The butterflies had little to say; they seemed more trusting, although perhaps it was a need to show off their fancy attire as they coyly pranced like ballerinas across nature’s grand stage.
Although good friend Jacob Jobe convinced the Olivers to move to Cades Cove in the spring of 1818, it was the Cherokee that helped the Olivers through their first winter, the same Cherokee that eventually relinquished the land between the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee Rivers in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee via the Treaty of Calhoun in 1819.
Several churches saw to the souls of this growing mountain community;
Ironically, almost one hundred years later, dozens of Appalachian communities, including Cades Cove, were forced to relinquish their land in the name of progress, the same land the Cherokee had lost for essentially the same reason.
Cades Cove residents put up the most resistance to the formation of the Great Smoky National Park when the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill in 1927 approving money to buy land for the then proposed national park. Park Commissioner Colonel David Chapman learned he’d “spend the next night in hell” should he act on his powers to seize properties within the proposed park boundaries.
John Oliver shared his grandfather’s name and his tenacity; he took the Park Commissioner to court, winning the first round, ultimately losing the second. Oliver spent the last of several years leasing the land his family had owned for two generations from the federal government before finally abandoning his property on Christmas Day in 1937.
Other Cades Cove residents continued leasing the land that had once been theirs from the federal government, restricting their activities involving hunting, trapping and cutting timber as per National Park District rules. By 1944 the last school in Cades Cove closed; the post office, circa 1839, closed in 1947.
It was this original parcel of land in Cades Cove, the well preserved homesteads,
The Bottom Line on Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Verdict: I am so glad we had the time to see this national park. The authenticity of Cades Cove is rivaled only by the beauty of this pristine park. And, there is no entrance fee. When the state of Tennessee transferred ownership of Newfound Gap Road (US-441) that runs through the Smoky Mountains to the federal government (1930), it stipulated that “no toll or license fee shall ever be imposed . . . “ to travel the road. Free, easy interstate transportation through Southern Appalachia was likely the motivation.
Townsend, TN entrance: From the north: From interstate highway I-40 in Knoxville take Exit 386B to US-129 South to Alcoa/Maryville. At Maryville proceed on US-321 North/TN -73 East through Townsend. Continue straight on TN-73 into the park.
From the south: From interstate highway I-75 take Exit 376 to I-140 E towards Oak Ridge/Maryville. Merge onto I-140 E via Exit 376B towards Maryville. Turn onto US-129 South (Alcoa Highway) at Exit 11A and travel towards Alcoa. Turn onto TN-35 and follow it to US-321 North. Follow US-321 North/TN -73 East through Townsend. Continue straight on TN-73 into the park.
Cherokee, NC entrance: From the north: From interstate highway I-40, take Exit 27 to US-74 West towards Waynesville. Turn onto US-19 and proceed through Maggie Valley to Cherokee. Turn onto US-441 North at Cherokee and follow the road into the park.
From the south: Follow US-441/US-23 North. At Dillsboro merge on US-74 West/US-441 North. At Exit 74 merge onto US-441. Follow US-441 through Cherokee and into the park.
Insider Information: Before 10 am, the one-way, eleven-mile road that loops through Cades Cove can only be traversed by bicycle or on foot. Given the amount of traffic we ran into despite our mid-morning arrival, I’d return at 8:00 am the next time around and bike the eleven miles. I’m sure a weekday rather than a Sunday would have seen less traffic, too.
Before you go, be sure to download the park guide available on Smoky Mountain National Park website to plan your visit. There’s even a smartphone app for downloading for tech-savvy visitors.
Nearby Food: Not much to choose from inside the park beyond the basics. We grabbed a hotdog at the campgrounds Convenient Store so we could devote the bulk of our time to seeing the park itself. A picnic lunch would have been the way to go.