Cades Cove Stables

Long wait but it was a great ride. Get there early. Beautiful and easy. Our guide Jessica was sassy and entertaining. I have never been on a horse before but I felt pretty safe and taken care of. The horses have their own personality but they are pretty trained. The intro is brief and fast so there’s no time to be afraid. I can’t wait to do it again.

Friendly and capable staff, and great horses that are well taken care of. However, the wait time was much longer than announced (two hours instead of one). The ‘general manager’ didn’t seem too receptive for feedback… The route was kind of boring: no Cades Cove views, no Cades Cove meadows, just forest. The only animals we spotted were the (great) horses we sat on.

My wife, kids, and I drove an hour from Gatlinburg to visit Cades Cove Stables and we did not regret it. We arrived, signed in, and the guides mounted us on our beautiful horses within ten minutes.
We started out with some quick tips from our guide, Jonathan. Jonathan was friendly, engaging, and helpful when needed. He even withstood getting stepped on by one of our horses!
Jonathan guided us through a loop around Cades Cove. The loop is wooded, but the trail is clear and easy to traverse. The trail has a few hills, but nothing difficult for the horses or the riders.
A great family activity thanks to the fine people at Cades Cove Stables.
PROTIP: Be aware of their hours! They are open from 07:00 until 16:30. We got lucky by arriving at 14:00 with no wait. Also, wear jeans and hard-​soled shoes.

THIS IS THE STABLE IN THE PARK.
(865) 448‑9009 As a life long horse lover and former owner/​trainer with a Bachelors Degree in Equine Science, I WAS IMPRESSED by the obvious care taken by this stable. Their horses are CLEAN, in good body condition, and have HEALTHY hooves. The horses are in a covered stable with rubber mats to stand on, and are rotated (no back to back rides). The Manager and trail guide were FRIENDLY and KNOWLEDGABLE. I will absolutely go back for another ride. DONT BE FOOLED by the stable on Hwy 73! I went there by accident — that place should be shut down! GO TO THE STABLE IN THE PARK!!!