About
Length (round trip)0.5 mi
ShapeOut-and-Back
DifficultyEasy
Elevation gain50 ft up
Typical time15 min
TrailheadCades Cove Loop Road
SurfaceGrass and dirt path
Best seasonApril to June for wildflowers, mid-October for fall colour. High elevations are cold and icy from November to March.
DogsNot allowed
AccessibilityThe paved path has been assessed using the High-Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP) to provide objective information such as grade and slope. GRIT Freedom Chairs are available for free checkout on a first-come, first-served basis for this path. Trail is almost entirely paved and mostly flat. It gives way to level, packed gravel once it reaches the cabin. Use descriptions, maps, and photos to determine which hikes are suitable for you. For information about the reservation process and...
What you'll see 🌄 Big views🏛️ Historic site

Overview Walk 0.3 miles (0.5 km) roundtrip to explore the scenery of Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the historic John Oliver Cabin and homesite along this short path well-graded for wheelchairs and strollers. The trailhead sets out from a parking area along Cades Cove Loop Road, and the trail gives way to level packed gravel once it reaches the complex of log structures. The John Oliver Cabin is the oldest of the historic structures preserved in Cades Cove. John Oliver, Lucretia Oliver, and their young daughter Mary "Polly" arrived and began settling in Cades Cove in 1818. Generations of Olivers lived on the homestead until the park was established more than a hundred years later. Length 0.3 miles (0.5 km) roundtrip Parking & Trailhead Limited roadside parking is at the John Oliver Cabin Trailhead on the Cades Cove Loop Road. Don't forget your parking tag . Nearest Restroom Cades Cove Picnic Area (before entering the one-way loop road) Additional restrooms available past John Oliver Cabin on the one-way Cades Cove Loop Road at the Cades Cove Visitor Center roughly halfway through the loop. Alternate Hikes Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail Loop : 0.5 miles (0.8 km) roundtrip Oconaluftee River Trail : 3 miles (4.8 km) roundtrip

Tips
Built in the 1820s by the cove's first European settlers and held together without nails. Best in early morning mist.
Location

Cades Cove Loop Road

Other Hikers
No one has logged this trail yet.
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