Cades Cove Loop Road Re-Opens

After being closed for three weeks, the Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smoky Moutains National park re-opened to all vehicles at noon yesterday. The popular attraction was closed on September 7th so crews could resurface the entire 11 mile loop.

That coincides with the completion of a new trail to the John Oliver cabin in Cades Cove. The trail provides a great view across the fields associated with the home of Cades Cove’s first European settlers, John and Lucretia Oliver, who settled there in 1818. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound for visitors to the cabin….including bears. The new half-mile, paved trail is approximately eight feet wide to provide adequate space for wheelchairs or other mobility devices to pass one another. Funding for the project was made possible through a $150,000 donation provided by the National Park Foundation and a $57,000 donation provided by the Friends of the Smokies.

Both projects completed in time for October….the busiest month of the year for the park.