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The Cades Cove Heritage Tours will have a ribbon cutting Oct. 24 to provide the first bus tours of Cades Cove.

The service, which will be offered through the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, was announced Tuesday afternoon at a Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau Board meeting.

Up to now, the only organized tours of the Cove have been hay wagon rides.

The Depot, where tickets will be sold, and the business office will be located on three acres on Tenn. 73 adjoining the Heritage Center.

The Depot is an 1800- to 1820-era log cabin donated by Wilma Maples from Gatlinburg.

The tour area will have 61 parking spaces which will be shared with the Heritage Center. Gravel has been laid and when the weather permits the lot will be paved.

Two ARBOC Spirit of Mobility gasoline-powered buses that can carry 19 passengers have been delivered. They are very quiet, said Elissa McMahon with the Natural Park Conservation Association. Training for drivers and complimentary rides for people from the community will begin Oct. 10, said business manager Alex Roche.

Randy Boyd of PetSafe of Knoxville donated the buses, which cost less than $175,000. "He's absolutely been in love with the park all his life. It was his idea to do something to help with the air issues and congestion in Cades Cove," said Heritage Center Director Bob Patterson.

Break-even operation

The tours will be set up on a break-even basis, McMahon said. Cost of tickets will be $13 for adults, $11 for seniors, $10 for children 6 to 17, and under 6 free. Group rates will also be available.

Tours are expected to last 3 to 3¬½ hours, depending on traffic and other factors, such as bear jams.

"Tour employees will be required to be knowledgeable about all structures and nature geology of Cades Cove," Roche said.

Drinks will be available on the tours and visitors can bring their own fanny packs and day packs with drinks and snacks.

Tour buses will make at least three stops, one on the first half and another on the second portion of the tour. A stop at the Cable Mill will be mandatory on each tour because of the availability of restrooms, water and the Cades Cove store.

The buses will contain flat panel monitors to provide information as the tour groups go to and from Cades Cove. On the way in, the history of the formation of the park, natural geology and history of Cades Cove will be featured. Coming out, the natural resource issues with Cades Cove and the Smokies will be the topic.

Partnering with the Heritage Center will be Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau, which will help with the marketing, and the National Park Conservation Association, which will help with guidance on the project.

Herb Handly, executive vice president for tourism of the Visitors Bureau, said a "task force has been set up and will now meet every month for the rest of the year to resolve issues that arise. The plan is to make adjustments to make sure the program is successful."