During the March to November season, the Smoky Mountains show incredible scenery, particularly for horseback riders. Guided horseback riding tours in Townsend allow for one to four hour experiences with stables and camping. Pigeon Forge Stables offers a four mile guided tour, and Townsend Stables offers daily one and two hour rides with half day and overnight tours available as well.
For an eco-friendly tour, Cades Cove offers guided bus tours and hiking experiences for groups and individuals of all ages. From history to personal experiences in the Smoky Mountains, information from the tour guides offers an unique perspective of the terrain and natural resources of Townsend. Tours often include sightings of black bears, deer, turkey, foxes and birds. The Cades Cove ecology and history tour lasts from three to four hours.
Partnered with the Dancing Bear Lodge, Highland Expeditionary Tours offers a look into the back country around Townsend. Highlander Expeditionary Tours offers tours with kayaking, hiking, fly fishing and leadership training. The tour adopts an expedition style experience with camping and hiking guides. Highlander Expeditionary also has the "Wounded Warrior Project," which is an annual event which invites military veterans to participate in a back country trek of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park at no cost to the participants.
The tours at Tuckaleechee Caverns explore a different side to the Smoky Mountains by going into underground caves. Opened to the public in 1931, the entrance to the caverns reveal towering calcium stalagmites. Except for winter seasons, guides conduct tours every 30 minutes daily of these caverns. As of 2011, admission fee is $14 per adult and $7 per child, with kids four and under receiving free entrance.
