GSMNP the most popular park
USA Today Yeah, Cades Cove is worth a visit but the traffic jam makes YNP roads look like wide open freeways. On a Thursday it took me hours (no exaggeration) to get to the mill area.
Forum Discussion
ksbowman wrote:
We stayed in Townsend and went to Cades Cove 2 days in a row last Oct. The traffic at times was heavy but, not bad. We took a sack lunch and pulled over more than once, set up lawn chairs and enjoyed the views in the park. Made every stop at the points of interest and went to the mill. Great trip and very restful. We weren't in a hurry maybe that made it better. We will go back.
I'll be the first to say "Thank You" for pulling over.
I've been to Cades Cove about a dozen times over the years most times on my motorcycle. It amazes me the number of people that have never seen a deer or a cow that feel stopping IN THE MIDDLE of a one lane road is ok. I'm all for seeing nature but I don't have to stop at each and every place a deer happens to be grazing in a field. I guess growing up in the "boonies" we saw that all the time. We watched for deer so we wouldn't hit them going down the road!!!
We tend to "escape" out on Parson's Branch on our motorcycles. There is a 1-way trail out of the park onto "The Dragon" that we like to take to save about 1.5 hours getting back to camp.
