Cades Cove's "Pearl Harbor tree" rooted in WW2 history

a farmer in Cades Cove transplanted this tree on Pearl Harbor Day. his family later moved to Townsend when the area was transformed into a park. his son has put a marker on this tree for his grandchildren. people found it anyway.

There are no marked trails to the "Pearl Harbor tree" and the National Park Service discourages off-trail hiking. Anyone venturing in search of the tree should do so at their own risk. The closest parking area to reach the tree is the pull-off 3.6 miles from the entrance gate of Cades Cove Loop Road. The pull-off has around 20 parking spaces and is on a sharp bend .5 miles beyond the Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church.

From the parking area, walk west for .1 miles and there will be a small clearing on the north side of the road. The point where the treeline on the western edge of the field meets the road is the bottom of the hill you climb to reach the Pearl Harbor tree. A short walk uphill due west will put you in the vicinity of the sweet-gum tree. A chain is tied around the trunk of the tree about 7 feet above the ground. A large metal rusted rim surrounds part of the base of the tree trunk. A rough approximate location of the tree can be seen using the following link to Google maps. Google Maps: Coordinates for Pearl Harbor tree vicinity, 35.604905, -83.835189