We visited Townsend as part of our Thanksgiving Mountains loop in November 2025.

Townsend had been on our radar since we researched a Smokies trip in 2020. Of the Tennessee-side gateway towns to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it appealed most to us as a base from which to explore the Cades Cove section of the national park.

Townsend calls itself “the peaceful side of the Smokies,” and compared to neighboring Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, the motto is absolutely apt. We did not particularly like the Pigeon Forge area during our brief stay in October 2020, but overall, we liked Townsend. It had enough cute shops and eating and drinking establishments to keep us entertained for a couple days, while we weren’t playing in the woods. If you need more excitement—and we didn’t get to experience these—there’s a six-mile bike path through town, and Tuckaleechee Caverns (the “highest rated cave or cavern in the Eastern US”) is just a few miles down the road.

From Morgantown, our route took us west to Asheville (where of course we stopped for salads from Botiwalla) then north into Tennessee. I-40 was full of big trucks and tight construction squeezes; the smaller roads beyond the interstate were harrowing with a big trailer. Thanks, Google, for the creative “shortcuts.”

Two days later, heading back south to North Carolina, we opted to drive through the national park on Newfound Gap Rd despite declaring it too sketchy 5 years ago, and after the first several slightly-nerve wracking miles it was no problem with our 28-foot Airstream. We were lucky to find an empty parking lot near the top to pull over and eat sandwiches with a super view. (J has been on a kick of making Matthew McConaghey’s tuna salad recipe for Airstream sandwiches and the recipe is GOOD.)

Campground

We stayed at Mountaineer Campground, and it was good, if a bit cramped. There are several campgrounds just east of Townsend towards the national park entrance, and I honestly don’t remember why I chose Mountaineer over the others. Our shady, narrow site overlooked Little River and was pleasant while we didn’t have neighbors. The massive 5th wheel that later parked on one side of us was so close that the kids tromping around in their trailer sounded like they were running back and forth on our roof.

Mountaineer’s location was convenient to both Townsend and the national park entrance, and walking distance to a distillery and I think a couple restaurants—we were so late in the season that only the distillery was open. More on that below.

Yes, there are a few campgrounds (with no-hookups) in the national park (I researched them in this post) that can handle a trailer of our size, but it was late November, so we wanted power and water in case cold weather forced us to cozy up indoors.

Hiking

We did two hikes and a scenic drive in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But first, a word of warning about the Cades Cove section of the national park: be emotionally prepared if you’re visiting with an impatient person, even at 8am on an off-season Tuesday. There WILL be many slow-moving cars on the road ahead of you, and lots of drivers fail to follow park guidelines to pull off to the side when they stop to look at something. Not as bad as Yellowstone driving, of course, but in the same vein.

The 11-mile Cades Cove scenic route begins nine miles from Mountaineer campground. It’s a lovely drive, if sloooow, with numbered stops along the way and a cheap ($1 or $2 from a dispenser near the beginning) guide to describe what you’re seeing.

Cades Cove was initially a Cherokee village (Kade was the local Cherokee leader), then later a European settlement in the 1800s, with as many as 671 residents in the mid-1800s. The population declined through the Civil War (the pro-Union settlement was repeatedly raided by Confederate locals) and finally the remaining citizens were forced out when the national park was formed in the 1930s. Historical structures remain, and the scenic drive circles the beautiful, foggy valley ringed by mountains.

Abrams Falls

We broke up the scenic drive with a hike. If you’re planning to park anywhere in GSMNP for more than 15 minutes, make sure you buy a parking permit from the machine near the entrance. We had the five-mile roundtrip trail to Abrams Falls mostly to ourselves, as shortly after we set out the skies opened up. The best kind of hikes to do on a rainy day are waterfall hikes!

Upper Meigs Falls

On our last morning in Townsend, we hiked to Upper Meigs Falls, an easy and pretty 3.5 mile hike starting at The Sinks, a dramatic roadside cascade made when loggers dynamited a tight section of the river to allow logs through. The Sinks parking area was busy, but the trail was empty and enjoyable.

Here’s a nice list of hikes in the Cades Cove area.

And, for future reference, here are the big view hikes we tagged that are closer to Cherokee, warranting a stay on that side of the park:

• Moderate 4.6 mile hike to Peregrine Peak
• Hard 11.2-miler to Mt LeConte that includes Peregrine Peak; one of the most popular trails in the park
• Moderate 8 mile hike to Charlie’s Bunion
• Moderate 3.6 miler to Andrew’s Bald
• Hard 3.7 miler to Chimney Tops, an iconic Smokies hike, but mostly stairs

Eating and Drinking

Food

The only meal we ate out in Townsend was dinner at Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro. It felt very fancy for a quiet mountain town, and J said his chicken dish was incredible. From what we could see of the lodge in the dreary rain, it’s super cute.

Drink

We hopped around a bit over our two days to try to experience as much of Townsend’s scene as possible!

But first, coffee: We took our computers to The Artistic Bean for some cozy wifi time. It’s a cute spot, and good for sipping and working.

Now, onto the adult beverages:

The Abbey: We were excited about this one because of its uniqueness: it’s a former wedding chapel on the banks of the Little River. It has a bright, crowded restaurant space inside, and a fantastic riverside yard where we ended up with a regional beer and cider. For the non-RVers, the two rental houses across the river look super cool.

Peaceful Side Social: This is the Townsend sibling of Peaceful Side Brewery, 25 minutes away in Maryville. Similar to The Abbey, it was full of bright lights and families eating dinner. We sat at bar for a quick taste of Peaceful Side beer; J’s IPA was okay, and the sour was too sweet so I opted for prosecco. Had we stayed for dinner, the bowl on the menu looked especially yummy.

Tavern at Wild Laurel: In our quest to find an actual bar, and not a restaurant with a bar, we drove out to the golf course at the edge of town. Score! It was the perfect spot to enjoy a localish beer (I had a PBJ sour from Xul in Knoxville that I had adored when we Airstreamed there in December 2023!) with friendly staff and a view of the golf course and mountains beyond.

Company Distilling: We felt like we had to pop into the distillery because of its proximity to our campground. The drinks were fine, and they have lots of merch if you’re in the market.

Last and least, we attempted to stop at Mountain Brothers Brewing in Wears Valley on the initial drive into Townsend, only 15 minutes away. It was a mistake: the parking situation was suboptimal for a big trailer, and the place was packed, so we bailed.

And now we head south again, back to North Carolina and one of our new favorite stops, Brevard!