Great Smoky National Park

Waterfall at Cades Cove

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is 137 miles and 3.7 hours west of Pigeon Forge. Cades Cove is a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains and is one of the most visited destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Cades Cove has a variety of historic buildings you can visit.Along the loop road you can visit three churches, a working grist mill, barns, log houses, and many other faithfully restored eighteenth and nineteenth century structures.

An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the cove, giving visitors the opportunity to sightsee at a leisurely pace. Allow at least two to four hours to tour Cades Cove, longer if you walk some of the area's trails.

There are short trails such as Cades Cove Nature Trail and a much longer hike to Thunderhead Mountain and .  Also visit Abrams Falls which a five-mile roundtrip hike.

During the summer months Cades Cove is quite crowded with visitors, so allow plenty of time to visit and enjoy the wildlife and scenery.

Cherokee Reservation Museum

Cherokee Indian Reservation

Cherokee ,NC is 67 miles, 1.4 hours west of Hendersonville. Visit and learn about the Cherokee Indian heritage. There are many shops offering genuine native American art and crafts.

Visit The Oconaluftee Indian Village – One of the Favorite Seasonal Attractions in Cherokee NC  Tour guides will educate you about the Cherokee culture, native dress, crafts and lifestyles and the Cherokee history.

You can see cultural dances, pottery making, fashion beadwork, create masts and how to weave baskets.

Also, visit the Museum of the Cherokee and experience the 11,000 year old Cherokee story through priceless ancient artifacts, artwork, life-sized figures and more.

Explore the areas of Cherokee and visit Mingo Falls which is over 120 feet high and is rated one of the most impressive falls in Western North Carolina. Indian Creek Falls is a beautiful 25 foot high waterall and is located about 1 mile from the parking area at Deep Creek. Tom's Branch Falls is 80 feet high and is located approximately 3/10 mile from the Deep Creek parking area.  Juney Whank Falls is 0.6 mile roundtrip hike. The trail starts near the end of Deep Creek Road near Deep Creek Campground.

Also visit Clingman's Dome which is the highest point along the Appalachian Trail and provides a 360º view of the surrounding mountains rising 6,643 feet above sea level

Other areas of interest are the Mountain Farm and Museum, Mingus Mill, and Museum of the Cherokee Indian. And, don't forget to see the outdoor drama "Unto These Hills" -- one of the longest running outdoor dramas in the U.S. with over six million tickets sold.

Clingmans Dome

Clingmans Dome

Clingmans Dome is 6,643 feet which makes it the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Clingmans Dome is also the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. Mt. Mitchell reaches 6,684 feet which is located in Mt. Mitchell State Park in western North Carolina and is considered the highest point east of the Mississippi.

The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offers spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond. There is a steep half-mile walk to the top of the tower. On a clear day views expand over a 100 miles. But, because of air pollution you are only able to see about 20 miles.

Due to weather conditions, the road to Clingmans Dome is closed December 1 through March 31.