Townsend, TN

Townsend is the quiet gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, sitting where US-321 enters Tennessee's most visited natural area. This small mountain community of 701 people offers easy access to Cades Cove and the Smokies without Gatlinburg's crowds. The town sits 30 miles from McGhee Tyson Airport and about 45 minutes from Knoxville via US-129 to US-321. Townsend proudly calls itself the "Peaceful Side of the Smokies."