Heading up to Townsend Tenn. soon and Google says to go 321 off I-40 right through Gatlinburg. Obviously that's not ideal. Is it better to go up further north up 40 and come down 411 to Sevierville?

Coming in from the North still doesn't help you out for a couple of loop back curves between Pigeon Forge and Townsend...I have never taken the US411 exit off of I40 to Sevierville. I don't think there is any hard curves in it... There was always something funny about US411 on getting on/off of I40... We usually come in from I81 from here in Northern Neck VA.We always use the I40 Exit 407 at the 66 road and is the best way for us to go thru Seiverville and pick up 441 in Pigeon Forge. Then you will want to take the US321/73 road to head for Townsend. This will be a good road until you get to Wears Valley where you will find at least one loop back. Might be two in the same area before you run into Townsend. Its doable but is a real honest loop back. Might want to check your close in maps to see if you OK with it.The only other solution is to go through Knoxville on I40 and then take I75 to Lenoir City exit which is US321 and come up through Marysville to Townsend... ALl good trailer roads going that way for sure... We always camp at ELKMONT inside the Natl Park with NO HOOKS on our trips and use Townsend as our base town for shopping and supplies... Might make a run down throough Pigeon Forge and Gatling and do some shops... I always go to the COLEMAN STORE in Pigeon Forge to see whats new in the camping world...Penty of great places just before you get to the Natl Park for HOOKUP sites to camp...Be sure to do the CADE's COVE run inside the NATL Park at dusk to cath all of the wildlife out that way...I may have lost track of time but it may be near the season where the Synchronous fireflies that live in the NATL PARK at ELKMONT CAmp is doing their thing. That area fills up big time and even road closures for this event.. It may have happened already as I recall its late May Early June for the national event...Roy Ken

I would take I-40 through town, but not go all the way to Lenoir City and US321. Take Pellissippi parkway (aka I-140) off of I-40 to US129 and then pickup US321 from there. The route is highligted in blue below and would save 20ish miles from going out to Lenoir City.

There really isn't a nice way to get to Townsend which is one of the reasons it stays a nice quiet spot.I don't think the traffic on 66 is bad enough to justify going all the way around through Knoxville. 321 cuts off 66 before you get to the really bad section where traffic is the worse.Two alternatives is to take exit 432A to catch 411, catch 66 south for about 4.7 mile than 321 over to Townsend. Avoids 8.6 miles of 66.second choice which is the way I go with my TC because I don't mind slow drives and the scenery is pretty is to catch 321 at exit 440 to Gatlinburg, catch 441 to the left and fight the dozen blocks of traffic in town. Once out of town, take the right at Sugarloaf Visitor Center over to Townsend (I usually go to Cades Cove). Doable in a trailer if you don't mind county type road that curves around a lot as it follows the river (as said earlier, I usually do it in a truck camper but wouldn't hesitate pulling a trailer though a lot would recommend against it)

Helmsey wrote:I would take I-40 through town, but not go all the way to Lenoir City and US321. Take Pellissippi parkway (aka I-140) off of I-40 to US129 and then pickup US321 from there. The route is highligted in blue below and would save 20ish miles from going out to Lenoir City.Good advice but I'd cut the corner off and take 129 south from Knoxville. It's not a bad road. Then I could stop at camping world (off 129) and buy something I really didn't need while on the way.

Helmsey wrote:I would take I-40 through town, but not go all the way to Lenoir City and US321. Take Pellissippi parkway (aka I-140) off of I-40 to US129 and then pickup US321 from there. The route is highligted in blue below and would save 20ish miles from going out to Lenoir City.This would be my choice. The 129/airport exit from I40 would work well too, except the Camping World stop :).

Townsend Tennessee from I-40 | Good Sam Community

12 Replies

Helmsey
Explorer
Jun 27, 2016
I would take I-40 through town, but not go all the way to Lenoir City and US321. Take Pellissippi parkway (aka I-140) off of I-40 to US129 and then pickup US321 from there.
The route is highligted in blue below and would save 20ish miles from going out to Lenoir City.
RoyB
Explorer II
Jun 27, 2016
Coming in from the North still doesn't help you out for a couple of loop back curves between Pigeon Forge and Townsend...

I have never taken the US411 exit off of I40 to Sevierville. I don't think there is any hard curves in it... There was always something funny about US411 on getting on/off of I40... We usually come in from I81 from here in Northern Neck VA.

We always use the I40 Exit 407 at the 66 road and is the best way for us to go thru Seiverville and pick up 441 in Pigeon Forge. Then you will want to take the US321/73 road to head for Townsend. This will be a good road until you get to Wears Valley where you will find at least one loop back. Might be two in the same area before you run into Townsend. Its doable but is a real honest loop back. Might want to check your close in maps to see if you OK with it.

The only other solution is to go through Knoxville on I40 and then take I75 to Lenoir City exit which is US321 and come up through Marysville to Townsend... ALl good trailer roads going that way for sure...

We always camp at ELKMONT inside the Natl Park with NO HOOKS on our trips and use Townsend as our base town for shopping and supplies... Might make a run down throough Pigeon Forge and Gatling and do some shops... I always go to the COLEMAN STORE in Pigeon Forge to see whats new in the camping world...

Penty of great places just before you get to the Natl Park for HOOKUP sites to camp...

Be sure to do the CADE's COVE run inside the NATL Park at dusk to cath all of the wildlife out that way...

I may have lost track of time but it may be near the season where the Synchronous fireflies that live in the NATL PARK at ELKMONT CAmp is doing their thing. That area fills up big time and even road closures for this event.. It may have happened already as I recall its late May Early June for the national event...

Roy Ken

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Townsend Tennessee from I-40

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