An amazing and unforgettable experience - perhaps the crowning jewel of our entire trip. Olivia was…read morea knowledgeable and personable guide. I loved hearing about how the cave was discovered by little kids - brothers - who spent their childhoods playing in it, and how they later grew up to save enough money to buy it outright and keep it in the family thereafter (and it's still privately owned by the family to this day!) At the start, we were a bit concerned about the amount of walking - and in particular, the steps. Our youngest is at the age where he wants to be independent, but he needs extra time to manage stairs (and some of those passages were narrow and steep enough to where we didn't feel comfortable carrying him) but we needn't have worried. Our large group had some adults who needed extra time with stairs, as well as people who took full advantage of our pace to snap more photos (and I've been on another cave tour where we were rushed through and unable to take many photos at all); nobody seemed to mind. I was also worried about not bringing a sweater, as the cave is 58 degrees year round, but it's a little bit of a workout which keeps you warm. If you have any health issues like a heart condition or anything affecting the function of your lungs it might be too intense (I'm just fat, and it was mildly strenuous: just when your heart starts to pound and you're breath is coming in faster you've reached your next destination and you return to resting state - this happens a couple times.) The cave is like being on another planet. We snapped some amazing photos. When it was time to return to the world above, my kids were sad that it was over.

If you're heading to Townsend. Tuckaleechee Caverns is a must-do…read more This place is absolutely worth the visit. Pricing is reasonable, and the experience is unforgettable. We had Kash as our tour guide and he was fantastic, energetic, kind, and amazing with kids. He kept everyone engaged, answered every question, and clearly knows the caverns inside and out. Even in a large group, you could still hear him clearly throughout the walk. The tour runs about 1.5 hours and covers over a mile underground. Be ready for stairs, lots of them (around 87 steep steps on the way out), and this is not wheelchair or stroller accessible. The cave floor is wet, so good shoes are a must. You'll also duck in a few spots, but not constantly. The views are unreal: a waterfall, a stream, stalactites, stalagmites, and massive natural columns you get to see up close while learning the history behind them. It stays cool inside, but you'll warm up from all the walking. It's well organized even when multiple groups are passing each other, and everything flows smoothly. The gift shop is also a win: well stocked, fair prices, and they accept cards. Bottom line: if you love nature, caves, geology, or just want a unique family experience, this is 100% worth your time.

It's a nice spot to stay if you're not concerned about aesthetics. It gets the job done. The photos…read moredefinitely look nicer online. The staff is really nice. Love the location. Definitely a good option to stay. They are dog friendly, but make sure you tell them when you book.

This motel is conveniently located in Townsend and the outdoor seating and pool areas are decent…read more The rooms are small but clean with a TV. The room I had smelled like it had been smoked in which wrecked havoc on my sinuses. It smelled very bad. Also the mattress was uncomfortable and felt like it was very old. The sheets were rough and itchy so I slept in pants, but the air conditioner in the room kept it a good temp. Overall I wouldn't stay here again but in Townsend there are not a lot of motel options. The place needs an update and it could be worth trying.

Our family of 4 had a great time at Little Arrow! We stayed in a Premier Cabin which was perfect…read morefor us. Fantastic pool and playground for the kiddos. We also really enjoyed the hiking trail at the back of the campground. Our 2 interactions with camp store staff were very pleasant, and we met a lot of nice guests here too. Very quiet, clean, and well-maintained with lots of entertainment areas and community spaces available. It's so close to the national park and other off-site adventures, but you could easily have a stay-cation here and never leave! Wi-fi is included and worked great. One tip - if you plan to cook over the fire, get plenty of firewood because their fire pits are quite deep and the cooking grate height cannot be adjusted. Our kids are already asking when we can go back!

We camped here in our RV for the first time this Memorial Day weekend…read more Pros: - best campground pool I've ever seen with fountains and waterfalls - big pavilion with events and live music on the weekend - food truck stop - bike trails that can take you over to Burger Master for a flurry or burger To Improve: - If the road around the RV sites were all paved that would be fantastic. Our bikes (adults and kids) fish tailed a lot when riding around in the gravel to get to the paved parts that were around the rest of the campground (all of the other roads are paved to cabins and tiny houses, etc.). - The signs for the hot tub could be better placed. There were kids in the hot tub at the top of the stairs but there is sign that says adults only on the gate when you first walk up. On the back of the gate it says adults can ask kids to leave. My kids thought they were not allowed in the area at all because of the sign on the front of the gate. (My kids who don't splash or cause a ruckus.) My 11yo recommends switching the signs so it says that adults may ask kids to leave when you walk up, instead of "adults only". - Also, locks on the shower stall doors would be awesome too. When we were in there taking showers, people would yell "is someone in this one?" - because the doors didn't have locks and it was hard to tell which was taken. The bathrooms were nice and pretty clean, stalls were kind of small when helping a child (not much room to move around). - WiFi could be better. Overall, it was fun and we will be back. I would probably give it 5 stars once the RV loops are paved so it's safer to ride bikes throughout the entire campground. We saw kids walking their bikes out of the RV loops because it was so unsafe. I had some close calls a few times and I've been riding bikes for almost 40 years! We enjoyed the Capt'n Mac's Seafood and Grill food truck there for Memorial Day weekend.

We traveled to the Smokies for vacation and made a point of riding bikes at Cades Cove, so needed a…read morenearby place to stay. After exploring all the options, I decided on Townsend Gateway Inn because of their cottages. We stayed a couple nights and had a nice time. Staff were super friendly and check in was quick. We were given a couple goodie bags of candy and then made our way to our cabin. It's basically a small house, with a bedroom, bathroom, living room (with a futon), and small kitchen and dining area. It was perfect for our 4-person family. Air conditioning in both rooms, comfy beds, and black-out shades. Our only complaints were that the floors could have been cleaner and the kitchen should have been stocked with more/better utensils, dishware, and cookware. We enjoyed the amenities, like the pool and cornhole. The location was great, which only took 20 minutes to get to Cades Cove. It's also right on the main road in Townsend, which has some good restaurants. The price was a bit on the high end (more than $150/night), but I'm glad we stayed here as the cottage in particular fit our needs and was unique.

Clean, comfortable, updated, very nice folks working in the little hut of the main office. And as a…read morebonus, they give guests a little brown party bag of snacks to enjoy when you're out hiking or fishing. Firepit onsite and a nice one at that, with about a half dozen Adirondack chairs. No restaurant on the premises but many are within a 1 mile. Rocking chairs in front of each room at the motel. There are also about 6 or 7 cabins and don't think they have porches large enough to accommodate rockers. We stayed in one of the cabins our first trip, and I believe those have cooking stoves? Anyway, both the motel rooms and the cabins are quite nice, and this coming from a hotel snob (I can't help it, too much business travel and it upped my game for nice linens, new rooms, amenities, etc.). Having said that, Definitely Would Stay Here Again!

We had the most incredible experience with A Walk in the Woods last week in the Smoky Mountains,…read moreand it was truly made unforgettable by our guide, Samantha ("Sam"). From the moment we started, Sam was warm, kind, and incredibly attentive. She made us feel completely at ease, welcomed every single question, and thoughtfully adjusted the pace to suit our group so everyone could fully enjoy the experience. Her depth of knowledge was amazing--we learned so much about the plants, trees, and wildlife of the Smoky Mountains, as well as fascinating insights into how the Cherokee people once lived in harmony with this beautiful land. The scenery itself was absolutely breathtaking, but what made it even more special was the way Sam brought it all to life with her stories and passion. As a lovely surprise, she even prepared a delicious snack for us along with homemade herbal tea, which was such a thoughtful and personal touch. We are so grateful we chose this tour and had Sam as our guide. It was meaningful, educational, and deeply enjoyable from start to finish. We would absolutely book another tour with her and this company and highly recommend it to anyone of any age looking for a truly special experience in the Smokies.

Exceptional shuttle service from the smokies. Prompt, knowledgeable, easy to arrange.read more

I could tell you a tale of woe. Like as we were leaving we had a flood in the RV and couldn't use…read morethe water. But I told Dave to call Big Meadow and see if they had a RV Mobile technician to recommend. It was our second stop and Christina in the office gave us Tom's number. So this morning Tom fixed the leak and we could finally have water again. We've been here many times and are delighted to have a spot on the Little River. There's a rafting company right next door and it's fun to watch the people come down the river. There is a cement patio and a dog park for Freckles. She was very anxious driving through Atlanta with all the traffic and big trucks all around us. But the beauty and calmness of this campground can make anyone relax. We look forward to enjoying the Smokey Mountains and Cades Cove our favorite.

We have been camping all over the country and this was the first campground that we were not unable…read moreto park or truck in the RV spot with our RV. At $500 for 4 nights in the off season, one would have expected enough room for our truck and 29' RV to fit on the spot. The pads are also very small, only enough room for a couple of chairs by the RV. The picknick table was on the gravel. Not enough room to put out our carpet without being on the gravel.

I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

We went awhile back to see Charlotte and were sorely disappointed. Hearing of her death today…read morereminded me I had forgotten to write a review. This location is privately run and not for educational purposes. More like going to a friends house to see their pets. Please consider going to an aquarium run by scientists for educational purposes.

This is a fun place to visit for an hour or two, or even to stop for information, maps, and to…read morepuruse the small gift shop. They do have a small museum here that costs a small amount that you can walk through (it's indoors and a part is outside). We did not visit the museum as we planned a hike instead, but did enjoy looking at some of the books in the gift shop. Cute building! Service was welcoming and friendly. Staff knew a lot about the local area. Cute rocking chairs out front of the building!

We were in the area visiting Cades Cove and stopped by here later in the afternoon. It was almost…read morecompletely cleared out around 3:30. We really enjoyed the outdoor buildings and information as well as the indoor artifacts that dated back to the original Native American settlers of the land. This was affordable and informational. A great first stop for anyone headed to Cades Cove. Plan to spend about an hour or two here depending on how throughly you want to see everything.

Great general sore to find trinkets for your house or kitchen! I loved the spice room and all the…read morepre made mixes. Ended up buying a "MaMa" hat and a sticker. This seems like the kind of store that every time you visit you may find a totally different section. The quilt room was pretty impressive as well. At the counter the ladies were extremely friendly and loved on our little baby. The were selling fudge and what looked like hot roasted nuts.

This is an enormous building with both a restaurant and a large gift/candy shop. The two entities…read moreare in two separated spaces, so we didn't get a smell of bacon and pancakes while we shopped next door, but we did get a whiff of the many candles, body goods, warm candied nuts and hand pies. This shop is a tad cluttered and overwhelming but if you have the time and patience to weave through the tight spaces, you will absolutely find something fun and fabulous. There seemed to be sections of body/beauty, hats and clothing, a flag and decor area, an area with canned/bottled goodies and dip mixes, nostalgic candy, a counter with fudges, hand pies, ice cream, and candied nuts, a section with books and toys and many (MANY!) gift ideas and Smoky Mountain souvenirs. We also loved that the local Dancing Bean Coffee sells beans in bulk here. We have been using the Turtle flavor daily the last few days and love how smooth and subtle the flavor is, not overpoweringly sweet like many flavored coffees. The service was amazing-patient, prompt, and friendly. The candied pecans are the best I've ever had. They have been wonderful on salads and on a charcuterie board since I brought them home. The pricing wasn't extremely high either! For the fudge, ice cream, book, coffee, candy, popcorn seasoning, and nuts we purchased, I think we spend around $30. Not too shabby!

This hotel was AMAZING! Super clean , quiet, very…read morecomfortable beds and at a VERY GOOD rate!! We were shocked that the room was the quality it was for the rate we paid!! Since we were out of state we were just hoping that the reviews were legit and were pleasantly surprised to find that this hotel way exceeded our expectations ! Michael , the owner was super nice and VERY accommodating from our first phone call for our reservations throughout our stay.....and was even hospitable to provide the extra needs we had !! Thank you guys so much for a super pleasant stay!! Thank you guys so much

What lovely lovely place!! The room is adorable and just enough for for my hubby and I. We live 20…read moreminutes away but came up for our parents 50th wedding anniversary party. We stayed two nights. The staff was fantastic and gave 4 extra pillows too! ( we have 9 on our bed at home and forgot ours). It was pet friendly and they even supplied treats, a leash, bowls, and clean up supplies in a cute pale!! We were also placed in area where potty areas were easy to get to!!