Cades Cove at Hiking In National Parks

Cades Cove is the most visited area of the most visited national park in the United States. Though most of these two million visitors each year don’t veer very far away from the one-way loop road that traverses the valley, hiking trails accessible from the road are nonetheless still often busier than most.

Abrams Falls Trail: The Abrams Falls Trail, often clogged with visitors to Cades Cove, is the most popular trail in the area. It leads 2.5 miles (4.0 kilometers) to the most voluminous waterfall in the national park, under which many summer patrons enjoy swimming in its large natural pool. To be sure, the trail does extend on beyond the waterfall, but if just one person ventures into this territory on a given day, it’s more than usual.

Gregory Bald Trail and Gregory Ridge Trail: The national park service only maintains two balds in the park: Andrews Bald and Gregory Bald. Two trails provide access to the grass bald, one of the largest in the national park. The 9 mile (14.5 kilometer) [round trip] Gregory Bald Trail isn’t in Cades Cove itself, but Parsons Branch Road, which provides dayhikers access to the trailhead, leads one way out of the cove, while the 11.4 mile (18.3 kilometer) Gregory Ridge Trail [round trip] is just out of Cades Cove, on Forge Creek Road. Though the views that it offers are available year round, Gregory Bald is most noted for the flame azaleas that bloom wildly in late June.

Rich Mountain Loop Trail: Rich Mountain dominates the Cades Cove valley. A one-way gravel road leads out of the national park over Rich Mountain, though this road is surprisingly lonely. The loop trail, though, gets a bit more traffic. Extending 8.5 miles (13.7 kilometers) from its lone terminus at the foot of the Cades Cove Loop Road, the trail skirts just behind the popular John Oliver Cabin before ascending Rich Mountain, offering a few views down into the Cades Cove below, via a three trail path.