Every year, an average of 11.5 million people pass through the park, with many making the one-way drive along the 11-mile loop road that surrounds Cades Cove. Though it's paradoxically been called ...

About halfway through the loop drive is the Cades Cove Visitor Center. Stop here to chat with park staff and obtain maps and other resources; attend a seasonal ranger program; find public restroom ...

Here’s what visitors should be prepared for as the National Park Service burns 1,400 acres of Cades Cove - and why the park does that.