Brian Stansberry/Wikimedia Commons
Nested in the Smoky Mountains in southeastern Tennessee, Townsend is a good base point for all of the great outdoor activities available there. Visitors can fish, hike, or go tubing, canoeing and mountain biking. They can also camp, which doubles as both a cheap way to stay in the area and the best way to spend the most time enjoying the mountain air and scenery.
Big Meadow Family Campground
This campground was one of Trailer Life Directory's Top Rated Parks for 2009, placing it among the top 3 percent of the campgrounds in its index. However, this is an RV-oriented campground, so if you plan to use tents, you may wish to look elsewhere. All sites have electrical, water and sewer hook-ups, and the campground has its own store (propane is stocked there), laundry, playground, fitness center, game room and showers. The campground is adjacent to the Little River, so anglers can go trout fishing without having to leave the facility. It is also close to areas where you can go tubing or mountain biking. Fireworks on the campground are banned, an important note in fireworks-friendly Tennessee.
8215 Cedar Creek Road
Townsend, Tennessee 37882
(865) 448-0625
www.bigmeadowcampground.com/
Tuckaleechee Campground
This is a mixed campground, with 50 RV sites (full hook-ups) as well as a selection of tent-friendly sites. Thirty tent sites have access to electricity and water taps, while 17 others are primitive. Every site has its own fire ring, and the facility has showers. They are just a few miles from biking paths, hiking trails and a local swimming hole.
7301 Punkin Lane
Townsend, Tennessee 37882-3103
(865) 448-9608
http://www.imagesbuilder.com/tuckaleecheecamp/
Tremont Outdoor Resort
This campground has an outdoor swimming pool, three shower houses, courts for volleyball and basketball, a playground, a laundry, a camp store and a game room. The site is on the Little River, and campers can go tubing right from the campground. All sites have full hook-ups for RVs, and the riverfront sites have their own campsite decks. The campground also has a number of cabins available for rent. However, this is a primarily RV-friendly campground, and tent campers would probably be happier somewhere else.
118 Stables Drive, Highway 73
Townsend, Tennessee 37882
(865) 448-6363
www.tremontcamp.com
About The Author
Richard Thomas has been writing since earning his M.A. in international affairs in 1997, frequently writes about hiking and scuba diving for Trails.com, and also works as the Budget Travel topic manager for eHow and the senior travel editor for Associated Content. His 2009 work on Portuguese hiking and artisanal cheeses has also appeared in print.
