Townsend-Great Smokies KOA

We have a 40ft 5th wheel and had a spot right by the water and wonderful view, we were able to go tubing and kayaking right by our camper and go hiking in the park not far from the campground (spruce falls is a must if you want to see a waterfall, its about 2 miles long roundtrip) although bears have been seen along the trails, you just have to be cautious. The campground has many trees so it doesn't feel like your in a trailer park and the people that work there are so friendly. I would definitely come back to this campground again.

Came in early January. Everyone that worked there went a love and beyond to help out. Right outside park, away from the mess of gatlinburg.

Stayed 5 nights here. Staff was nice and helpful. Clean campground. Most sites are landscaped. We stayed on the river with a deck. Deck could use some TLC, but it was a nice view. Bathhouses were immaculate. Nice playground. River was awesome for swimming and tubing.

Great place to camp. Not too hot in the summer, river passes by that is great for swimming, fishing and tubing. Range of sites and cabins. Many have brick or poured concrete pads with furniture and fire pit. Entrance to smoky mountains is less than 2 miles. This is a quiet family area and very laid back. We will be back.

Stayed here with some friends.  

This is a gorgeous spot to camp! The river is right next to the campground and you can always hear it.  The sites are close together, just as a lot of KOA's are set up.  The bathrooms are in great shape, nice and updated.   This is an area where you want to make sure your trash and food are kept put away due to the bear population.

The staff is friendly, the grounds are well kept.  There's a little store up on the hill where you can get necessities and ice cream, along with other things! It is a very touristy area, so keep that in mind when booking a site here. 

Camping at this spot gives you plenty of things to do.  Tubing/swimming/hiking/biking.  There are tons of hiking trails.  If you like to ride a bicycle, there's a trail that goes along the main road by the campground.   It's not complicated, but lots of hills.  The welcome center is a neat place to go take a look around.  They also have bluegrass festivals here throughout the year.  Easy access to Cade's Cove Loop and the state park.  

Townsend is a very pretty and nice area with lots to offer!

After backing into our snug site on the river, we were very happy with our site! Not only did we have cool neighbors, but our site also had a private little deck and a paved patio overlooking the Little River. This KOA is clean and folks are friendly. We spent 2 nights here and packed in all kinds of adventures in our short stay!

First of all, it’s a KOA, so I didn’t expect a lot when we came, but it’s close to Great Smokey Mountains NP. It has has water and electricity, and is tolerable for a night or two. As KOA’s go, this one is better than most I’ve been to. There are still some trees, and some shade, the sites are relatively level, snd the staff is friendly. The dog park is extra large, which my spaniels appreciated after several hours in the car. They have a pool and playground which I didn’t need, and a camp store. But, like all KOA places, they squeeze in as many sites as possible, with everyone stacked on top of each other. If you are looking for a relaxing location, this ain’t it!

Wonderful Campground, site 30 is amazing and convenient for families to playground/pool. Staff super kind and helpful. Clean restrooms and facilities. Would stay again. River tubing a fun activity, but not provided by campground.

Spent 3 nights at this KOA. Clean, Friendly and beautiful scenery without being off the grid. Tent campsite 125 is the best. Looks over the river and you can watch tubers fail for hours on end.

Super clean, friendly staff, great camp sites. I love the patio sites. Great access to the river for tubing!

If you're going to go to Smokie Mountain National Park, the is the side to stay on. Gatlinburg is absolutely nuts while Townsend is about 1000% calmer. The KOA is exactly what you'd expect. Knowledgeable staff and clean facilities. 

Pros: 

-Fantastic bathrooms and showers. Laundry was on point as well.

-The river is beautiful 

-Immediate access to the national park

Cons:

-Like most KOAs, it's packed.

-Children run the night like Westside Story.

-The playground was the center hub of a swarm of bees. 

Long story short, stay here. It's great.

The Townsend KOA is located close to the entrance of Cades Cove. It has many rv, tent, and cabin sites. The sites on the river seem to be the best. They are out of the way and a little more spaced out. We had the pull thru patio site #61. The site itself is really nice. It has a big patio and fire pit. The major downside is it’s next the main in/out and basketball court. So cars are driving by and the basketball court was slightly annoying. Lots of screaming kids and bouncing balls all day until midnight the first night. Not very peaceful. It’s weird that they put one of the nicer sites next to the court. Other than the site location everything was nice. The playground is large and nice. There’s a great store on site. The people were really helpful. Cellphone and WiFi was very hit and miss. I would definitely stay again but not in that site.

Riverside spots were a special treat. Great view, friendly neighbors, clean facilities. Pretty quiet in early March. WiFi was not fast enough to work but nearby coffee shop was cute, comfortable and accommodating! Although it’s right off the main drag, felt pretty secluded back by the river. Would’ve stayed longer if we didn’t have to switch sites.

We stayed here during Thanksgiving break 2020. We had a great spot on the river. The staff is very helpful and accommodating. We needed to work and do school while there and the Verizon cell service was limited and the WiFi signal was not great at our rig. The Lizard Lounge has a separate WiFi but you have to be inside or just outside to use it. Amazing river views and very close to the entrance of the National park. After walking around the river front patios are amazing followed by the river front decks.

Spacious and on the river. Close to the biking trails and Cades cove. Spots are clean, fire pits are great, well maintained pavers patio and nicely landscaped

The staff is extremely accommodating and very helpful. The bathrooms/showers were clean and the campground was well laid out. Awesome time to be in the smokies even if it is close to home for us.

Great location and well kept amenities. The spacing is crowded, you feel ur neighbor is in ur campsite. Don’t waste ur money on an upgrade site it’s not worth it.

This is one heck of a family getaway spot. The River is flowing behind the park, open to Tubers (Rental from the office), great outdoor playground and pool.

The park offers guests bike rentals, tube rentals, outdoor movie nights, ice cream and fudge, and a convenient store in the main building. Firewood is available for a fee. They have a snack bar too. They have a Hay Ride that currently cannot be accommodated but hopefully will again soon (Covid).

Many of the RV Sites have water views or are located on the water. They offer cabins for rental as well.

This location had poor TMobile service but better AT&T. Streaming was limited during our stay.

They do have cable tv, 50amp power, honey wagon service, and a dog park.

My family and I have been camping at this campground for over 25 years now. When we first started going here it was a small family owned business and it has certainly changed since KOA took over but I think they’re all positive, just less of the charm. The sites along the river are by far the best, and the cost is reflective of that. They upgraded the bathhouse to be climate controlled recently... the best upgrade!!! The location is superb, right outside cades cove and a five min drive from put in for tubing down the river and one of the few places you can simply tune to without having to pay a service to shuttle you one way or the other. The staff is amazing. Definitely a must stop!

This was our very first stop with our first camper and it couldn't have been a better experience. There's tons to do nearby and it's a beautiful setting.

Nice camping spots and also have cabins on the stream.

We stayed here off-season, so it was super quiet and empty, and we could experience all of the amenities that they have to offer, but what we saw if the grounds was wonderful. The sites are nice, and the RV sites have a stone patio, stone firepit, and a composite patio table with patio chairs, which was a lot nicer than the 'rustic' wooden picnic tables we are used to. The resort offers free WiFi and cable. The playground is huge and newer and my kids loved it. The KOA campstore onsite had groceries, cold drinks, camp essentials, and firewood.

We stayed here a couple summers ago and this place was great. Activites for the family on weekends and real close to the park. Lets not forget the creek for tubing. Got a picture of this bald eagle fishing while we were there too.

Amazingly clean campgrounds 10 minutes from the entrance of the National Park and 20 minutes from the Visitor's Center.

You have a choice of "rustic" tent sites, tent sites with water/electric/cable hook-ups, RV, or Cabins. All sites are pet-friendly including cabins. All camp sites include fire pit and picnic table.

Lots of amenities are included in your stay. 2 bathroom areas, 1 shower area, pool, wi-fi, etc.

There's a general store in front of the campgrounds with gas station and small cafe attached. The general store will even deliver your purchased firewood to your site.

This Koa is near a lot recreational places and some restaurants. Also near towns like Gatlinburg, Pidgeon Forge and Knoxville.

A nice vacation spot.

This is a very well run quiet campground. We got a site right by the river with a patio deck. The campground is clean and well kept. Lovely playground for the kids. Right next to the entrance to the Great Smokey mountains. Townsend is a lovely town for eating and lots of walking trails. It is a short drive into pigeon forge if you want more activities to do. I highly recommend this full service campground.

We loved the campground. Clean and staff are awesome. The Little River runs behind it. Go tubing!!! So much fun. We booked for next year.

We come here every year. Always helpful and it’s beautiful. The campground is very well kept. We spend thanksgiving here every year.

Great if you want a lot of amenities like a shower, pool and playground. But for $60 a night I can get a hotel.