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Townsend / Great Smokies KOA
- 8533 State Highway 73
- Townsend, TN 37882
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Reserve(800) 562-3428
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2011 President's Award
KOA President's Award
Awarded to KOAs that meet exceptional quality standards and are recognized by their guests for outstanding service.
2011 KOA Founder's Award
KOA Founder's Award
KOA's highest service award, presented to KOA owners that achieve world class service scores from their camping guests.
KOA Kamp Green Recognition
KOA Kamp Green Recognition
This KOA meets the established criteria to become a greener campground operation and is recognized by the "Kamp Green" icon.
Known as "The Peaceful Side of the Great Smoky Mountains", it's a great place to come home to.
You won't want to miss the new KOA located in Townsend Tennessee. Known as "The Peaceful Side of the Great Smoky Mountains", it's a great place to come home to.
One of the premier campgrounds in Tennessee, the Townsend KOA features unrivaled natural beauty. Surrounded by the mountains, beautiful forests and the Little River, it provides a great setting for relaxing, putting your feet up and enjoying nature after a hard day of hiking or shopping.
All of our campsites have picnic tables and campfire rings. Our full hookup sites are level, grassy, have free cable TV, 30 or 50 amp service, and paved patios. Our water/electric and tent site areas range from semi-sunny to heavily wooded and secluded.
Looking to rough it in style? Book now to reserve one of our cozy log Tennessee cabins or lodges. In our specialty accommodations, you may not even feel like you're roughing it.
Additional amenities include a laundry, swimming pool, two very clean bathhouses, a modern playground for the little ones, a covered pavilion equipped with a large barbecue pit, horseshoe pits, a basketball court, wireless internet, bicycle rentals and an arcade.
Camping in Townsend should be your first choice if you're looking for outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities. The beautiful 5-mile long Townsend Bike Trail begins and ends just across the road from our campground. The campground borders the Little River, which flows out of the National Park. The river is excellent for swimming or tubing and is well known for great trout fishing. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Association stocks the river from our 1,650 feet of river frontage every two weeks during the summer. Tubes are available for rent through our Welcome Center.
Meet Your Hosts
Mark and Samantha Chipperfield joined Mark's parents in managing the campground in 1996; the property became a KOA Kampground in 2007. Having been in the business for a long time, they know that the key to running a successful campground is providing a consistent, quality experience.
"We strive to provide a clean, family-friendly campground where our guests want to return, year after year," says Mark. "We're humbled that our best and most far-reaching advertising is word-of-mouth referrals and our returning guests."
Before becoming campground managers, Mark worked as a geologist and Samantha worked in accounting. Now, when they get time off, Mark enjoys running and playing the clawhammer banjo. Samantha sings with her church praise team and "spends time away from Mark when he's playing his banjo!"
Samantha and Mark look forward to meeting you and helping you create your next vacation memory!
Campground Amenities
- Convenience Store with Texaco gasoline/diesel
- Planned Recreation
- Outdoor Movie Cinema
- Ice Cream and Fudge shop
- Bike Rentals (available with charge)
- Family Activity Area
- On site honey wagon pump (available with charge)
- Tube Rentals
Campground Activities
Tie-dyed T-shirts
Bring a piece of your trip home with you: make a t-shirt during craft hour. Your tie-dyed t-shirt will be a wearable memento from your vacation. With a demonstration and all supplies provided, this retro activity satisfies campers of all ages. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to tie-dye!
Top Your Own Sundae
I scream, you scream, we all scream for sundaes! We serve up your favorite toppings such as chocolate syrup and whipped cream, and a chance to mingle with your fellow campers.
Hay Wagon Ride
Hop on the KOA hay wagon for the camp crawl. Each day our tractor-pulled wagon, filled with families of happy campers, winds through camp. Don't be surprised to hear a serenade of campfire songs by the passengers on this rustic ride!
Tube Rentals
Tube rental (complete with unlimited shuttle service) is available from our front counter. With the shortest float on the Little River lasting about three hours, you can get picked up and dropped off to do it again. Life jackets are included with rentals.
Outdoor Cinema
The outdoor cinema is like a drive-in movie without the car. You can enjoy a family-oriented film under the stars. Grab your blanket and some change for the concession stand for freshly-popped popcorn, tasty treats and drinks. Be prepared to get comfortable and enjoy the show!
Playground Fun
At our KOA playground, kids rule. Here they can climb to new heights, swing into action and meet other junior campers in a safe environment. Our playground is designed to encourage exercise, social development, and, oh yeah, tons of fun!
Banana Bike Rentals
While a lot of people think of banana bikes as a "kid's thing," many parents have been inclined to take a turn on this three wheeling recumbent sensation. Low to the ground and easy to maneuver, banana bikes provide a novel form of campground transportation. Rentals are available hourly with discounts for multiple hours.
Local Attractions
Tubing
Tubing the Little River is the most popular water activity in this area. Our KOA is located on the Little River, so tubing fun is just a short walk away! Ask one of our staff about our tube rentals and convenient tube shuttle service.
Biking
Townsend has a wonderful 5-mile bike trail that begins directly across the street from our KOA. So remember to bring your bikes or swing by our welcome center and rent one of ours. We offer standard bicycles and banana peel bikes. You may also want to visit Cades Cove for an 11-mile loop bike ride. This
area is open on Saturday and Wednesday of every week (April thru September) until 10 a.m. for bike riders only.
Hiking
Our campground is located just ¼ of a mile from the entrance to the national park. This gives our campers close access to all the park has to offer, which happens to include an array of hiking trails. In the park you will find trails that will satisfy the family oriented hikers or the most experienced hikers. You can stop by our welcome center for directions to the most popular trailheads or stop by our Texaco convenience store and pick up your snacks and a map and make your own adventure!
Below are a few of the most popular trails:
Abrams Falls
Laurel Falls
Gregory Bald
Rich Mountain Trail
Golf
For those of you that love to golf, Townsend has a wonderful golf course located at the Laurel Valley community club. It boasts a fantastic 18-hole course along with a pro shop and club rental. The course takes you through a lush fairway with breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains.
Fishing
If fishing is your thing, then we have plenty of it! You can fish right from our campground, or if you like fly-fishing put your waders on and take a trip into the national park. We have several local shops that cater to the fisherman's needs. You could stop by The Backcountry, which is just a short ½ block walk from our campground, or visit the Little River Outfitter Shop where they have fly fishing classes.
Horseback Riding
Townsend offers several horseback-riding stables within just minutes of our campground. Horseback riding is just one way to enjoy the true beauty of what the Great Smoky Mountains have to offer.
Some of our favorite stables are:
Cades Cove
Davy Crockett
Packs Stables
Caving
Tuckaleechee Caverns, located in Townsend, are known as the "Greatest site under the Smokies". Carved over tens of thousands of years in one of the earth’s oldest mountain chains the caves are estimated to be between 20 and 30 million years old! Stop by our welcome center to pick up a brochure and receive information about one of Townsend’s attractions you don’t want to miss!
Peaceful Side of the Smokies!
Welcome to the "The Peaceful Side of The Smokies!" Soak up the fresh air and the beauty of the mountains, forests and rivers. Enjoy fishing and tubing on our river frontage and ride the Townsend Bike Trail that's just across the road! We know you'll love it here.
Cades Cove
Go see why this is the most visited part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! This 6,800-acre valley has trout streams, hiking and horseback riding trails and an 11-mile driving loop for you to enjoy. See pioneer homes and buildings, white-tailed deer, red fox, woodchucks and amazing views. Open daily sunrise to sundown. No entrance fee.
Festivals
Townsend is proud of its heritage and celebrates year-round! ChristyFest is held in June; an annual event celebrating the "Christy" book, movies and television series. Cast members, directors, writers and fans gather to share memories. The Spring Festival and Old Timer's Day and the Fall Heritage Festival bring the community together with food, arts and crafts, music, dancing and storytelling.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This world-renowned park has something for everyone! Hike and horseback ride over hundreds of miles of maintained trails. Take an auto tour of the area and enjoy spectacular views at the many overlooks. Fish for trout on over 700 miles of fishable streams! Tour 78 historic buildings to get a taste of American history. Enjoy waterfalls, wildflowers and wildlife viewing - don't forget your camera! Open year-round. No entrance fee.
Townsend
This small town's history goes back hundreds of years. First called Tuckaleechee Cove by the Cherokee, white settlers began arriving in the late 1700s. Around 1900, there was a logging boom and the town was named after the Little River Lumber Company president, W.B. Townsend. Since the 1930s, when the national park was created, Townsend has been a major portal into the park. Enjoy the rich Appalachian culture, beautiful scenery and wonderful people of Tennessee.
Little River Railroad & Lumber Co. Museum
Visit this museum for a view into the history and people of this beautiful region! Enjoy the collections of photos, papers, tools and artifacts as well as a vintage caboose, flatcars, steam engine and more! Open Monday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sunday, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm in June, July, August and October and Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sunday, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm in April, May and September. This attractions is located in Townsend.
Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center
Travel thousands of years into the past through gallery exhibits, educational programs and festivals! See 5,000 years of Native American life and pioneer and mountain culture. Tour log homes, a smokehouse and a cantilever barn while hearing stories told by costumed guides and craftsmen! Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sunday, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Admission is charged. This attractions is located in Townsend.
Fishing
If you love to fish, this is the place to be! With both the Little River and 750 miles of fishable streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at your feet, you will never run out of spots. Fish for rainbow, brook and brown trout in some of the best trout water anywhere! Go solo or visit an outfitter.
Biking
Enjoy the fresh air, scenery and quiet with a bike ride! There are miles of country roads beckoning you as well as the five mile paved trail along the river walk and the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop in the national park. Take your camera and a picnic and have a wonderful day! Bicycle rentals are available.
Hiking
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is filled with hiking trails ranging from easy to primitive. There are gentle hikes for the first-timers and backwoods hikes for the hardcore. The hiking trail choices include Schoolhouse Gap at four miles, Russell Field at ten miles and the Thunderhead, 14 miles of hard, but rewarding work.
Three Cities
Sevierville, named the county seat in 1795, suffered fires and floods through its history, but has come through stronger than ever. It is famous for shopping, great attractions and museums. Pigeon Forge had its humble beginnings in 1780 and tourism started booming in the 1930s! Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, it is home to family fun and outdoor adventures. Gatlinburg, founded in 1807 by Martha Jane Huskey Ogle, was called a "land of paradise." It is now a mountain resort destination with attractions.
Upcoming Events
Trout Fest
May 18-20, 2012
www.troutfest.org
Fly fishing exposition and fundraiser for fisheries conservation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Townsend Visitors Center
Smoky Mountain Highland Games
May 18-20, 2012
www.smokymountaingames.org
Maryville College Campus
Townsend Days
September 28-30, 2012
Bluegrass music, arts and crafts and a country fair!
Townsend Visitors Center
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
Little River Railroad Museum
Nawger Nob Craft Settlement
