wasn't very pleasant when people bring their young children and let them yell all throughout the woods. Also, you don't need to use enough bug spray to douse the entire trail.

Absolutely the highlight was the bears. Saw several and had a very relaxing day in the park. Plan for a slow go and bring plenty of water and snacks with you.

We have visited here a dozen times over the last 20 years. Today was the best for seeing creatures. We always see something interesting. It is worth your time to go drive the loop. Keep your camera close by.

Get there very very early. We arrived on the car free day at 9-930 and parking was full, there was a 2 hour wait for bike rentals, etc. We ended up just exploring nearby trails as this was too much for our kiddos to wait. Such a bummer!

Be prepared for heavy traffic and make sure you aren’t in need of a restroom before starting the loop. There is a bathroom approx halfway thru but depending on traffic that may take you 1+ hours. We only saw 3 turkey and 4 deer but that’s no one’s fault. The drive back to Gatlinburg was beautiful alongside the river.

On a Wednesday afternoon in late November, we decided to check out the one way one lane scenic loop road around Cades Cove. We were shocked by the pace of traffic. The traffic averaged less than 10 miles an hour during the entire trip. Even though there are many opportunities for the car in front of the line to pull off to let people pass, this never happened. When we commented about this at the visitor center, they said that the slow traffic pace is a common situation and today was actually a good day. In the summertime it can be twice as bad. so if you decide to try to drive this road, be prepared for the drive itself to take over two hours without stops.

Cades Cove was the spot I was looking forward to the most since I had never made it over to the area before. We tried to get there as it opened, but ended up driving in at 8:45AM. It was not super busy on a Monday morning, which was nice. I was a bit worried about finding places to park as we drove around, but apparently, most people do not stop.

My favorite stops were the John Oliver Cabin, Missionary Baptist Church, the Visitor Center area, and Tipton Place. There were a few that we did not go to, like the Oliver Cabin (one of us needed to use the bathroom immediately, so we had to skip it for the Visitor Center) and Shields Cabin, which we skipped to get to Newfound Gap (I regret it as we drove by), but skipping the Shields Cabin meant we got to see a bear in the Lone Grove area, which was worth it.

It was an excellent drive. Be aware that there is a bathroom at the beginning and then at the Visitor Center. If you have a small bladder, stop at both!

This was our first of many trips to come. We got here at 7:30 a.m. and that's they key to avoiding the normal 2-4 hour trek. It took us exactly one hour to make the 11 mile loop, while still enjoying the scenery and taking pictures. We just didn't stop at any of the pullovers. By the time we finished, there were lots of cars coming in.

We absolutely loved this drive through. Self-paced tour.

The beauty of the mountains is just breath taking. The stops a long the way show more beauty and respite.

When traffic stops, most likely there is wildlife close. Don’t ruin it by blowing your horn out of impatience.
We thoroughly enjoyed our drive through Cades Cove.

A must to visit especially if you can't walk far distances. You're in your car and you drive a big circle in the mountains. You might see wildlife...

The biggest headache was the traffic...

This is a gorgeous part of the Smokey Mountains National Park with a lot of history. One big problem is that this is a one way loop (12 Miles) and there were several issues caused by "Bear Jams" someone spots a bear and everyone stops because they want to see too. Please show some courtesy by pulling into an area so people can pass. We saw a total of 7 Black Bears on this loop, also wild Turkeys everywhere. Around the visitors center there are a lot of historic buildings. This is a great place to explore for all ages.

Start the day early. Traffic gets congested by 10 or 11:00. Beautiful views and well maintained. Please use pull outs if you want to watch wildlife. People behind you may have seen plenty of wild turkeys. We saw teo bears far off in a tree line but no others. We loved the watch for snake signs. I asked employee what kind of snakes and he reported he relocated copper heads this week. Watch your step! Staff were all very knowledgeable and friendly.
Would definitely recommend you take the time to tour.

Oh what an experience. We went 2 days in a row, we loved it so much. So much to see and do. Hiking, seeing nature. Several loops you can go on with different miles. Saw several black bears and 2 had cubs. What a sight to see them in their wild habitat.

Suddenly my husband said I think that is a bear! And sure enough one was headed straight towards our car on the road! We snapped a few photos as he crossed RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! The next day we got to see baby bears scurrying down a tree! What a treat! I am sure some folks have even better bear sightings than we did, and some folks do not get to see any bears! I am sure we would have been disappointed if we had not seen any bears, but I will say Cades Cove is so so beautiful, and just driving through it was so wonderful. I would suggest going VERY early in the morning, get there at dawn if you can! Or go late in the day, the road closes at dusk. Hopefully the traffic won't be as bad that way!! But be prepared, I guess the bear jams can be awful! We were lucky and happy! Go very slow and enjoy all the beauty that Cades Cove has to offer!

Amazing Loop Road that traverses through the Smokies. It is a nice long and winding road that allows you to see river streams, wildlife, such as bears and elks, lots of hiking can be done, and a lot of vegetation and mountain views are along this scenic road. This is a must see and do.

Absolutely a must see if you are in the area. So much beautiful scenery and history here. Also wildlife like bears, deer, turkeys...
Would do this again!!!

Very slow drive around an 11 mile loop to get the feeling of old lifestyles in the Smoky Mountains. Definitely part of the history of the park, and the visitor center is nice with several old buildings you can see at once. Time probably better spent in other areas of the park. Really wanted to like this, but ...

Cades Cove is one of the most beautiful and amazing places on Earth. The rolling green meadows, surrounding majestic mountains, historical preservation and all of the wildlife make it a must see destination for all.

Nice way to see some really beautiful scenery, and there's an excellent chance to see wild life. We saw a bear, turkeys, and deer. Fill your tank with gas before you go because we had a few people who would just stop and look around in front of us, and you can not go around them, if they stop we all stop. That being said it really is worth doing.

We drove an hour to see Cades Cove based on all of the positive reviews. My husband really enjoys checking out the old structures and history but it wasn’t enough to make the day worth it due to the stopped traffic for over an hour and once it did start to move it was still very stop and go. We were able to see a mama bear with her cub but barely since she was very far away. Wasn’t what we hoped it would be.

Waste of time and money in gas. If want to do this trip it will ruin your vacation. There's park's nearby with beautiful scenes and wild life. Worst thing no animals to see , I saw dead trees and drivers that act like animals watching absolutely nothing.

Love, love, love it!!
I will NEVER visit the area without going to Cade's Cove.
I love the views of the mountains. I love when I'm there trying to imagine the people who lived here. If time travel was real, this is one place I would definitely visit!
The only thing that makes this not enjoyable is the people who are just there to see bears. Drive-by sightseers. They just fly through and make it incredibly difficult to slow down and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of nature. There is a scent throughout the cove that is heavenly. I can't describe it and no one seems to know what it is, but I wish I could bottle it and take it home with me!

That was the most boring and slow 11 miles loop of my life. If you are looking to see mountains and empty prairies this is the place for you. Saw two bears which was neat but definitely not worth the time we wasted in that loop. I don’t get how this place is so popular. I’ve seen way more beauty outside of this area.

Very crowded. 3 hours to drive through. Cars kept stopping, not using pull offs. Ended up getting out and walking with my dog faster than my husband could drive. No one directing traffic. Need someone at strategic points to keep cars moving. Next time will walk the whole way! Suggest charging admission and limiting number of visitors !!!

I love national parks and I love almost everything in national parks. But Cades Cove isn't worth it when it's crowded. First, just to get there from Gatlinburg/Sugarlands Visitor Center is a long winding drive down Little River Road which has unchanging forest scenery and no mountains to be seen the entire time. Then you finally get to the Cades Cove Loop Road and the views open up and are really nice ... except that the traffic slows to 10 mph and sometimes much worse than that, just stop-and-go like a highway at rush hour. The historical attractions along the loop road are okay but not fantastic and all the time you're thinking about having to get back into the slow traffic.

Wow what a place! If you are staying in the area then this is definitely worth a day out. We arrived at around 10:30/11 and had about four/five hours at the cove. We found the cove busy but not too crowded. We didn't stop at many of the homesteads but there is so much to see should you wish. We made our main stop at Abrams Falls and this was definitely worth the hike. However, word of warning- this is a HIKE! We are two reasonably fit adults in our twenties and found it tiring. The walk to the falls and back is about 5 miles and it took us just over an hour each way but the falls are definitely worth it. There are steep hills and the terrain is very rugged so choose wisely if this is the trail for you. We were lucky enough to see a bear cub on our drive into the cove and then an adult bear in a tree whilst walking to the falls. Just remember to be respectful to the wildlife whilst you are there.

Honestly, I was so on the fence about even attempting this loop due to reviews about traffic. So glad we did! Not bad at all, only encountered a few very short jams for wildlife. Went in evening about 6:00 and that is not even close to enough time to get through those 11 miles. Allow plenty of time for slow rolling as there are plenty of areas to pull over and enjoy and the visitors center area has a good size parking area to step out and look around as well. It’s not quite as “cramped” along the whole drive as I felt it might be. It was as great as advertised without the negative traffic report. Deer, turkey and bear from a distance - such a treat!

We spent an entire day in Cade’s Cove, enjoying all the history & natural beauty it offers. We found it educational to spend time walking out to all of the old homes and buildings & imagining life of the past. The trails were well marked, well maintained, and filled with of opportunities to see nature ~ we found deer, turkeys, and numerous birds during our visit. The visitors center was a great spot for a picnic lunch. And the Junior Ranger guide helped to highlight some of the history of the area while keeping my kids interested. I wouldn’t recommend a visit if you are pinched for time - this seems best suited for a leisurely experience. But I’d have to say this was probably my favorite part of our Smokies trip.

We travelled a couple of hours and got to the site about 10am on a Thursday.
It was busy which is fine….. however it appears there must have been a vehicle broke down somewhere.
We literally didn’t move for over 2 hours whilst on the track, no communication at all, just sit there and wait…. Painful!
When it was being cleared and traffic directed it was a couple of older volunteers doing their best.
Here’s my question, what if there was a vehicle fire, or a genuine emergency, it was gridlock, what would the emergency procedures be then?
Throughout what felt like almost 6 hours of driving / crawling and being stationary we saw 2 bears that were about 50 metres away.
Honestly even without what is alleged to be a broken down car a waist of time, don’t bother!
Point to note as well, take drinks with you, you can only buy warm cans of water from the visitors centre, that’s hidden amongst the expensive merchandise.
A day of my life I’ll never get back!

We came to ride bikes around the loop which was nearly impossible due to the overwhelming bumper to bumper traffic. I know there is a “just bicycles” day but that is on Wednesday which is not a good day to go to Cades Cove for most working people. The bumper to bumper traffic went on for miles. They really should put a stop to people just stopping and sitting in the middle of the road or at least create a bike path.

Vehicle free Wednesday was amazing. We rented bikes and had so much fun. Saw three black bears. Don’t think I would have liked bumper to bumper cars near as much. We got there at 0630 and were already about 25th in line. Had no problem getting bikes at 0700 when they opened. It said two hours but it only took us an hour and fifteen minutes and we stopped multiple times. Loved the ice cream treat after the ride. My husband had a cheeseburger and said it was surprisingly good. Seems like a lot of locals take advantage and bring their own bikes. We packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed a picnic table next to a flowing stream. Pretty perfect day.

Every Wednesday they close the road to cars and you can rent a bike and bike it. We arrived at the bike rental place really early and there were already around 40 people on line. We stopped a couple of times throughout the 11 miles trail and it was really interesting. Btw, slow down and walk at the signs, that indicate a sharp turn, we saw a young boy wipe out.

First February trip! I went in December for my birthday and had no crowds so thought I would chance a February visit. No crowds, no problem, and had a great visit. I highly recommend an “off season” visit! I also hiked the Abram’s falls trail and highly recommend it. I visit the smokies once a month and it’s different every time.

Arrived on Saturday morning in late June at 7:30 and Sunday at 10:00a.m.. Traffic was not a problem either time. If you love nature and beautiful mountain vistas, this is fabulous. If you like drives through a lovely mountain cove and enjoy learning and visiting historic areas, you’ll love it. If you bore easily and need exciting stuff happening, this may not be for you. We took our time and it took about 2 hours to do the 11 mile loop from start to finish. We stopped and looked for wildlife many times. We saw six bears total over the two days as well as turkey and deer. We love it there.

We drove through and only saw 4 horses and we were supposed to see lots more of animals!!! The bathrooms were trashed up and smelled so bad! It had definitely had not bee cleaned in YEARS! The bathroom had no toilet paper or soap in there either! GROSS!! Dont go WASTE OF MONEY!

Wasn’t super impressed. Pretty flat ground and a few good views but so much traffic. Visitor center did have a Ranger offering a great program on mammals. The drive to Clingmans does was much more beautiful!

There was nothing to see here, people were stopping & they weren't supposed to unless in a pull off, very boring.

Awful! What a waste of a day. Took 3 hours for an 11 mile loop. Rangers so not regulate traffic at all. They're all hanging out at the camping office. Cars stop dead in the middle of a one lane road looking at or for wildlife, and without law enforcement around, they don't care that literally hundreds of people are held up.

A slower, more crowded view of autumn in the valley. We arrived early and there was still a line of card doing the loop. We were lucky to see deer and wild turkeys; just missed the bear cub. It was cold (39 degrees) and foggy on Nov 2 but the autumn colors were here. The bathrooms at the visitor center were clean.

Very scenic, lots to see. Saw three bears. There were a lot of cars, but it didn’t bother us. Even took a few short hikes, and had a great picnic lunch. Highly recommend!

Always an excellent experience. There is a lot to see, but it can get quite crowded. We did see a bear on this trip. We also stumbled upon a history presentation at the Primitive Baptist Church which was very interesting.

I have been visiting Cades Cove for over 30 years and sadly the situation there is getting worse by every year that passes: inconsiderate drivers who ignore the signs to pullover and instead stop in the middle of the road or as some have stated crawl along at 3-5 miles per house who make sudden stops at the sight of a turkey. I once loved visiting this place and as a passionate nature/wildlife photographer this was one of my go to destinations. Now I considerate it hell on earth. It is no longer worth the experience of driving tensely the whole time and having to watch the cars in front of me creeping along who make sudden stops. Someday I expect to hear of a road rage incident in Cades Cove and I won't be surprised. The park service needs to do something about the frustrating bear jams and the crawling traffic. If you must go, be there at first light or earlier so you are among the first tot enter in the morning. Then get out as soon as you can tell the "tourons" are entering. There are other places in the Smokies to visit that are more enjoyable. Find a good guide book and plan out your trip.

We drove the Cades Cove Loop. It was neat to see the old buildings and read about some of the history of that area. This is a one-way loop (12 miles). Just about halfway through, there is a visitor center with many historical buildings to look through, as well as bathrooms. The only downfall to the trip was the amount of traffic. The last half of the drive was stop and go. There are many places to pull over and see the buildings. It was a pretty drive. At the very end of the loop, there is a beautiful picnic area that is right next to a river. There are lots of tables, trash receptacles, and bathrooms. Perfect place to enjoy lunch after driving the loop. The only wildlife we saw was a deer and a kestrel.

With our last name Cade, we couldn't not go! Beautiful scenery, saw deer and even a black bear ... 1 glitch is it is mostly 1 lane .... a problem if you want to go and the car ahead doesn't .. but it wasn't bad

beautiful and interesting drive,but it took us 3 hours to complete an eleven mile one way drive due to traffic congestion. never again!!!

The traffic is absolutely nightmarish. Only go if you have a full gas tank and the patience of Job. The scenery is average for the area and not worth this brutal traffic experience.

Really wanted to do the Cade’s Cove loop but when we got to the last stop before it, the gate was closed and the ranger said they were cleaning up debris from a storm. There was no signs at the entrance or anything online showing this closure. We were close to 17 miles in before we found out. 17 miles of curving winding narrow road. Rangers should do a better job of informing people. Beautiful scenic drive but wasted hours of time.

We visited Cades Cove on a Monday afternoon and were lucky that there was hardly any other traffic travelling through. Before you get to the beginning of the loop there is a beautiful picnic area and bathrooms. It's a great place to have a picnic lunch right along the creek! Right as you enter the loop there is a large field with horses. Make sure stop and greet them! They will come right over to you. As you continue through the loop pay attention for wildlife. We saw a total of 8 bear when we were there, some turkeys and a coyote. There is plenty of places to pull over. You can stop as often or as little as you'd like to get out and explore the different stops. Be sure to stop at the old village area - - that was really nice to explore! Be aware that if a bear is spotted, you will encounter some traffic back ups. People obviously will stop to take pictures as they pass by - that is one of the reasons you came to the area right!?! All of the times we encountered this people were pretty good at taking their picture and moving along for the next person...... If the rangers are aware of it, they will come out and help move traffic along. Be patient people - - this loop isn't a race to get through, enjoy nature and all it's beauty!!

We spent several days at Cades Cove. We had so much fun. We took our oldest grandson along. We took him camping there when he was 5. Now he's 21. He already said he wants to go back with us next year.

We've found over the years that the best time to see the bears is mid to late May.

Remember, be considerate and use a pull off if you see something that you would like to photograph!

We always enjoy the peace and blessings of Cades Cove but this time was not as enjoyable as in times past--but nothing to do with the beauty of cades cove..The leaves had not changed 3rd week in october very much. Did not see much wildlife this time. No bears,,maybe 3 deer in the distance,one turkey. Saw no rangers on the road but probably due to democrat govt shutdown. Biggest problem was some of the drivers going extremely slow at the head of the line and not seeing anything,just going slow and holding up traffic. One car in particular and no reason to go that slow and not turn off and stop. We went first of the week so we did not get to enjoy those 8 hour traffic jams i heard about later in the week. Cades Cove is always a favorite and maybe next time will be better.... It is truly a 5 star plus venue,,but our experience this time was not a 5..

The views were beautiful but we only saw like 3 turkeys. It’s nobody’s fault that we didn’t see anymore wildlife but it was disappointing. The traffic was very heavy also so that could have contributed to not seeing any more wildlife.

So not worth it. 24 mile drive to get to Cades cove which is actually a pretty drive. There is not much to see on the 11 mile stretch that is Cades cove. The absolute worst part is the other drivers who either stop or go 5 miles a hour and sometimes less. It is one way and you are stuck in long lines of traffic with nothing really good to see. We went early to try to avoid the traffic. It didn’t matter. We wasted several hours. Go do anything else but this.

Fall colors in peak bloom this year did not disappoint and made for an incredible visit. Best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon before sunset.

It is a beautiful loop road with some amazing views. We saw a few bears in hitch was nice. However being a loop road- you better be very patient as you can be at a dead stop at various points when people see wildlife and the ant to stop to look (they have pull offs but not everyone seems aware of what stopping on the road causes such backup). Be prepared to spend a few hours on the loop (and a good portion in trafffic). The pull offs are there for a reason and you can really get great pictures from those spots too.

Gorgeous green fields, blue skies, and a beautiful mountain backdrop. I actually saw my first black bear here, but I only have a rear end photo as it headed back into the trees lol. But we saw a couple other bears and cubs out in the distance in the fields. Found some horses too. Such a beautiful loop. Relax and take it all in.

Beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife - 3 bears, tons of deer, a Timber Rattlesnake at the Oliver Cabin. Just go early and preferably on a weekday. We got there a little after 9 and the road was already getting crowded. We also purchased a self guided audio tour through TripAdvisor that was helpful.

Nice place to visit. Seen a few wild turkeys and some deer. Was hoping to see more animals but none were around. The structures were also a interesting sight. Mountain views were gorgeous.

On Wednesdays in the summer, the Cove road is closed to vehicles. Bikers, runners and hikers flock to Cades on these Wednesdays. If you are biking the loop, please know what you are signing up for. It is an 11 mile one-way loop that has lots of inclines and declines. Helmets are required for 16 and under but everyone should wear a helmet. So many begin their trek not realizing the difficulty of completing the loop. On a recent Wednesday, two bikers had two different accidents that required medical treatment, and that was only in the first couple of hours. I honestly do not believe motor assist bikes should be allowed as they reach speeds much higher than the posted 20 MPH. Keep your party to one side of the road and do not walk 2 or 3 abreast. Keep in mind, if you do have an accident, medical has to come from Maryville or Knoxville. Listen to the Volunteers...they are there to keep you safe and for everyone to have a fun time.
Biking the Loop is a great experience...just know your limits, wear a helmet and be prepared (water and snacks for as long as you think you will be on the loop).

Easter Break in April is a great time to visit this area of the park. There is very little traffic so you are able to drive through at your leisure with less stopping. You can enjoy time to be able to walk to all the cabins, churches, and the middle way visitor center area. The bears come out in mid April and we were able to see a momma bear with her 3 cubs. LOTS of wild turkeys were seen in the fields.

We drove around the loop 3 times the first day in the morning (we were there before 6:30am waiting on the gates to open) and 2 times in the evening another day. We saw lots of turkeys, deer, and a total of 8 bears. There are NO elk in cades cove! They are on the other side of the park in North Carolina. I am honestly baffled by the people who leave bad reviews because they didn't see animals or it was a one lane road and people drove slow. The speed limit is 10mph. They are WILD animals. They are most often seen early in the morning and evening. Be there at sunrise and the last couple of hours before dark! Do people not research at all before they do things?

Do NOT do this drive unless you are prepared to creep along for 11 miles at less than 5 miles per hour for over 2 hours. I am not exaggerating. People disregarded the signs to pull over, and we were trapped in an agonizing traffic jam on this one-way road for almost 3 hours. There is no easy way to exit the loop once you're on it. We tried to enjoy the scenery, but after creeping along and constantly stopping, we had had enough. This was on a Thursday morning the first week in May - I can't imagine what this might be like in the summer. What a shame...we were so disappointed, not to mention stressed.

I come to Cades Cove multiple times a year. But always seems a little more magical and wonderful at Christmas. Especially when the ground is lightly covered in snow. It was again another beautiful trip through Cades Cove. Love it more and more every time I drive through.

The Wednesday before Memorial Day, we biked Cades Cove on vehicle-free Wednesday. It was well worth it, I cannot imagine just seeing this via car. We saw about 8 bears, most of them in the grassy areas, munching and ignoring us humans. We tried to reserve bikes for the two of us, only to be told that reservations are only for four or more? So, I reserved for four, and paid the $15 per hour for four, but we only took two bikes. The guy told me to get there by 6:30 am because the parking spots fill up quickly. Well, because of a downed tree, we didn't get there until 8am, and there were still plenty of parking spots in the overflow area, which isn't as convenient, but is no big issue. I'm uploading a photo of the loop that shows mileage as well as elevation change. Although they show two areas to walk the bike (they are both downhill because they don't want you to have great speed) we walked our bikes about 8 times Uphill. It took about 3 1/2 hours to do the ride, including stops to see the cabins etc and to have a rest stop. It would be so much nicer if they rented e-bikes. But at least there's ice cream at the shop as a reward for all your hard work!

The views were amazing and the bears were plentiful! We are so glad these these mountains have been well kept

The loop is still there but it looks like some of the fields are growing over by design. All of the interpretive signs are gone from the pioneer mill area. The mill is no longer accessible and the wheel does not turn. If we hadn't been here before we wouldn't have known which building was a corn crib or a hog pen. No mention of pioneer life. The house kitchen display was removed. Kinda sad.

My wife and I always love coming to Cades Cove! We like to get there around 9am to see all the bear activity and then enjoy stopping to eat lunch and have a picnic!

I love this place. No matter how many times I’ve been through it I’m amazes me every time. Great spot to view wildlife. A must.

Wow, where do I begin. I saw 6 bears. One was in a tree. Special Note, please be respectful of the bears and keep a safe distance. Do not feed the bears. Nothing. They eat from the the land. A fed bear is a dead bear. The Rangers and volunteers work very hard to keep the traffic moving and to keep people safe. I personally would not hike to areas like Abram Falls with children under 12. It's hard for adults. It's a long hike and it's not easy. I believe vehicle-free day doesn't start until June this year. The exact date will be announced on Cades Cove Smoky Mountains National Park site. Bring sunscreen and a hat and plenty to drink and eat. Keep food items in your car. Don't feed the bears. The park has to euthanize the bear because it has lost its fear of people. Again, a fed bear is a dead bear. There are signs as you enter close to Cades Cove, it says, "Feeding wildlife and picking wildflowers are prohibited."
Do not park in areas where it's not designated for parking. It's illegal and you will get a ticket. Parking passes can be bought at Cades Cove if you intend to park your car longer than 15 minutes. Don't litter.

Had three generations with us so needed driving route with little walking. Spoke to ranger at visitor center who was very helpful. Saw waterfall behind visitor center which was easy walk. Great photo opportunities here. Then drove the loop at Cades Cove. Saw wolf or coyote, butterflies, beautiful areas to get out and watch river, saw turkeys and when we were heading back towards visitors center saw a mama bear with two cubs in prairie field area. The scenery makes you appreciate Gods beautiful handy work. Blessed to have seen it. Only $5 for parking pass and can leave donation. Who knows if it will stay free but it’s awesome. I would pack lunch and sit by water to eat… absolutely beautiful. Don’t miss it!

Beautiful scenic drive with lots of historical buildings to stop at. Very relaxing. Nice gift shop too. We didn't see any bears but did see a wild turkey.

Nice ride through Cades Cove. Going midweek and in afternoon less traffic, however no animal sightings. Never go if you are in a hurry or have fixed schedule.

The view was great but the lack of people’s inability to move over when seeing a bear made it not worth going. We stayed at a stand still for 4 hours straight. There are signs that say be considerate and don’t stop pull over. People clearly did not understand that.

Ate a picnic and then took the 9 mile loop drive around the Cove. Saw the old churches and cabins that have been maintained. Saw plenty of wildlife; deer, elk, wild turkeys, a bear, a wolf. Was there at sunset as well, beautiful view of the sun setting behind the mountains.

This would be a beautiful drive... except for the ignorant drivers who refuse to use the pull off spots to take photos or just gawk. Instead, the stop in the middle of the one way road (with no room for people to go around them) and cause huge traffic jams in the park. We were in a line with 20+ cars at a complete standstill because some jerk up front saw a bear and refused to move his vehicle until the bear moved on. People are constantly saying, "Pack your Patience" if you go to Cades Cove. NO... PACK YOUR COURTESY AND RESPECT FOR OTHER DRIVERS AND USE THE PULL OFF SPOTS! We would not bother going back to Cades Cove because of these rude, self-centered drivers, because I've seen post after post after post on Facebook complaining about the same thing we encountered. It got so bad when we went that volunteer Park Rangers came out to try to get traffic moving. It worked... until the rangers were out of sight and the people in front did the same darn thing all over again. Save yourself the aggravation. It's simply not worth it.

Cove not being mowed. Viewing deer or bears is impossible unless one is in a tree or steps out in front of you ! Selfish people blocking road for as much as an hour at the time . Used to be very enjoyable.

A great morning on Cades Cove, after a busy the day before. We lost count of the deer and turkey we saw, then saw 9 bears (2 moms with 3 cubs each). It was foggy in the morning, but we kept going and it quickly burned off. Don’t pass up the chance to go n

Another good day. Seen5 bears in trees along the loop. One baby bear ran right behind us. Only bad thing was people stop and get to walk under the bears which causes a serious traffic jam. Its a bear, keep moving

This place is great for everyone..even our 15 year old! Only saw deer and turkeys but it was still a lot of fun. Got out of the car to take a lot of pictures of the beautiful mountains and stretch out a bit. There were a couple of times that cars in front of us would "poke along" or stop but it wasnt too bad. There are several places to pull over instead of stopping but everyone doesnt think of others lol.

Our guests could pick out anything they wanted to do while staying in Sevierville. They chose Cades Cove. Even though it was February, it was very peaceful and the walk around the buildings was not as uncomfortable as when one does it in the summer. There was still traffic moving slowly and stopping occasionally to take a picture of deer. That was not bad for observers. No bears yet, but the gift shop had very reasonably priced stuffed black bears to lesson the disappointment. We found out that most of them don't come out until April.

Just horrible. A one lane, 11 mile loop. All it takes is one (and there is always at least one) to go 5 mph and you are stuck for hours. We saw some deer and turkeys. Hardly worth it with all there is to see in the Great Smoky Mtns.

We went the day after memorial Day and got there before 9 am. Let me preface this review by saying first off we are not hikers, we just drove through. Nice drive through but after reading and hearing so much hype about cades cove I guess I expected more. Not sure what I expected, but I'll say this: this drive is NOT WORTH getting stuck in a traffic jam for multiple hours . Yes it's pretty, you might see a bear or a turkey, go on a hike, and see some old homesteads. If you go GO EARLY AND NOT ON A WEEKEND!

This is one of the most popular areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and deservedly so. It's the number one place in the park to view wildlife, it contains a large number of historic structures, and it's absolutely lovely. While just driving the loop road is a great way to spend a few hours, if you take the time to stop and visit the various stops, you'll be even more impressed by the beauty and history of this area.

For an even better experience, visit Cades Cove on Vehicle-Free Wednesday, which is exactly what it sounds like. No motorized vehicles (other than e-bikes) are allowed on the loop road on Wednesday between May and September, so hikers and bicyclists have free run of the place. I hiked the loop road, and there was wildlife everywhere! I photographed wild turkey, deer, a coyote, and nine different bears (3 adults, 6 cubs). Plus, I was able to take my time visiting the historic sites without feeling rushed or crowded. What a great day!

It took me and hour and 1/2 to drive the loop and I did not pull over once. I was afraid to because then I'd have to get back in line behind the STOPPED people on the road. People don't just stop and take a quick photo, they stop for several minutes to watch a bear you can barely see in the tall grass. It is rude and there is no way out of the loop. I wish I never wasted my time.

Enjoyed our entire Saturday at Cades Cove exploring both in the truck & down the paths. We saw turkeys & bears. We hiked to Abrams falls for a picnic. Would love to return to ride horses through the cove.