Blount County: Mountains, History, and Nature Experiences

Blount County connects the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains with Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The landscape ranges from mountain-surrounded valleys and river sections to historic sites and scenic roads. Those looking for a vacation rental in Blount County can therefore plan their stay around their preferred focus: nature experiences, history, water activities, or a combination of several travel ideas.

Mountain Landscapes and Trails Around Townsend

Townsend borders Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Little River flows through the community. The national park offers more than 800 miles of hiking trails across an area of more than half a million acres. Another way to experience the landscape is the Foothills Parkway, a scenic panoramic road. There, a hiking trail approximately 0.8 kilometers long leads to Look Rock Tower.

South of Townsend lies Cades Cove, a scenic valley in Tennessee surrounded by mountains. Within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cades Cove has the greatest variety of historic buildings in any area of the park. This makes it possible to combine a day in nature with a look at the historical character of this landscape.

River Experiences and Special Excursion Destinations

At the Little River in Townsend, Smoky Mountain River Rat offers two tubing routes. The features mentioned include a private cliff jump, swimming areas, and several moderate rapids. The section of the Little River that runs through Townsend also offers easier access and an abundance of stocked fish. These different river activities give your travel planning a clear direction if you would like to combine active days on the water with excursions into the mountain landscape.

The Townsend River Walk & Arboretum is designed as a nature education park. Plaques on the trees provide information about their characteristics. For families who want to do more than simply cover ground while traveling and would also like to learn about the surrounding area, this creates a distinct way to connect with nature. The Townsend Heritage Festivals take place every spring and fall in the Great Smoky Mountains and add an additional cultural accent.

History and Cultural Insights

Maryville is home to the Sam Houston Schoolhouse State Historic Site. The single-story schoolhouse, built in the style of a log cabin, was constructed in 1794. Maryville is also home to the Cades Cove Museum in the historic Thompson-Brown House. It preserves stories, photographs, and artifacts from families who lived in Cades Cove before the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Blount County Historical Museum highlights in its exhibits the people, places, and stories that shaped Blount County.

The Townsend Visitor Center provides information about attractions, natural history, and cultural traditions in Townsend, Blount County, and Cades Cove. In the exhibition room, local artisans demonstrate their skills and sell their work.

Townsend as a Base and Other Places

For most visitors, a car is the easiest way to travel between the communities of Blount County and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Access to the national park leads through Townsend via US-321 North/TN-73 East and then via TN-73 into the park. When searching for a vacation rental, you can therefore first consider which combination of park landscapes, excursions, history, and water experiences is most important for your trip.

For further orientation, you can also visit Alcoa, Friendsville, Maryville, and Townsend. Other destinations for your search include Putnam County, Unicoi County, Giles County, and Roane County.

For the higher-level travel overview: Tennessee.