Last day of the Winter Heritage Festival in Cades Cove and Townsend Tennessee

Fantastic lectures, moving presentations, beautiful guided hikes, and a change to meet and mingle with former Cades Cove residents - the Winter Heritage Festival in Townsend Tennessee had it all!

The icing on the cake is that the when this years Winter Heritage Festival started, the weather was just warming up so you had the chance to hike in comfortable weather and still see snow and waterfalls locked in ice.

The picture above was taken on the geological hike conducted at Tremont on Friday. This 2 mile guided hike took us through various rock formations, hemlocks, rhododendron and pines and where the leaves were down out onto stunning vistas.

Yesterday at the guided tour of the primitive Baptist Church cemetery it was 63 degrees and the only white in the perfect blue sky were vapor trails from jets flying so far away you couldn't even hear them.

It was also fantastic weather yesterday to walk around the Smoky Mountains Heritage Center and see the beautifully preserved and furnished Cades Cove era buildings and outdoor exhibits.

Inside the Smoky Mountains Heritage center in Townsend treat yourself to one of the best displays of Native American artifacts and an impressive collection of antiques for the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Today the program winds down but you can still choose from 2 fantastic programs.

Cades Cove Heritage Shuttle Bus Tour
1:00pm - 4:00pm: "Trip around the Loop with Special Guest, to be announced". Meet Cades Cove Heritage Tour in front of the Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. Call (865) 448-8838 for reservations.

We highly recommend this shuttle bus tour around Cades Cove. This is a great way to see the Cove for the fist time and even if you are a long term visitor of the Cades Cove, this is a great way to learn even more about Americas favorite cove.

Why fight traffic when you can sit back and be chauffeured around! The Shuttle bus is handicap accessible.

Programs at the Valley View Lodge
1:00pm - 4:00pm: "Precious Memories-Cades Cove Homecoming II", with music from 1-2pm by Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club followed by an informal and moderated session of remembrances by Cades Cove families.

This is also a great way for those of us who love Cades Cove to have an even deeper connection. The music alone is fantastic!

This years Winter Heritage Festival in Townsend was better than ever and jam packed with events - so many in fact I that often there were 3 programs I wanted to see all running at the same time.

Last minute cabin rentals to enjoy the festival get 10% off at American Mountain Rentals.