Recreational Activities in Townsend

Monday March 01, 2004

Nestled at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend is an ideal place to come to enjoy nature’s wondrous beauty. Whether golfing, horseback riding, hiking, biking , tubing or fishing is your choice, Townsend offers something for just about anyone. Golfing If you’re looking to slip a tee time into your mountain visit, you won’t have to look far to find the links. Blount County is home to five golf courses that are open to the public. Laurel Valley, located at 702 Country Club Drive in Townsend, is situated in the Laurel Valley resort. Scheduled tee times are recommended. The course is known for its excellent view of the Great Smoky Mountains. Laurel Valley has Bermuda grass fairways and bent grass greens. Egwani Farms, located on Singleton Station Road in Rockford, is a five-year-old course that offers a driving range, full-service pro shop and delicatessen, as well as tournament facilities. "Service is our forte," said Jay Roberts, club pro at Egwani. "We pride ourselves on our service. This is an upscale public course and we treat our players like guests." Egwani has Bermuda grass fairways and bent grass greens. In the winter, the fairways are covered with ryegrass. The 27-hold Lambert Acres Golf Club, the oldest course in Blount County, has been around since 1960. It features a pro shop and snack bar. The course is open year-round and no tee time is required. It is located at 3402 Tuckaleechee Pike in Maryville. Pine Lakes Golf Course opened in 1971. It has a driving range and snack bar. A tee time is required for weekends and holidays. Royal Oaks has been open for five years. It features a driving range and pro shop with a bar and grill. Tee time is required. Royal Oaks is located on Highway 411 South in Maryville. Horseback Riding There are six horseback riding stables in the Townsend area that are open year-round, seven days a week and another five, located inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, that are open on a seasonal basis. For riders who want to bring along their own horse, many facilities offer overnight stabling. Davy Crockett Riding Stables, located at 505 Old Cades Cove Rd. near Tuckaleechee Caverns, is only three-fourths of a mile from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The stables specialize in rides for church groups and other organizations, but also offer rides for individuals and families. The stables can accommodate up to 42 riders at one time. All groups have at least one guide. Rides are customized to meet the riders experience level and overnight pack trips in the Smokies are also available. Twin Valley Ranch in Walland offers horseback riding as well as accommodations in a bed and breakfast or a private log cabin. It’s a great place to go to slip away from it all and offers a marvelous view of the mountains. Twin Valley Ranch is a popular wedding and honeymoon spot. Other horseback riding stables in the area include the Double M Ranch in Louisville and Next to Heaven Riding Stables and Gilbertsons Lazy Horse Retreat, all located in Townsend. There are five horseback riding stables inside the National Park. General operation dates for stables inside the park are mid-March through Thanksgiving. Hiking More than 130 different trail segments, making up 800 miles of hiking trails, can be found throughout the National Park. Twelve of these trails are on the Blount County side of the Smokies. They range from easy to moderate to strenuous. The Cucumber Gap trail (5.5 miles), Laurel Falls trail (2.5 miles) and West Prong trail (5 miles) are considered easy. Moderate trails are Abrams Falls (5 miles), Gregory Bald (11 miles), Ace Gap Trail (8.5 miles), Russell Field (10 miles) and Spence Field (11 miles). Trails that are rated strenuous are Buckeye Gap (8 miles), Chestnut Top (9 miles), Middle Prong (an open-ended trail) and Thunderhead (13 miles). All of the trails provide hikers with excellent views of nature including the spring wildflowers and the splash of fall colors. Hikers often catch a glimpse of wildlife while on the trails. Abrams Falls and Laurel Falls are two of the most picturesque trails in the Blount County area giving hikers a view of waterfalls nestled among the forestry. Cucumber Gap is a relatively flat trail winding through the Elkmont area of the Park. Gregory Bald and Gregory Ridge are two popular trails that provide hikers with a good view of the fall colors. Biking For those who would rather view nature on two wheels, the Blount County area is home to a number of bike trails. All of the trails feature scenic views of the mountains and countryside, as well as views of many historic structures. One of the most popular trails among bicyclers is the Cades Cove Loop Road. The Loop Road is closed to auto traffic every Saturday and Wednesday from June through August until 10 a.m. The road is an 11-mile paved loop. It allows cyclists to get close to nature while also getting a glimpse of some of the oldest structures in the Park. Bicycle rentals are available at Cades Cove Store from April through October. Other trails include the 15-mile Louisville Lap, which takes cyclists through the historic community of Louisville and past scenic farmland and Fort Loudon Lake; the 18-mile Clover Hill Caper, which provides panoramic views along ridges and hills; and the 3-mile paved Townsend Bicycle Trail, which runs parallel to the main road. The Townsend Trail provides scenic beauty and access to restaurants, shops and motels. Tubing Tubing down the Little River can add a perfect splash to a hot, summer day. There are numerous tubing businesses along the riverside and several campsites in Townsend also offer tubes for the enjoyment of their guests. All you need to enjoy this warm-weather sport is a tube, swimsuit or clothes you wouldn’t mind getting wet in, and a pair of old sneakers or aqua shoes. Fly-fishing The Little River offers a setting straight out of a trout fisherman’s dream. You can travel for 17 miles down the east prong of the Little River, fishing from hole to hole, or choose to hike deep into the mountains and literally get away from everything. Townsend has two good fishing rivers: the Little River and Abrams Creek. There are a total of 700 miles of fishable trout streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Anglers can expect to catch three wild trout in this area - the Rainbow, Brown and Brook. The Rainbow trout was imported to this area from the West Coast and the Brown from Germany, both in the 1920s. Brook trout is native to this area. While there is some stocking of the streams outside the park, stocking has not been allowed in the park since the early 1970s. To fish in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, anglers need a Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license. To fish outside the park in Tennessee, fishermen need a Tennessee license and a trout stamp. For more information on recreational activities in Townsend, please call the Smoky Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-525-6834 or 865-448-6134.

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