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Everyone enjoys touring Cades Cove, but most visitors never look beyond driving the loop and stopping for a tour of the grist mill. On your next visit I challenge you to be creative in how you enjoy Cades Cove and other areas of the Great Smoky Mountains. Check out Five Unique Ways to Enjoy Cades Cove to learn five activities you might want to try - or think of some of your own to post in the forums.
1. Fly a kite - The fields in Cades Cove are ideal for kite
flying, especially in March and April when early spring winds are
strongest. Nothing will make you feel like a kid again like watching
your kite soar through the sky.
2. Try a carriage ride or hayride around Cades Cove loop
- For a more unique view of Cades Cove, join a guided carriage ride or
hayride around the loop, leaving from the Cades Cove Riding Stables.
Beginning in mid-March and continuing through October 31, 2008 the
Riding Stables will once again offer this creative alternative to
driving Cades Cove loop. In 2007 the cost for hayrides was $8 per
person over age 2. You can call the Cades Cove Riding Stable at 865-448-6286 for more information or to reserve a ride. Reservations are highly recommended.
3. Cades Cove Evening Campfire Program - Relive your
childhood and make new memories at the same time as you gather around
the campfire at the Cades Cove amphitheater. Join a National Park
ranger for Appalachian stories and mountain music played on a banjo,
dulcimer, and fiddle. In 2007 this program was offered on Thursday
nights from 9p.m.-10p.m. from June through August.
4. Horseback Riding in Cades Cove - The Cades Cove Riding
Stable gives visitors the opportunity to rent a horse to traverse the
Cades Cove loop and nearby horse trails. Imagine you are an early
settler as you enjoy the natural beauty of Cades Cove. The riding
stable is open beginning in mid-March 2008. Last year rental rates for
horses averaged $20 an hour. Call 865- 448-6286 for more information.
5. Abrahms Falls - This is an excellent way to spend an evening in Cades Cove. An evening, you say? Well, why not! If you want to avoid the crowds on this incredibly popular trail, the creative way to see Abrahms Falls is at night! If you choose a night-time trek to the falls, be sure to bring a working flashlight. I prefer to hike by moonlight, listening to the nighttime symphony of frogs and cicadas but you will likely need a flashlight when you reach the falls. You may also want to take a jacket since it can get chilly after dark. The park service locks the gate entering Cades Cove at dusk, but the exit gate remains open. Verify this with the park service, though, before you try your evening hike.
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