Night Hiking

Want to escape the crowds and have a unique and exciting experience? Consider a night hike at Cades Cove! During the day Cades Cove is crowded, often noisy and takes several hours to get through.

In order to night hike Cades Cove simply park your car at the pavilion and walk the paved loop. Start about a half hour before sunset. This way you will have 2 experiences in one. You will get to experience Cades Cove Loop both during the day and at night by foot without traffic or crowds.

All that you will need is something to drink, snacks, waterproof footwear, lights, pepper spray, first aid, a camera and maybe rainwear. Obviously the most important thing you will need is a good light and spare batteries (just in case?).

The 11 mile loop is not too hard, however, you don’t have to hike the entire loop. Consider a timed hike, in which you walk for an hour and a half or so and then just come back out the same way you went in. On a clear night you will see a lot with some excellent wildlife viewing. On a warm summer night, it is not uncommon to see huge blankets of fog hugging the ground, dark blue skies and silhouettes of mountains guarded by the moon and stars.

If there is any equipment or gear you need, please feel free to stop by GSM Outfitters. We are happy to help you plan your night hike as well.

We carry everything you need for this adventure. We have Nebo headlights, Cryket lights, as well a headlamps. We have a complete line of Adventure Medical kits for all your first aid needs. We have rain jackets from Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, and many other brands. We also carry Patagonia, Kuhl, Buff, prAna, Gregory, Osprey, Keen, Salomon, Oboz, Ahnu, Teva, Chaco and much more. Be sure to stop by and see us at GSM Outfitters!!!