Nestled in a stunning secluded valley surrounded by the forested peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, Cades Cove was settled in the early 19C by pioneers from Virginia, North Carolina and East Tennessee who came here in search of affordable farmland. Most of the long drive along Little River Road, which snakes west to the remote, now uninhabited farming community, follows the rock-strewn Little River through steep wooded valleys. At the beginning of the 11mi one-way loop road is an orientation shelter, where you can purchase a booklet that details the cabins, mills and churches you'll discover along the way—vestiges of a community that thrived in this peaceful valley until most were forced to sell their land for the park's creation in the 1920s.