Cades Cove In
The Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
Prior to 1819, Cades Cove was part of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee called the cove Tsiyahi, "place of the river otter." Even though the Cove was originally settled by John Oliver, it derives its name from Cherokee Chief Abrams' wife Kate. Over the years, "Kate's Cove" became "Cades Cove." In addition to river otters, elk and eastern bison lived in the Cove. Most large animals were extirpated before white settlement. The Cherokee tried to integrate European technologies and culture with their own. They built log and frame houses, attended school and by 1820 had a written language. The 1830 U.S. census showed more than 1,000 slaves working on Cherokee plantations.
Despite the Cherokee's lifestyle, many Americans wanted to move all Indians west of the Mississippi River. The discovery of gold on Cherokee lands in Georgia, and Andrew Jackson's rise to the Presidency, led to Indian removal and the tragic "Trail of Tears." More than 14,000 Cherokees left the Southern Appalachians in 1838. Fewer than 10,000 reached Oklahoma. Some of the Cherokee refused to move and hid in the Smoky Mountain wilderness. In the 1870s the Eastern Band of the Cherokee reclaimed some of their lands in western North Carolina. This land is known today as the Qualla Boundary.
The cove harbored a thriving community for more than 100 years and in 1850 the American population of Cades Cove peaked at 685 men, women, and children. Settlers farmed the rich fertile limestone-based soils, shopped at local general stores, and made frequent trips to nearby Tuckaleechee Cove, now Townsend, TN. With five roads in and out of the cove, the settlers were not as isolated as the cove appears today. But, the opening of the western frontier lured many families away from the Cove and by 1860 only 269 people remained.
The majority of Cades Cove residents supported the Union during the Civil War. Harassed by their Confederate neighbors, cove families welcomed the end of the war and a return to their rural lifestyle. Churches and schools provided a social and spiritual education to young and old alike. Sacred Harp singing schools attracted hundreds of outsiders to the cove each year and many cove residents sent their children to colleges in communities outside the cove.
But America was expanding westward, and the cove population never recovered its pre-war growth and numbers. In 1900 the logging industry brought wage employment and added income to the mountain people. Alcoa opened its first factories in nearby Maryville, TN, and more and more people began to leave the area. The establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park continued the outward migration from the Cove that ended in 1999 when the last resident, Kermit Caughron, died.
The Cades Cove district of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is approximately eight miles from Townsend, Tennessee. The Cove offers limited services and no gasoline, so visitors should prepare before visiting. Upon reaching the beginning of the Cades Cove Loop Road, visitors can find the Park newspaper, an auto tour booklet, and wayside exhibits at the orientation shelter. Further information can be obtained at the Cades Cove Visitor Center, located approximately six miles around the Loop at the Cable Mill area.
Cades Cove is a 6,800-acre valley and provides a representative sample of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's natural and cultural history as well as its recreational opportunities. There are many things to see and do here, and approximately 2 million people who come to see and do them each year. Cades Cove is one of the most heavlily used park areas anywhere in the United States.
This fertile valley, drained by Abrams' Creek (named for Cherokee Chief Abrams) and its two main branches, supports a wide diversity of plants and animals. The valley floor has approximately 2,400 acres of largely open fields surrounded by forests. Currently, native grass and wetland restoration is being undertaken in the fields. Bison, elk, mountain lions, and wolves are among the animals that have been extirpated from the Smokies. Whitetail deer are seen on most early morning or evening visits to Cades Cove. Black bear and wild turkey are less frequently sighted. River otters and barn owls have been reintroduced into the Cove; however, these secretive animals are rarely seen.
The Cove also contains a nineteenth century grist mill, homes, and churches. More modern buildings were removed at the time of the park's formation. The remaining buildings and surrounding landscapes begin to tell the story of Cades Cove's cultural history.
Cades Cove offers many different recreational opportunities. An eleven-mile, one-way Loop Road encircles the valley floor. It can be traveled by private vehicle, hay wagon, bicycle, or foot. A system of hiking and horseback trails offers a wide range of possibilities from a short nature walk to a multi-night trip. Visitors may camp only in the developed campground or in designated backcountry sites.
