Planning to drive the Cades Cove Loop on Sunday, November 8? Sleep in a little. That morning the loop belongs to runners, not cars. The annual Cades Cove Loop Lope takes over the road, and according to the race organizers, no vehicle without a race parking reservation will be let past the Townsend Wye until after 11 a.m.
What the Loop Lope is
The Loop Lope is the only organized footrace held inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, per Friends of the Smokies, the nonprofit park partner that puts it on. Runners choose between a 10-mile course around the whole loop and a 5K that cuts across Sparks Lane to the finish. The field is capped at 750 runners, and this year’s race is already sold out.
Money raised goes to Friends of the Smokies for park projects like historic preservation, wildlife conservation and grassland restoration, so even if the road closure slows you down, it’s for a good cause.
Race morning timeline
Here’s how Sunday morning shapes up, based on the official race page:
- 5:30 to 6:30 a.m.: Runners without a parking pass gather at the Townsend Visitor Center, and shuttle buses carry them into the cove. Expect early traffic around Townsend.
- 7:30 a.m.: The 10-mile race starts.
- 7:45 a.m.: The 5K starts.
- 10:20 a.m.: The race officially ends, and a sweep vehicle picks up anyone still on the course. The last shuttle back to Townsend leaves around 10:30.
- After 11 a.m.: Regular traffic is allowed past the Townsend Wye and into Cades Cove again.
Runners pick up their packets on Saturday, November 7, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Townsend Visitor Center, so that area may be a little busier than usual Saturday afternoon too.
How to plan your Cades Cove visit around it
- Go Saturday instead. The loop is open sunrise to sunset every day this time of year, per the park’s seasonal road schedule, and Saturday has no race.
- Or make it a Sunday afternoon drive. Once the road reopens, expect a rush of cars that were waiting, so a midafternoon start may be smoother than 11 a.m. sharp.
- Rich Mountain Road is almost done for the year. The one-way back road out of the cove toward Townsend closes for the season on Monday, November 9. If you want to drive it, this weekend is your last chance. Our Rich Mountain and Parson Branch post has the details.
- Bring a parking tag. You need one to park anywhere in the park for more than 15 minutes. Runners with race parking passes are covered during the event, but if they stay to explore afterward, they need a regular tag too.
- Check conditions first. Weather and other closures can change plans, so look at the park’s current conditions page before you head out.
If Cades Cove is off the table Sunday morning, it’s a fine time to head over the mountain instead. Rangers have free programs running this month at Oconaluftee and Kuwohi, and our November ranger program guide has the schedule.
And if you’re a runner who got in, good luck out there. It’s hard to beat a fall sunrise in the cove with the road all to yourself.