Sunday, August 16, 2026

Question: What was the original name of the Cades Cove valley in Eastern Tennessee?

Answer: Tsiya’hi/Otter Place. Although white settlers called the valley Cades Cove, the Cherokee referred to their settlement in the area as “Tsiya’hi,” which translates to “Otter Place.” Otter were once plentiful in the Smokies, but they were trapped to the point of local extinction by 1936. Fortunately, the National Park Service was able to successfully reintroduce otters back into the region from 1986-1994. Today, visitors to Cades Cove can see otters in Abrams Creek, which is located along the trail to Abrams Falls.