Great Smoky Mountains & Cades Cove Self-Guided Driving Tours

Your drive through the beautiful, majestic Smoky Mountains begins at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Get ready to explore the Smokies and discover why this is the most visited National Park in the country! NOTE: This 72+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Great Smoky and Cades Cove Bundle in 3-5 hours.

As you drive, you'll have the option to take a detour to the Mingus Mill, an 1886 grist mill which, believe it or not, is still fully functional! If you're here on weekends, you can even see the mill operators grind corn just like they did back in the 1800s.

Your first major stop is the Beech Flats Quiet Walkway, a perfect spot for anyone who wants to soak up the natural beauty of the mountains without having to hike an arduous trail.

Up next is the Rockefeller Memorial, where you'll learn more about Rockefeller's importance to the park! This memorial was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt himself.

From there, your drive continues to Newfound Gap, a stunning mountain pass with huge historical significance. Hear the story of how trappers, farmers, and merchants used to cross the Smokies, and how this gap changed all of that.

Next you'll pass the Alum Cave Trail, which takes hikers to the remains of an old salt mine packed with fascinating history.

After that, you'll reach Morton Overlook, hugely popular for its unbelievable sunsets.

The next overlook on your route is Carlos Campbell Overlook, which serves up panoramic views of towering mountains and lush forests.

Your route takes you next to Chimney Tops Overlook, where you'll hear all about wildfires in the Smokies and how they cause lasting damage to mountains like this one.

Next up is the most accessible trail in the park: Sugarlands Valley Trail! This scenic trail can be accessed by wheelchair or stroller, and offers a great way to venture into the wilderness.

The tour leads next to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, a perfect rest stop and the site of a few trailheads.

Your drive continues to Cataract Falls, a beautiful, secluded set of waterfalls tucked beneath a shaded canopy of beech trees.

Our next stop is perfect for anyone amused by kitschy oddities. This funky museum displays everything from shrunken human heads to rare animal skeletons. We'll get the inside scoop on how it started as a simple one-panel comic strip and grew into a national phenomenon.

Continue following the road to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This driving trail invites you to slow down and enjoy the forest and historic buildings of the area. It also features three of the park's most famous waterfalls!

Our route takes us next to the Rainbow Falls Trail, which leads to the park's most popular waterfall. Standing at 80 feet, Rainbow Falls is the tallest waterfall in the Smokies, but that's not all! When the sun hits it right, it glimmers like a rainbow--hence the name.

Keep driving until you reach the Grotto Falls trail. While it's not quite as grand as Rainbow Falls, this secluded, less crowded waterfall is absolutely worth a visit. On your way, hear about a rare salamander you can only find right here!

Our drive takes us next to the Baskin Creek Falls, a sparkling waterfall where we'll hear about the amusing, and slightly misguided history behind the name of these falls.

Up next, we'll pass the Ephraim Bales Cabin, a portal back in time to the 19th century. We'll hear all about the family that lived here, and why there's a big hole in the middle of their cabin!

The road brings us next to the Reagen Cabin, which displays a perfect example of old-timey technology in the form of the so-called "tub mill." Hear all about what that is and why it was useful here.

Next, our drive takes us to Ely's Mill, a historic mill on the outskirts of Gatlinburg which gives us another window into the lives of the early Appalachian settlers. Here, we'll learn about Andrew Ely, the bigshot lawyer who upended his entire life after his wife died, abandoned his law practice, and moved to Gatlinburg to start over and live a simpler life.

Finally, you'll arrive in the picturesque mountian town of Gatlinburg, where your tour will conclude.

Past that is the Methodist Church, which cost only $115 to build when it was constructed in 1902!

Then there's the Missionary Baptist Church, which split off from the Primitive Baptist Church during the early days of Cades Cove due to ideological divides.

Continuing on, you'll come to the Elijah Oliver Place, accessible via a half-mile trail. This secluded homestead once belonged to an abolitionist who found himself in grave danger when the Civil War broke out.

Up next is the Abrams Falls Trail, which takes hikers to a powerful waterfall hidden deep in the wilderness.

After that, you'll see the John Cable Grist Mill. This mill dates back to 1870 and you can still see it in operation today!

Next on your route is Tipton Place, which was once home to a war hero of the American Revolution.

Finally, you'll come next to the Carter Shields Cabin, a staunchly abolitionist home that lost much during the Civil War. There are many stories that you'll hear along the way, including • A Cherokee Homeland • White Settlers Arrive in Cades Cove • Smokies Wildlife • The Cussing Cover • Last Family who lived in Cades Cove • Ancestral Cherokee Land • Tsali and the Trail of Tears • Revolt Against the Ani'kutani • Sequoyah's New Storytelling System • The Milky Way • Selu's Sacrifice • Great Smoky Geology • Webb View • Appalachia's Settlers • Appalachian Trail • Ghost Firs of Clingman's Dome • Funding the Smokies • Appalachian Balds • Balsam Point Quiet Walkway and more.