Townsend is a city in Tennessee on the western side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is one of the park's main gateways.
Get in
By air
Mc Ghee Tyson Airport (dead link: January 2023) (IATA: TYS) is located a few miles west in Maryville, accessible via US 321.
By car
From Knoxville, US Route 129 from downtown and the Pellissippi Parkway/Interstate 140 connect to Townsend.
Get around
See
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Abram's Falls
- Ace Gap
- Cades Cove Loop Road
- Cades Cove Museum/Thompson-Brown House
- Cable Mill Visitors Center
- Chestnut Top
- Cucumber Gap Loop
- Elkmont Historic District
- Foothills Pkwy
- Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
- Gregory Bald
- Gregory Bald Trail
- Hitch Pond
- Laurel Falls
- Little River Road
- Lumber Ridge
- Middle Prong
- MTN Trax
- Oconaluftee Visitor Center
- Pleasant Hill Vineyards
- Rich Mountain
- Rich Mountain Loop
- Russell Field
- Schoolhouse Gap
- Spence Field
- Sugarlands Visitor Center
- Thunderhead Mountain
- Tremont Outdoor Resort
- Tuckaleechee Caverns
- Tuckaleechee Caverns Biking Trail
- Tuckaleechee Cove
- Wears Valley
- West Prong
Do
- Biking. Velo View Bike Tours
- Fishing.
- Golf. Laurel Valley Golf Course & Laurel Valley Resort
- Hiking.
- Horseback. Cades Cover Riding Stables
- Tours. Cades Cover Heritage Tours
- Tubing.
- Zipline.
- Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon
- Smoky Mountain Classic
- Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival
- Smoky Mountain Snowdown: Winter Heritage FestivalTownsend Spring Festival
Buy
- Antique Outlet Mall, 4538 E Lamar Alexander Parkway, Walland, +1 865 977-8641.
- Antique Time-Clock Shop, 319 S. Magnolia Street, Maryville, +1 865 977-0270.
- Dogwood Mall, 8455 State Highway 73, Townsend, +1 865 448-2281. Daily 10AM - 5PM.
- Druid Hill Antiques, 2726 Druid Hill Drive, Maryville, +1 865 233-5365.
- Foothills Mall, 197 Foothills Mall Drive, Maryville, +1 865 982-3613. M - Sa 10AM - 9PM, Su noon - 6PM.
- Foothills View Antiques, 3723 E Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, +1 865 981-9590.
- Gerred's Collectibles and Treasures, 1529 E. Broadway Avenue, Maryville, +1 865 981-1094.
- Good Ole Girls Antiques, 2728 E Broadway Avenue, Maryville, +1 865 233-3810.
- Hall's Furniture and Auction, 3501 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, +1 865 983-1598.
- Heart of Blount Antiques, 1535 E Broadway Avenue, Maryville, +1 865 982-0290.
- Hwy 411 South Antiques and Auction, 5003 Highway 411 South, Maryville, +1 865 856-5500.
- Ilona's Antiques, 5140 Hwy 411 South, Maryville, +1 865 856-5768.
- Lincoln General Store, 705 E. Lincoln Road, Maryville, +1 865 980-5725.
- Little River Outfitters, 106 Town Square Drive, Townsend, +1 865 448-9459. Fishing licenses may be obtained here.
- Little River Trading Co., 2408 East Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Townsend, +1 865 681-4141. M-F 9AM-7PM, Sa noon-6PM, Su noon-5PM.
- McQuade Antiques - British Imports, 3731 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, +1 865 696-1268.
- Memories of the Past Antiques, 931 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, +1 865 982-2810.
- Parkway Antique Mall, 746 W Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, +1 865 983-8516.
- Rivermill Antique Mall, 4618 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Walland, +1 865 977-0810.
- Skypad Vintage Antique Mall, 802 Montvale Road, Maryville, +1 865 980-1950.
- Trader Dave's, 515 Foothills Plaza, Maryville, +1 865 643-0702.
Eat
- Little River BarBeQue, 8303 Hwy 73, +1 865 448-448-2500.
- Riverstone Lodge, 8511 Hwy 73, +1 865 448-6677.
Drink
Sleep
Budget: under $45, mid-range: $45 - $60, splurge: over $60 (standard double room).
- Best Western Cades Cove Inn, 10035 Campground Drive, +1 865 448-2472.
- Blackberry Farm, 1471 West Millers Cove Road, Walland, +1 865 380-2260.
- Cades Cover Campground, 7824 East Lamar Alexander Pkwy, +1 865 448-9000.
- Headrick's River Breeze, 8242 TN 73, +1 865 448-2389.
- Highland Manor Inn, 7766 East Lamar Alexander Pkwy, +1 865 448-2211.
- Moon Shadow Lodge, 1247 Schoolhouse Gap Rd, +1 865 567-2871.
- Riverstone Lodge, 8511 TN 73, +1 865 448-6677.
- Talley-Ho Inn, 8314 TN 73, +1 865 448-2465.
- Townsend Gateway Inn, 8270 TN 73, +1 865 238-0123.
- Tremont Lodge, 7726 East Lamar Alexander Pkwy, +1 865 448-3200.
- Tuckaleechee Village Motel, 7281 East Lamar Alexander Pkwy, +1 865 448-2267.
Go next
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Adjacent
- Maryville is a small college town 20 minutes west of Townsend and half an hour south of Knoxville.
- Gatlinburg. About an hour's drive.
- Chattanooga. About two hours' drive to the home of the Tennessee Aquarium.
- The Museum of Appalachia (dead link: December 2020) in Norris. About 30 minutes north of Knoxville on I-75. See how settlers in Southern Appalachia lived. This area was once "the Wild West". The museum features pioneer artifacts and authentic buildings. There are special events in the spring, the Christmas season, and the Fourth of July (anvil shoot!).
- Oak Ridge, Manhattan Project site and host of the annual Secret City Festival. About an hour west