Top 5 Things To Do in Townsend

Tips from a local on the best way to enjoy the peaceful side of the Smokies

A graduate of Heritage High School, I grew up a 20-minute drive from Townsend. Even then, known as the peaceful side of the Smokies. Except for me, it wasn’t terribly quiet. When I got my driver’s license and the freedom that came with it, we spent a lot of time in Walland and Townsend where many of our classmates lived. There were camp outs and days on the river, a variety of adventures in the forest and at the Wye.

When going up to do the real tourist-y things in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, the route through Wear’s Valley was my favorite and probably the quickest. We didn’t have Google Maps and the like to confirm such things in those days.

Today, when I return to my old stomping grounds I am met with a wave of nostalgia and a certain foreignness. In many ways, Townsend hasn’t changed THAT much since I left it and in other ways it seems entirely new.

So, what do I, as someone who grew up in the area, recommend you do in the Peaceful Side of the Smokies? Well, let me tell you.

Top five things to do in Townsend and the surrounding area

Attend a local festival

This is contingent on timing of course. Is there a festival going on while you plan to be in town? Great. If not, what can you do? There are several festivals and events that happen in Townsend throughout the year of varying quality and interest. My favorite is the Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival that happens each summer.

As a photographer by trade and hobby, I love taking pictures of the balloons against the backdrop of the mountains. Is it a bummer that these balloons are tethered not floating freely across the sky? Yes, but I’m willing to forgive just for that backdrop of the brightly colored balloons against greens of the mountains and the rich blue of the summer sky.

Now, am I willing to get into one of those beautiful potential mini-Hindenburgs? Reader, I am not. But I am afraid of heights and am chicken. You should feel free and safe to float in one of those things – which in fairness are maintained by well-trained and competent experts – and I will take your picture from the ground. IN addition to the balloons there will be food vendors, artisans, and a beer tent. It’s as good a time as you can have in the mountains.

Biking, hiking and exploring

As a travel writer, I am legally obligated to mention Cades Cove. It is, of course, one of the most beautiful places in the mountains – maybe the world. I don’t want to be hyperbolic but on the right day, the view across the Cove to the mountains in the distance is pretty dang good. Along the Cove there are a lot of opportunities for hiking and biking and exploring the mountains. In fact, on Wednesday through late September, they close the Cove to car traffic and just allow hikers and bikers through. It’s a great opportunity to bike the cove without worrying about getting honked at.

However, opportunities for exploration don’t start or end in the Cove. Just past the Townsend Wye, you can go to Tremont and hike up to Spruce Flat Falls. Or go to Elkmont and explore the cabins that were there before the National Park came. If you’re looking for a little more adventure, consider Vee Hollow, a mountain biker’s paradise. It offers a network of over 14 miles on mountain bike trails with options for riders of varying abilities. Located in Townsend, the park does have e-bikes available for rent.

Tubing the Little River

Tubing the Little River was one of our favorite past times. Whether via one of the commercially available tubing companies or finding somebody we knew with tubes and a truck, riding the river is a perfect way to spend a summer day. Obviously, if you’re coming in from out of town the commercially available tubing companies will be your go-to with their variety of available adventures.

A hard-earned word of caution, however. Wear some kind of water shoes with protective soles. When I graduated high school, we decided it would be fun take my grandparents – in their 70s on a leisurely float down the river. Long story short, Papaw got caught up in some low-hanging branches. He had to be rescued while Nanny caught a bit of swift current and got away from us. Running along the rocky riverbank chasing and falling behind my grandmother who was quickly disappearing into the distance was a suboptimal way to celebrate finishing 28th in my class.

Get out of there

Is it weird to say that one of the best things you can do in a place is get out of it? Probably. But one of the things that makes staying in Townsend a plus on your vacation is that while you can spend as much time as you want enjoying the peace, you also have access to the cacophony and flashing neon that is a trip to Pigeon Forge or to Gatlinburg beyond. Wears Valley – which at this point is Townsend 1.5 or so is right that as are Maryville and Knoxville beyond. The many wonderful cabins and hotels and B&Bs in Townsend make great staging areas for you to go get a taste of the larger Smoky Mountain fun. But then you can come back “home” to a little peace and quiet.

Take a back road out of the Cove

Cades Cove is famous for a lot of things – getting out of it, not so much. It’s not that I dislike the back half of the Cades Cove Loop, it’s that so much of it is anti-climatic after the first half. Are there interesting historic cabins and a handful of amazing views from the second half? Yes. But not as good as the first. How do you avoid this? Well, you can do as I did as a kid and nap through the back 9, so to speak. However, if you’re the one driving, that’s not a practical solution. Alternatively, you can take one of the alternative routes out of the loop and see parts of the mountains others miss.

The first ejector route is Rich Mountain Road – which is closed, FYI through winter and most of spring. The road twists and turns with several switchbacks up across the mountains – over Tater Branch – and back into Townsend, spitting you out at Old Cades Cove Road. Importantly, if you’re not comfortable with tight turns and tight quarters, maybe don’t try it. But there are several interesting trails along the path. This includes Indian Grave Trail – and some pretty good wildflower viewing when the season is right.

Secondly, you can take Forge Creek Road, which takes you past the fascinating Henry Whitehead House and out into the deeper mountains to Parsons Branch Road, which is also closed seasonally. Be sure to check with the National Park to make sure either road is open before planning your trip.

Parsons Branch can take you to the Gregory Bald Trailhead, one of the more challenging hikes up into the high mountains. But don’t undertake that trip lightly. If you follow Parsons Branch Road out, you’ll eventually – after following some mountain ridgebacks – find yourself on U.S. Highway 129, aka the Tail of the Dragon. Turn right and it will take you back into Maryville where you can reconnect with 411. You eventually come out on Lamar Alexander Parkway, which will bring you back to Townsend. Or you can turn left and continue on to North Carolina.

If you decide to take either route out, it would be a good idea to download a map to your phone. You don’t want to be out in the high mountains, looking for cell service.

What is your favorite thing to do in Townsend? Let us know in the comments!