Parson Branch Road
A former wagon track, it's now surfaced in gravel but otherwise seems unchanged.
Plan Around Parson Branch Road
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Parson Branch Road Details
This one-way road leads out of Cades Cove and connects to Route 129 near Deals Gap. A former wagon track, it's now surfaced in gravel but otherwise seems unchanged from the 19th century. Nearby Parson's Bald, a Smokies peak with a natural clearing on top, was once the site of religious revival meetings. Parson Branch Road is one of the few places in the park where you can drive your car through virgin, old-growth forest. Starting with the turnoff near the Cable Mill Visitor Center in Cades Cove, the road runs past the Henry Whitehead cabin and through tangles of rhododendron and up into the hills. You'll pass giant hemlocks and tulip trees with trunks four feet wide and traverse fast-running streams. You should pause to explore some of the quiet walkways in the woods along this peaceful road.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
Region
Cades Cove
Nearby Parks Around Parson Branch Road
Compare nearby parks around Parson Branch Road when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Parson Branch Road
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Parson Branch Road while the map context is still fresh.
0.0 mi away
Cades Cove Visitor Center
Open every day except Christmas Day.
0.0 mi away
Cades Cove Visitor Center
Open mid-April through October.
0.2 mi away
The Becky Cable House
This building, adjacent to the Cable Mill, was initially used by Leason Gregg as a general store.
0.2 mi away
Henry Whitehead Place
There are actually two log cabins at the Henry Whitehead Place.
0.2 mi away
Henry Whitehead Place
There are actually two log cabins at the Henry Whitehead Place.
