Cades Cove,

Cades Cove Loop Road, Townsend, TN 37882

"Traffic wasn’t too bad! Lots of turkeys were out but no bears this time."

"I took my brother and sister in law to Cades Cove on Sunday. They really enjoyed the churches ad. Graveyards as there are a lot of “Shields” family there which is my grandparents name. Perfect weather."

"This 11 mile driving loop is supposed to be one of the best places to see wildlife in the Smokey mountains. The thing is, it’s wildlife and therefore unpredictable so your experience could be really good or lackluster. The traffic through here is slow and bumper to bumper but that is ok because it allows you to try to look harder while passing through. Our experience was a lot of empty fields so we ended up parking across from Oliver trail and doing a little bit of hiking along the trail in the woods. It was nice to get out of the car and stretch our legs and we saw a fox. At the very end there was a lot of congestion and it was pretty dark by then but we found out it was because there was about 3-4 black bears in the woods next to the road. It was hard to see but I could make out some dark figures moving around. The drive to get here for us was a few hours so to drive through here for another hour and half, it was more on the lackluster side for us. I think we could have gotten more enjoyable moments from the hikes on the stretch of highway near Gatlinburg and the loop but you never know until you see for yourself."

"Best place I’ve been. History is so rich, churches are so pretty. so much wildlife. I love riding through on a bike before the gates open. Great tip: you can see Turkey and deer at sunup(my favorite time) but my experience has been the bears don’t really show till later in the morning."

"Beautiful year round. If you don't enjoy breathtaking scenery, wildlife, and the occasional bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic, this may not be the trip for you. I'm blessed to be able to go often and take my mother who has limited mobility and always enjoys the experience. I also enjoy taking the one way primitive Rich Mountain road off the loop that leads to Townsend. It's quieter and definitely less traveled. Before making the trip, I highly recommend checking the National Park Service site for updated information. They do occasionally close the loop road and other sections for various reasons. The primitive Rich Mountain road to Townsend, for instance, is a seasonal road that is usually closed during winter. (Usually opens in April and closes in November) Be sure to check out the visitor center when they're having special demonstrations. We enjoy watching the process of making sorghum syrup."