Smoky Mountain Day Trip Idea #1: Little River Rd, Cades Cove, & Townsend

Smoky Moutain Day Trip Plan #1

In this new series, we’ll provide ideas and plans for a family-friendly partial or full day of activities.

Our first idea is one of our favorites, as it includes some of the best scenery while still having some fun things to do.

It’s a pretty full day, and the time will vary based on the traffic in Cades Cove.

The basic driving time is around 2 1/2 to 3 hours, including driving through Cades Cove

These guides are based on starting in Gatlinburg but work from any other nearby town like Pigeon Forge.

Gatlinburg to Cades Cove

Heading south from Gatlinburg, you’ll turn right a few miles south of town at the Sugarlands Visitor Center for a scenic drive along Little River Gorge Rd.

Before it turns into a riverside road, there are a couple of scenic overlooks where you can stop and get a distant view back towards Gatlinburg.

Little River Gorge Road turns into a scenic winding road alongside the Little River.

It’s a slow-paced drive with plenty of places to pull over and take pictures, or even get into the river.

This waterfall (The Sinks) is easily accessible from the road and makes a great stop.

Little River Road ends at the Townsend Wye (where two river branches join).

You’ll keep going straight to Cades Cove here, but you can also turn right to one of our favorite towns: Townsend.

Cades Cove

Cades Cove is an 11-mile loop and offers one of the best scenic drives that combines natural beauty, wildlife encounters, and historical landmarks.

It’s one of the most well-known and popular things to see in the national park. Once you get there, plan to spend 2-3 hours or more, depending on how many stops you make.

“Bear jams” happen when traffic comes to a standstill as bears appear. On our last mid-morning May visit, we saw 14 of them.

There are some great places to stop and explore the older buildings.

It’s a great place to spot black bears, turkeys, and deer.

Townsend

After leaving Cades Cove, stop for lunch in Townsend at the Peaceful Side Social, which is a great quick stop with both indoor and outdoor seating.

After lunch head over to Smoky Mountain River Rat, where you can rent tubes for the whole family.

It’s one of our favorite things in Townsend, and we’ve been doing it for years.

If you don’t feel like tubing, there are other fun things to do in Townsend, which you can read more about here.

After Townsend, there’s a few different ways to get back to Gatlinburg, most of which will take you through Wears Valley.

This small town is mostly known for a collection of small shops like Mountain Brothers General Store, some local restaurants, and crafts shops.

Conclusion

This day trip combines some of the best scenery in the Smoky Mountains with a fun afternoon on the river, and makes for a great summer day!