Stepping onto a historic property has a certain feel to it. Maybe it has something to do with our imagination of the events or the circumstances that make something historic. Take a walk in the shoes of someone else who came before you and explore what life was like for them. This old church in the Smoky Mountains tells a tale right here in Tennessee. You can walk right into this building and experience that story for yourself.

The old Methodist Church in Cades Cove is a historic building and an interesting stop to explore.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park/ Flickr
When you arrive, you can walk up to the building and enter through the two doors. There are two doors because the Methodists believed that the men and women should enter separately, so this was standard practice for that day. Many will tell you the church is not the building, but the people. The church was established in the 1820s out of an old log cabin. The old Methodist Church building, however, was built in 1902.
Walking into the building you are greeted with a few humble rows of pews, a pulpit, and a piano.
Brent Moore/ Flickr
The only decoration is one wooden cross hung on the wall. You can hear the floorboards creak under your feet and the smell of old hymnbooks lies heavily in the air. This simple establishment sits in complete humility, not trying to impress but to be a meeting place for the residents of this beautiful land. Imagine what it looked like as the people gathered to sing and listen to the preacher. Picture what the people experienced as you walk around the one-room church building.

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Outside of the wooden structure, you can also find a graveyard.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park/ Flickr
With dates reaching back more than a century, it's easy to get lost in the mystery of the people who came before you. What did it look like to live in this land so long ago, and what was life like? Make your way around the graveyard following the path and ponder these things.
Cades Cove is an absolutely beautiful place filled with local history.
SarahPrince09/ flickr
Old cabins, farms, churches, and homesteads can all be found on this one-lane tour through the quiet side of the Smoky Mountains.
Be on the lookout for wildlife as you continue on your way. Many bears call this area home and you have a fairly high chance of seeing one in this section of the Smokies.
SarahPrince09/ Flickr

Taking a step back into history can be hugely rewarding. Picturing a time long forgotten and paying respects to the people that came before you. History is something that should be remembered and learned from and should be protected so we can grow as people. We can be thankful that places like this old church in the Smoky Mountains still exist. So we encourage you to get outside and enjoy these beautiful places. For a video walkthrough of this great section of our National Park check out this video from Adventuring in the Moment which even shows the Methodist Church.

For a night stay just outside of the Smoky Mountains and close by Cades Cove, check out this amazing hotel in Townsend.

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Cades Cove Methodist Church, Cades Cove Loop Rd, Townsend, TN 37882, USA