Directions to Cades Cove

Your guide to finding the Great Smoky Mountains' most breathtaking valley.

Spending the day at Cades Cove is a must for every visitor to the Smoky Mountains. You won't want to miss the beautiful wildlife, great views of the national park, and all of the history that is found within the old buildings and structures at Cades Cove.

But, of course, how do you get to Cades Cove? We've got directions to Cades Cove for you below, so keep reading!

Keep in Mind

There is only one driving entrance into the Cades Cove Loop, from Laurel Creek Road. Although you may see many online maps that appear to show multiple entrances, this is the only one leading directly into the Loop.

From Gatlinburg

From Gatlinburg, just follow the main Parkway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After you see Sugarlands Visitor Center, you can take a right on Little River Road.

You stay on Little River Road which is a winding road, and often busy, for a little over 20 miles. The scenery is beautiful on your way to Cades Cove, where you will dead end into the entrance.

From Pigeon Forge

There are a couple of different ways to reach Cades Cove from Pigeon Forge:

The Parkway Route: Follow the Pigeon Forge Parkway all the way into Gatlinburg, then to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Follow the directions from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove.
The Wears Valley Route (Faster): Take Wears Valley Road for a scenic drive through Wears Valley to Townsend. Take the Lyon Springs Road entrance to the national park, and use Little River Road to reach Laurel Creek Road at Cades Cove.

Note: If you're already in Gatlinburg, use the Gatlinburg entrance and don't backtrack to take the Pigeon Forge route.

Driving Distances

Location	Distance to Cades Cove (Miles)
Townsend	11 miles
Pigeon Forge	26 miles
Maryville	28 miles
Gatlinburg	29 miles
Knoxville	45 miles
Lenoir City	47 miles
Loudon	54 miles
Fontana	58 miles
Asheville	109 miles

* Driving distances (in miles) to Cades Cove from nearby areas.

Cades Cove Map

For more help with directions, you can use the interactive map below pointing to the Cades Cove Campground entrance:
10042 Campground Dr, Townsend, TN 37882, USA