Things to Do in Townsend, TN: Getting Away From It All in the “Peaceful Side of the Smokies”
Townsend Tennessee is a slow-paced destination just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park along Little River. They call themselves “the peaceful side of the Smokies” here, and this guide is to help you make the most of your trip to Townsend as you visit Cades Cove, caverns, outdoor activities, dining, shopping and more.
Chris and I loving the views and appreciating the nature on our tour of Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Smoky Mountain Guides
There’s something to be said about natural places in our world where you can come on vacation and feel like you’re miles and miles away from it all. And for some reason more often than not, destinations with beaches and secluded islands seem to be touted as the ideal kinds of escapes for this type of trip. But I often find this kind of peace in places tucked deep into the mountains, surrounded by nothing but dense forests, rolling hills and pastures for as far as the eye can see.
I’ve been lucky to visit a lot of places in North America that are famous for their nature. From some of the highest mountain ranges in the continent in The Yukon, to lakeside retreats in Ontario’s Kawarthas, to some of the most beautiful national parks in the United States, it’s been a privilege to experiences some of the natural places this continent is famous for.
But up until this trip, I’d never had the chance to visit this famous Great Smoky Mountains. I’ve heard a lot about them over the years and know that some regions in this subrange of the Appalachian Mountains are popular, and have been built up for tourists to come in droves. But then Chris and I learned about Townsend, Tennessee: a quiet little city far away from the hustle and bustle of other larger cities in the Smokies like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
Townsend’s tagline is “The Peaceful Side of the Smokies.” Since Chris and I love a good opportunity to get away from it all, we knew that heading to this small city in Blount County was the perfect decision for our vacation away from it all in the Great Smoky Mountains.
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How to Get to Townsend
Chris and I headed to Townsend on a larger road trip throughout northeastern Tennessee. We headed to Johnson City, Kingsport and Bristol for some cycling, outdoor activities and time in each of these cities before retreating to Townsend.
No matter what your entry point to Tennessee is, you’ll need a car for your trip to this peaceful little town. Even once you arrive, there isn’t really a central “main street” or anything like that, so not having some sort of vehicle isn’t an option. Knoxville is the closest city to Townsend, at less than an hour driving from the city. Nashville is a little further at 3.5hrs, and Charlotte, North Carolina is a 4.5hr drive.
Whichever direction you arrive from, once you leave the highways you’ll instantly feel a sense of quiet and calm surround you when you get closer to Townsend. We felt like the mountains surrounding this place have created some sort of impenetrable barrier to the outside world. You’ll find whatever stress you left at the airport or on the highway drive will melt away on arrival.
Where to Stay in Town
Little Arrow Resort on Little River
Once you make it to this peaceful paradise, there are a few options for places to stay:
Chris and I loved our stay at Little Arrow Resort. It’s located right between the end of town and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with a property stretching from Little River to the foothills of the Smokies.
You can stay in cabins here or camp with an RV, but Chris and I had a comfortable stay in one of their tiny cabins. Each tiny cabin has several beds, an outdoor porch with ample seating and a fire pit.
The resort has a lot of amenities like a swimming pool, a coffee and games lounge, a playground and fire pits, perfect for families or group trips.
Dancing Bear Lodge is a beautiful, more secluded property on the other side of town. It’s deep in the forest, with villas, cabins and cottage options you can book on site, and an excellent restaurant in the dreamiest of settings to boot. More on that later!
You can also use this map to help you find the right place to stay for your trip to Townsend:
Some of My Favourite Experiences from Our Trip
There is no shortage of things to do on a visit to Townsend, but there were definitely a few standout experiences that I’d recommend prioritizing during your visit. These were by far the most memorable for Chris and I, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share them with you here!
Take a Guided Tour of Cades Cove. We went on a tour from Townsend with Smoky Mountain Guides around the Cades Cove section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cades Cove is a famous oasis within the park with open pastures enveloped by mountains and forests. It’s well known for its abundance of black bears and Appalachian history. Our guided tour was great for a few reasons:
Cades Cove can become congested easily. It’s recommended to visit this part of the park in the early morning when it opens, or before dusk when the park is quieter. Cades Cove is accessed by driving on a single lane road, so any way to limit the number of vehicles in the area is a bonus for wildlife.
This tour also allowed us to learn much more about Indigenous groups and settler life in this part of the park, the foundation of the park and how to to see wildlife here responsibly. Without our guide we likely would have missed seeing a mother bear and her four young cubs at a safe distance, which was a highlight of our whole trip.
I went into more detail about our experience seeing bears in Cades Cove in this edition of my weekly travel newsletter. If you like learning more about travel, getting inspiration for future trips or learning about travel sales, news and giveaways, feel free to subscribe!
Savour a Tasting Experience at Company Distilling. Before we even got to Townsend, we heard from some folks in Tennessee that Company Distilling was a high-quality distillery that made some incredible spirits, and were they ever right! Company has signature whiskeys and exclusive whiskeys, in addition to other spirits like vodka and gin. We really loved trying the Tennessee Three Wood Straight Tennessee Whiskey, too.
You can choose from a Portfolio or Premium Tasting during your visit, but I’d recommend going for the Premium.
Indulge in a Dinner Experience at Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro. I’ve already mentioned how special Dancing Bear is for a stay, but their fine dining bistro is the perfect place to come for dinner or a special occasion. Fortunately, during our stay they happened to be hosting a Tennessee Distillers multi-course dinner event, put together in collaboration with local Tennessee distillers—if you haven’t gathered by now, sampling some finely distilled Tennessee spirits while you’re here is a must! It was a lovely evening where we got to sample so much about what makes this inventive bistro special.
Keep an eye out for special events happening at Dancing Bear during your stay. Throughout the year, they host special dinners and events for holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day and other occasions—well worth enjoying if you’re looking for a memorable culinary experience in town.
Watch the sunrise and sunset over the Smokies. All you need to do for this is pick an accommodation or head to a restaurant around sunrise or sunset. Early mornings and evenings work, too. I never quite understood why these mountains were called “The Smokies,” but after seeing the moody morning and evening clouds hanging over the mountains and forests, I get it now. Some of my favourite memories of the trip were taking a moment to appreciate the morning light and air from the balcony at our tiny cabin at Little Arrow Resort.
More Memorable Things to Do in Townsend Tennessee
Gallery Hopping and Shopping
Whether or not you’re an avid shopper or art lover, there are some great independent shops and galleries in Townsend that are well worth at least a browse during your vacation. But you’ll find more unique items than you may anticipate, and chances are you’ll walk away with something special after your time in town! A few of my favourites are:
Gracehill Fine Art & Basketry: This spot is owned by the loveliest local artisan, Kathleen A Janke, who specializes in basket arts, watercolour paintings and wooden arts. You’ll feel the warmth of her studio as soon as you walk in, and her pieces are incredibly unique. If we weren’t packing up our bags to fly back to Canada after the trip, I absolutely would have taken a few pieces home.
Townsend Mercantile: A great local shop with all sorts of Townsend-themed merch, clothing, housewares and gifts. You really won’t know what you’ll find in here until you visit, and they’ve curated a great collection of goods for visitors to enjoy.
Smoky Mountain Outdoor Center (SMOC): On top of being a basecamp for rentals and outdoor activities, their store here sells a lot of high quality outdoor gear. It’s the perfect place to come if you’re looking to update your outdoor wardrobe, or if you forgot something for your outdoor-focused or camping trip.
Some other spots worth stopping at are Townsend Art Center and Bigfoot in the Smokies.
Tuckaleechee Caverns
Tuckaleechee Caverns are some of the highest in the eastern United States
These privately operated, family run caverns are an excellent window into the wonders that lie beneath the Smoky Mountains. There are over 10,000 documented caves in Tennessee, but most aren’t publicly accessible or safe to visit. This one is, and it sure is impressive!
Several generations ago, Bill Vananda and Harry Myers discovered the caves by mistake as young kids in 1929, but their parents didn’t believe them. Years later, they created infrastructure and opened them up to the public in the 1950s, and the caverns continues to be run by the Vananda family today.
These caves are some of the highest in the eastern United States, and are accessible by guided tour only. Some of the highlights on a tour include seeing the “Big Room” at one end of the caves, which is nearly the size of a football stadium. On the other end of the caves is “Silver Falls”, a large waterfall inside.
Sipping & Dining
Beautiful views and great vibes at Peaceful Side Social
Like any good small-town getaway should, there are some great spots to enjoy a drink or bite while you’re in town. Here are a few I’d recommend stopping at:
Start your day at Towns End Coffee. At the time of our visit they had a stand-alone location, but due to a lease issue they’ve since closed. We’re told they’re working on reopening a new site soon, but in the meantime their drive-thru location connected to Townsend Mercantile is a great place to start your day.
Grab lunch at The Townsend Abbey. It’s located in a refurbished historic abbey in town along Little River, with several places to sit indoors, and a beautiful riverside patio for warmer days.
Have a cocktail on the beautiful outdoor patio at Company Distilling. Whether you plan to go for a tasting experience or not, this is a lovely place to spend the afternoon.
Enjoy a late afternoon drink or dinner at Peaceful Side Social. They offer an extensive selection of their own craft brews here, and have an extensive menu perfect for a casual lunch or dinner out. Both Peaceful Side and Company Distilling have play areas for kids, too, making these great options for families.
Appreciating the Quiet Pace of Townsend
Enjoying our porch at Little Arrow
A trip to Townsend is truly restorative. No matter how you choose to spend your time here, you’ll leave feeling a little lighter and breathing a little easier thanks to its quiet pace and the fresh mountain air.
I would have loved to extend our time by a few extra days to just sit and listen to the sound of the running water on Little River and read on the porch at Little Arrow Resort. Townsend is a special place, and as much as I hope to return again soon, I’m even more hopeful that you’ll have the opportunity to sit back and appreciate the peacefulness and serenity Chris and I found on our trip here.
I’d like to thank the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development for hosting Chris and I as media on our trip to Townsend. All opinions expressed in this article are entirely my own.
Bri Mitchell
Bri Mitchell is a travel writer and content creator from Toronto, Ontario. She loves to highlight all things nature, food, wellness, sustainability and adventure in her work. Bri writes and shares her travel experiences from across Canada, the United States and around the world on Instagram and TikTok (@brimitchelltravels), and in her articles for travelingmitch, Ultimate Ontario, and We Explore Canada.