Family Vacation To KOA Townsend In Smoky Mountains

We love the Smoky Mountains. We usually take an annual camping trip in the summer time but we were recently blessed with the opportunity to stay at a KOA Townsend TN cabin which was much needed since my father-in-law was coming too. Five people and 3 generations squeezed into one tent would have been to much! Our KOA Smoky Mountains cabin was located in Townsend, Tennessee. This is know as the “Peaceful Side of the Smoky Mountains”- perfect for nature lovers. It is a goregous place to stay at the foot of the Smokies that offers all the amenities a nature lover could want- fishing, tubing, mountain views, hikes, horseback riding, and more with less of the crowds and commercialism. Townsend is also very close to Gatlinburg, TN so you can make an easy day trip over there if you want to have a bit fancy food, shopping, and entertainment.

Townsend / Great Smokies KOA Holiday Reviews

The Townsend / Great Smokies KOA did provide a stay in a rental Townsend KOA Cabin to facilitate this review. I will tell you all about our rental cabin, the KOA Tennessee Smoky Mountains location, and the amenities. I will also let you know about fun family activities.

KOA Smoky Mountains Cabin Rental

Looking for a smoky mountain KOA? We stayed at a Deluxe Cabin at the Townsend / Great Smokies KOA.  Deluxe cabins can vary by KOA location but ours included a bathroom with shower, towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner dispensers, and a hair dryer.  Our Townsend KOA cabin also had a partial kitchen with microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, toaster, dishes (no pots), utensils, dishrack, dish soap, and paper towels, a large flat screen TV with cable in living area, a small flat screen TV with cable in bedroom,  wireless internet, a gas BBQ Grill, an in-ground fire ring or fire pit, and an outdoor patio area with table and chairs. The cabin also had heating, cooling, and a ceiling fan.

The deluxe cabins are designed to sleep up to 6 people.  I hear pet units are available but we didn’t test that out.  Our Townsend KOA cabin had a sleeping loft area with two twin mattresses that could be pushed together or separate, a bedroom with a queen bed, and a pull out couch with double mattress.  Plenty of linens were provided.  The loft area was great for our kids.  My husband and I took the queen bed in the bedroom and my father-in-law tried out the pull out bed from the living room couch.  Everyone fit comfortably.

The Townsend KOA deluxe cabin had everything we needed so we just had to pack clothes and a cast iron skillet.  The cabin was located right on the crystal clear Little River so we had great views and could listen to the relaxing sound of the river.  Another one of the great things about a cabin rental at the Townsend KOA is that you get access to the KOA campground Townsend Tn amenities.

Townsend Great Smokies KOA Amenities

Amazing View and Access To River

The KOA Great Smoky Mountains deluxe cabins are located right on the river’s edge.  Not only do you get a great view, but you also get river access.  Little River is perfect for tubing and swimming (only about waist deep in most areas) during warm weather seasons and I know that if it had been any warmer we would have had plenty of time in that crystal clear river.   As it was still a bit cool, we didn’t swim but my kids loved crossing the shallow part of the river onto the island in front of our cabin and playing in their own little world.

Amazing Playground

The Townsend Great Smokies KOA has the MOST AMAZING PLAYGROUND! Located at the center of the campground, the Townsend KOA playground is a huge attraction and there were always lots of other kids at the playground for my kids to play with. There is an awesome treehouse modern playground structure with multiple small treehouses hollowed out of tree trunks on the bottom level and multiple treehouses built above with connecting bridges, slides and rope ladders. I loved it. I think it may be the coolest playground I have come across. There was also a large swings section, a huge lower rock climbing wall section, a super tall rock climbing fixture, and a “log roll” play fixture.

Additional Amenities:

• Wi-Fi
• Cable TV
• Horseshoes area with horseshoes available to check out from office
• Basketball court
• Dog Run
• Covered Pavilion with seating
• Pool (5/23 – 9/9)
• Convenience Store
• Snack Bar ($)
• Propane ($)
• Fishing Access
• Firewood ($)
• Bike Rentals ($)
• Tour Shuttle ($)
• RV sites ($)
• Family Activity Area along the river with bench swings and flat area to play
• Picnic Tables
• Ice Cream and Fudge shop
• Planned Recreation Activities during summer months
• Tube Rentals

For more info on the Townsend / Great Smokies KOA or to book a stay, please visit the KOA website.

Townsend Smoky Mountains Activities

There are lots of activities you can do from your base location in Townsend, TN. After all, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park awaits you! There are plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities.

“Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park.”

We visited Cades Cove and checked out the old historic buildings. It was fun to see the old blacksmith building, a wooden mill, a smokehouse, barns, and a farmhouse.  My son also had fun running around the fields at Cades Cove with a fabulous view of the Smoky Mountains.  Can you spot him?  He looks like an ant! It is a great spot for wildlife viewing.

We hiked up to 80-foot high Laurel Falls. The round trip distance to the waterfall is 2.6 miles and the hike is considered moderate in difficulty. We did with our 6 year old and 9 year old. There are some parts that made my daughter a little frightened of heights but it was fun and a great view.

We also drove over to Cherokee, NC and up to Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

There is also a wide range of water activities like kayaking or white water rafting. It is such a great location in the foothills of the great smoky mountains. It is a great experience for families to enjoy for a long weekend or a full week of fun.

I hope you enjoy your visit to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Have you visited the Great Smoky Mountains before? What were your favorite things to do and see in the Smokies? Do you think you stay at the Townsend KOA? Have you tried KOA cabin rentals before?

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