Townsend, Tenn. — "The Peaceful Side of the Smokies" is the perfect destination for folks who love mountain towns but don't like the congestion of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

The biggest attractions around these parts are Tuckaleechee Caverns ("Greatest Site Under the Smokies") and historic Cade's Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you really want to visit Dollywood or Ripley's Aquarium or do some outlet shopping, just drive over the mountain and through Wear's Valley via U.S. 321 north to U.S. 441.

Maple Leaf Lodge
Built from Engleman spruce, log pole pine and cypress harvested from forest fires in Montana, Wyoming and Canada, the Maple Leaf Lodge is about five minutes from the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Maple Leaf Lodge
The large living room with beamed cathedral ceiling and two-story stone fireplace with hand-carved mantel is a nightly gathering place to pick up a few s'mores and some friendly conversation.
PAULA CROUCH THRASHER/AJC
Woodcarver Billy Reynolds carves images, including Indian heads and eagles, from driftwood and stumps at Mountain Creations Gallery at Nawger Nob.
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Hang your hat

• Maple Leaf Lodge: It may not be as elegant — and it's certainly not as expensive — as its sibling, the much-lauded Blackberry Farm in nearby Walland. But don't think that Maple Leaf is some kind of ugly stepsister.

Open since August 2004, the Maple Leaf has 12 king-bedded rooms in the main lodge, which was built from Engleman spruce, log pole pine and cypress harvested from forest fires in Montana, Wyoming and British Columbia. All but three of the 17 one- and two-bedroom rustic but handsomely furnished log cabins have hot tubs on the deck.

The entrance to the 36-acre retreat, tucked into the woods not far off U.S. 321, is adjacent to the busy commercial complex of Apple Valley Farms, whose three red-roofed log barns house the Crafts and Country Store, Country Elegance Quilts and Gifts and Apple Valley Kitchens, purveyors of fried apple pies and apple dumplings, country hams and hoop cheese, caramel apples and fudge.

But once you wind up the long driveway, you feel very far away from it all — and very much at home.

Like Blackberry Farm, known for exemplary service, Maple Leaf aims to please guests with bend-over-backward hospitality that caters to every whim.

Matt Alexander, a former general manager at Blackberry who's a managing partner at Maple Leaf, knows comparisons are inevitable. But he thinks guests will appreciate the differences.

"We are always going to be a lodge experience: casual, laid-back, redefining luxury in a rustic atmosphere. We're not going to be Blackberry, which is a luxury resort, but we're going to be the best lodge and cabins."

A continental breakfast of fresh fruits, cereals, muffins and pastries is served to guests each morning, and there are plans to open a restaurant next spring.

While the lodge rooms are decorated in hand-hewn wood furnishings and patchwork quilts, the cabins feature iron beds with plaid, chambray and denim linens and oversize brown leather chairs. The cabins have full kitchens and wood-burning fireplaces.

The resort has hiking trails, horseback riding and bike rentals and can arrange guided fly-fishing trips to the Little River. The 24-speed Cannondale road bikes are perfect for exploring Townsend along a nine-mile paved trail.

Each evening at dusk, guests gather at the fireplace on the lower deck outside the lodge for s'mores and conversation, or to use a hot tub on the deck. At day's end, the rocking chairs on the front porch of the cabins get a workout.

Information: From downtown Atlanta, take I-75 north to U.S. 321 (Exit 81, Lenoir City) and follow U.S. 321 east through Maryville to Townsend. It's about a three-hour drive. Lodge rooms, $119-$129; one-bedroom cabins, $129-$269; two-bedroom cabins, $149-$299. 1-800-369-0111, http://www.mapleleaflodge.com.

Eating out

• Foothills Milling Co.: In a barnlike building on U.S. 321 in Wear's Valley, halfway between Pigeon Forge and Townsend, is a restaurant that brings cultured cuisine to the mountains. Chef Bart Vaughan uses the freshest local and regional products in clever creations, such as appetizers Vidalia onion and goat cheese tart with applewood bacon in a cornmeal crust ($9), goat cheese and grape salad with spice-crusted nuts and raspberry vinaigrette ($7), and entrees such as cedar planked salmon ($22), blue crab-crusted halibut ($27) and an amazing 10-ounce Angus filet with blue cheese crust with red wine sauce, mushroom tart and mashed potatoes ($35). And don't get me started about the peach cobbler with buttermilk ice cream ($8).

Red and cream walls are accented by curtains and tablecloths in coordinating toile depicting milling scenes. Poster-size black-and-white photos of the Cable Mill at Cade's Cove grace the walls. A working gristmill in a glassed-in area off the dining room grinds the cornmeal used for crusts and corn bread croutons.

Also recommended: Timbers Restaurant, Trailhead Restaurant, Smokin' Joe's BBQ, Cartwright's, Back Porch Restaurant and Carriage House, all in Townsend.

See and do

• Biking and hiking: Guests of Maple Leaf Lodge can rent bicycles on-site. Bicycles can also be rented at Cades Cove Bike Shop (865-448-9034), Sunshine Funtime Rentals (865-448-0230) and That Scooter Place (865-448-1949) in Townsend. Pick up a guide to biking and hiking trails at the Townsend Visitors Center, check out the Townsend Vacation and Field Guild at http://www.smokymountains.org or call 1-800-525-6834.

• Tubing: Float the Little River on tubes rented from River Rat (865-448-8888) and River Rage (865-448-8000). Shuttle service is provided.

• Horseback riding: Hit the trails with guided tours at Apple Valley Riding Stables (865-448-8300), Cades Cove Riding Stables (865-448-6286), Davy Crockett Riding Stables (865-448-6411) and Rock-n-Horse Stables (865-448-3957).

• Tuckaleechee Caverns: Go underground where Cherokee Indians hid out more than a century ago. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through October; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 1-15. 865-448-2274.

• The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum: Learn about the history of steam logging in the Smokies. 865-448-2211, http://www.littleriverrailroad.org.

Pull over for

• Nawger Nob: At Sister Cats, real-life sisters Connie Millar and Joyce Creek serve "a curious collection" of antiques, garden art, gifts and collectibles along with lunch. Try the smoked chicken salad with dried cranberries, pecan and celery in a curry mayonnaise dressing with a side of White Rabbit Salad (a concoction of cottage cheese, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, diced apples, sunflower and poppy seeds in a honey dressing) or the spinach enchilada with a side of mandarin salad. Tiny orange marmalade muffins are included in the $7.95 price for an entree and salad. Unable to resist the made-from-scratch desserts, we took blueberry cheesecake bars and cappuccino nut squares for the road. 865-448-0033.

While at "the Nob," visit Mountain Creations Gallery, where Terri Reynolds sells her handcrafted birdhouses and gemstone jewelry, and husband Billy carves images, including Indian heads and eagles, from driftwood and stumps. 865-448-8100.

Across the parking lot is Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers, where you can buy one of Allen Goodman's carved walking sticks or stock up on woodcarving supplies and instruction books. You might even want to sign up for a class. 1-800-541-5994. 865-448-6350, http://www.woodcarvers.com.

Plan your visit around

• Townsend Heritage Festival and Old Timers Day: The celebration Friday and Saturday at the Townsend Visitor Center features old-time skills demonstrations, a petting zoo and animal rides, arts and crafts demonstrations, bluegrass music and jammin' on the porch, storytelling by Sam Venable, scarecrow auction, pumpkin patch and painting for children, and cake walk and bake sale. Food and beverages will be sold. 1-800-525-6834. (The center is a good place to stop any time for information on activities in Blount County and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.)

• Nawger Nob Craft Show: The show on Saturday and Sept. 25 features about 80 artists selling woodcarvings, baskets, paintings, pottery, chairs, birdhouses and other locally made mountain crafts. Also, food and mountain music. 1-800-541-5994, 865-448-6350, http://www.woodcarvers.com.

• The Passion Play in the Smokies: The life of Christ told through drama, music and Hebrew dance. Presented by Chilhowee Baptist Association in partnership with Crown of Thorne Ministry at the Townsend Amphitheater on Bethel Road. Performances are at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sept. 25, Sept. 30-Oct. 1 and Oct. 7-8, 14-15 and 21-22. 865-982-0499, http://www.passionplayinthesmokies.