Townsend, Tenn., sits in the Tuckaleechee Cove amid the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains with high ridges all around and the Little River flowing gracefully alongside its primary roadway, U.S. 321 North/Tenn. 73, also known as E. Lamar Alexander Parkway. Blount County, including Townsend, bills itself variously as "The Peaceful Side of the Smokies," "The Quiet Side of the Smokies," and the "Back Porch of Cades Cove." All are quite appropriate for this beautiful, laid-back gateway community to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where there is a literal gateway to the park if you take U.S. 321 North/Tenn. 73 East through Townsend and on into the park.
Very near the park's entrance you'll find the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center , a museum and repository for East Tennessee mountain culture. The Heritage Center's main gallery has exhibits displaying the region's Native American history, along with pioneer and mountaineer life in the region, and a transportation gallery showing the development of various forms of conveyance through the years from wagons to railroads and automobiles. The newest permanent exhibit is the National Parks Gallery, featuring the five national parks of East Tennessee, including of course, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center also has a 100-seat auditorium and a 500-seat amphitheater where occasional presentations and performances of various kinds take place.
Situated on the Heritage Center site are several authentic historic outbuildings common to the area including a cantilever barn, an early 19th century cabin that served as a rural post office and train depot, a late-19th century cabin, a sawmill, granary, smokehouse, moonshine still and a wooden outhouse.
Townsend and the rest of Blount County may be the Peaceful Side of the Smokies but that doesn't mean you can't have a little adventure here. Davy Crockett Riding Stables in Townsend offer the chance to ride a sure-footed steed through the beautiful terrain, led by an experienced equestrian. Not far away, you can stroll underground into the Tuckaleechee Caverns on a mile-long walkway. There in the depths you'll find the largest cavern room open to the public in the eastern United States, punctuated with stalactites, stalagmites and lots of smoothed flowstone. And hiking in these parts is of course sublime. All of these activities are extra-special this time of year when the trees are ablaze with fall foliage.
There are also plenty of pretty drives in the Townsend area and leading out from it. Two of the most exceptional fall scenic drives are easily accessible when headed out and eastward into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Curving around southwest on Cades Cove Loop Road and Laurel Creek Road takes you to the beautiful cove, one of the most-visited spots in the park and the reason for Townsend's "Back Porch of Cades Cove" designation. Another great drive follows the Little River Road running between Townsend and Gatlinburg.
Appealing lodging options are all over the place in and around Townsend, of course. B&Bs and rental cabins dot the gorgeous landscape. But you'd better not wait if you want to try to get one for the busy autumn season.
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