Great Smoky Mountains National Park
In Appalachian parlance, a cove means a valley, but Cades Cove is far more than that. One of the most popular destinations in the Tennessee section of…
Must-see attractions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Mt LeConte (6593ft) is the park’s third-highest peak and one of its most familiar sights, visible from practically every viewpoint. The only way to get to…
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
To get bread on the table, early residents of Cades Cove first had to mill their grains and corn. Above all other staples, corn was the most important…
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
‘On top of Old Smoky’ is Clingmans Dome (elevation 6643ft), the park’s highest peak. At the summit, a steep, half-mile paved trail leads to an observation…
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
One of the park's most picturesque 19th-century buildings, the Mingus Mill is a turbine-powered mill that still grinds wheat and corn much as it has since…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, this excellent collection of historic buildings evokes life on a typical farmstead of the late 19th century…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Built in the early 1940s to provide power for America's industrial needs during WWII, Fontana is the tallest dam east of the Rockies. At 2365ft wide, it's…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This 8-mile-long road is permanently closed to motorized traffic, though it's open to mountain bikers and walkers, who can enjoy some serene forest views…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The lowest drivable pass through the Smoky Mountains is located here, at 5046ft. After the pass was discovered in 1872, a new road followed suit,…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This scenic overlook provides a sweeping view of the various types of forests covering the slopes to the east. You'll see spruce-fir forest at the top,…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This restored stone fire tower provides 360-degree views over the ridges and valleys in the eastern half of the Smokies. It's a lovely site, reachable by…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cades Cove's 1902 Methodist Church has a small but picturesque white steeple and includes gravestones on its lawn. It was built by blacksmith and…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Elkmont has much history hidden in its woodlands. Just south of the campground (crossing the bridge over Little River), you'll find a clubhouse and…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Located along the western section of the Foothills Pkwy (around Mile 7.3 if driving north from Chilhowee), this tower is reachable on an easy half-mile…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
It's an uphill slog to get here, but you'll be rewarded with jaw-dropping views once you make it to the historic fire tower and clamber your way to the…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This long, narrow reservoir east of the Fontana Dam stretches for around 29 miles across some 10,000 acres. Located along the southern fringe of the…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
One of three rural churches that remain standing in Cades Cove, the 1887 Primitive Baptist Church is flanked by an atmospheric cemetery. Look out for the…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
No, this Methodist church isn't turning its back on Cataloochee Rd. Built in 1898, it faces the old road that once ran through the valley. Circuit-riding…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The yellow Palmer House is a 'dog-trot' house, meaning it consists of two separate log cabins sitting side by side with a covered breezeway between them…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
With its weatherboarding, interior paneling and shingled gables, as well as its white exterior and jaunty blue trim, this frame house, built in 1906,…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A requisite stop when driving Little River Rd is this series of cascades just off the road. Here, the Little River makes a sharp hairpin turn, with water…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The homestead farthest from the Cades Cove Loop Rd, this multi-building property sits at the end of a half-mile stroll through the woods. The cabin was…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Children enjoy splashing in the shallows of Abrams Creek at this woodsy picnic spot, where a number of tables are perched by the water. You'll find grills…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This 1901 schoolhouse is the one of only three valley schoolhouses still standing. Inside you'll find rows of old desks and a blackboard. School was…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This two-tiered stone-walled structure overlooking two states commemorates the $5 million contribution John D Rockefeller Jr made to help make the…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Built in the early 1820s, this rustic log cabin is the oldest in Cades Cove. Check out the stone chimney, made with mud mortar. The home was built by one…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The last cabin on the loop road is arguably the most photogenic, tucked in a small grassy glade surrounded by the woods. Carter Shields, a Civil War…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Missionary Baptist Church was formed in 1839 by former Primitive Baptist Church members who were kicked out for advocating missionary work. The…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The picturesque Tipton homestead was built by Mexican War veteran ‘Colonel Hamp’ Tipton in the early 1870s. The grounds include a spacious two-floor cabin…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A lovely spot for a picnic, with tables set up along the Little River. Afterwards you can dip your feet in the cool, rushing waters.
