Fun walk in a historic cabin in the Smoky Mountains! John Oliver cabin in Cades Cove 🐻⛰ Smoky Mountains Tennessee things to do

Hi there!

According to the National Park Service, the John Oliver cabin is the oldest log cabin along the Cades Cove Loop Road.

The John Oliver cabin is the first historic cabin that you will come across as you are drive through Cades Cove.

You can even bike through Cades Cove to the Oliver cabin, or even walk through Cades Cove to the cabin!

Even if you take the shortest walking route, you can make a stop at the Johh Oliver Cabin, as it’s on your way to Sparks Lane, a good spot to make it a shortened loop.

There are a number of historic cabins to be seen in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

And one of those historic cabins is the John Oliver cabin (aka John Oliver Place) that is located in Cades Cove on the Cades Cove Loop Road.

I went to the John Oliver historic cabin and here are my pictures!

 

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You can walk inside the log cabin to try to imagine what life might have been like back in the day. You’ll also get mountain views from inside the cabin, as well as the grounds surrounded the cabin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to the National Park Service, John Oliver was among the “first Euro-American settlers in Cades Cove” and they arrived in Cades Cove in 1818.

When the Olivers built the house, they were relatively isolated.

But as early as the 1850s, 5 roads had reached Cades Cove.

The National Park Service also says that Great Smoky Mountains National Park has “one of the best collections of log buildings in the eastern United States.”

It lists the John Oliver cabin as an example of a well-preserved log cabin that was “built in diversified architectural style.”

Read more about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a world heritage site.

And if this historical aspect interests you, be sure to also visit the Mingus Mill and Mountain Farm outdoor museum that is also located in the national park.

 

 

Self-guided Cades Cove history tour

 

If you are interested in the historical aspect of Cades Cove, be sure to pick up the Cades Cove tour booklet so you can make it a self-guided tour as you drive the loop road! 

This costs $1. You may be able to pick up a Cades Cove auto tour booklet at the small information center located right before the Cades Cove Loop Road begins. You can also find them at a Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitor center. Cash only, so bring dollar bills!

 

The John Oliver Place is a historic cabin along the scenic Cades Cove loop road

 

It’s popular to drive the Cades Cove Loop Road, and you can stop at the John Oliver Place when you do this drive.

 

 

You can bike to the John Oliver cabin

 

Biking is a popular activity for the Cades Cove loop road, and a popular option is to bike the whole 11 miles of the loop.

So you can also bike the Cades Cove loop and stop by the John Oliver Place.

There are car-free times, and if you have flexibility in your plans, it would be best to bike Cades Cove when cars aren’t allowed on the loop.

You can bring your own bike, or you can rent a bike once you get to Cades Cove. (Because of the popularity of biking, there is a chance that there may not be bikes available when you go, though.)

See more about biking Cades Cove.

 

 

You can walk to the John Oliver cabin

It can also be reasonable to walk to the John Oliver cabin, as long as you don’t mind walking around 5 miles.

This will be the historic cabin in Cades Cove that would be the easiest to walk to, meaning it’ll be the shortest walk to get to.

There’s a parking lot at the start of the Cades Cove Loop Road, and you can park there.

And then, you can start walking to the Cades Cove loop directly to the John Oliver cabin.

After that, you can make it a shortened loop by cutting across and walking on Sparks Lane to return back to where you started. Or, you can also make it an out-and-back walk. Parking lot to cabin, and back.

 

 

There’s a short trail to the cabin

 

Whether you’re driving, biking, or walking to get to the cabin, once nearby, there is a final short trail to get to the cabin itself. It can be accessed from 2 sides. Both sides have a trail. You can make it a loop too.

 

 

Actually, you could say it could be access from a 3rd side, the Rich Mountain Trail.

 

 

 

Pets not allowed on the trail to John Oliver cabin

 

In general, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is not a pet-friendly park when it comes to hiking trails. Pets are not allowed on the vast majority of hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains, and that includes the trail to John Oliver cabin.

 

 

 

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And now…

A bit of what a visit to the John Oliver Cabin in Cades Cove can be like!

PHOTOS!

 

So you’ll start off on the Cades Cove Loop Road. 

You can start to pay attention more closely once you see a sign for Sparks Lane. You’ll find the sign for John Oliver cabin shortly after that.

And then you can make the hike to John Oliver Place and walk around the grounds of the cabin!

 

 

 

And that’s a bit about what a visit to a historic Cades Cove cabin in the Smoky Mountains can be like!

 

For walking in Cades Cove, see about walking part of the Cades Cove Loop Road.

For biking in Cades Cove, see about biking the Cades Cove Loop Road.

For waterfalls in Cades Cove, see about the famous Cades Cove waterfalls hike.

For camping in Cades Cove, see about the Cades Cove Campground.

Also see things to do along the way as you drive from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove.

There’s also the big list of things to do in the Smoky Mountains!

 

HAPPY VISIT TO JOHN OLIVER PLACE!