What-To-Do Issue 1 2024-2025 - Magazine - Page 42

Enjoying Nature’s Beauty
To learn more about the flowers in the Smokies, plan to attend the
70th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage on April 26-29, 2023. At this
event, nearly 150 programs will take place not only on wildflowers, but
also on birding, bats, bears and more. Guided tours will showcase natural
displays and educate attendees on plants that are currently blossoming.
Cades Cove
v
Historic Structures
One of the most complete
collections of historic
structures in Southern
Appalachia is in Cades Cove.
Here, it’s possible to see
how early settlers lived off
of this beautiful land. Stop
at the log cabin homes and
imagine raising a family
in such a primitive shelter
or visit the Cades Cove
Methodist Church where
they worshipped. Tour the
barns of the pioneer families
where they housed their
animals. Halfway along the
loop is where you’ll see the
John P. Cable Mill. Its water
wheel drove one of the early
grist mills and was one of
the few sources of power
in Cades Cove. Cable and
his son ran a fine business
grinding corn and wheat
for other local residents.
The Smoky Mountains
Natural History Association
keeps the Cable Mill running
from April-October to teach
Smoky Mountain visitors a
little about life in the 1800s.
In this area, visitors can also
tour a blacksmith shop,
a cantilever barn, and a
representative frame house.
42 WHAT-TO-DO.com
In Cades Cove, located at the western end of the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, the past is intertwined with nature. Visitors can hike, bike,
horseback ride or drive through the area. To tour Cades Cove, start off
driving the one-way 11-mile loop that follows the outer edge of the cove.
You’ll be slowly cruising the curves and exclaiming at each new vista that
opens up before you. There are two crossover roads if you need a shortcut to the exit or want to revisit a section of Cades Cove. From mid-May
through early September, Saturdays and Wednesdays from dawn until
10am, the road is reserved for cyclists and closed to vehicles. Whenever
you visit, allow at least a half-day for your visit, especially during the busier
tourist seasons.
For a quick overview of Cades Cove, drive Rich Mountain Road.
However, if you’re in the valley and want to explore, take advantage of
some of the many hiking trails that lead off from Cades Cove. Two popular hikes are the Abrams Falls Trail (easy 5-mile round trip) and the Gregory
Ridge Trail (strenuous 11.4-mile round trip). The first trail starts off crossing Abrams Creek by bridge and then takes you up the gorge to the
picturesque Abrams Falls. The water plunges over a bluff down 20 feet
into a quiet pool 100 feet across. Gregory Ridge Trail is considered one of
the most scenic trails in the park, with open vistas and the bare rocks of
Gregory Bald. You’ll walk through old-growth forest with its enormous
trees. From late June to early July, you’ll see the glorious colors of the flaming azaleas in bloom.
Today, Cades Cove is a great place to view wildlife, but in the past it
was a vital hunting ground of the Cherokee Indians. When the first white
settlers started arriving in the early 1800s, they were helped by Kate, the
wife of Chief Abraham. It is believed that the name Cades Cove evolved
from Kate’s Cove. By the mid-1800s there were 132 families (about 500
people) farming the precious flat land.
Take time to discover the many wonderful aspects of these unique natural settings nestled within the Great Smoky Mountains. The sights you’ll
encounter will remain with you for a lifetime.

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