The Parkman

About The Parkman

The property was formerly the Talley Ho Inn, which operated on TN-73 in Townsend, Tennessee for more than 75 years. A family team took it over and did a full reimagining: new interiors, a saltwater pool, a pickleball court, and a design language that grounds the property in the mountain context. The result is rooms plus a standalone cottage, organized around exterior corridors and direct trail access to the Townsend Greenway. Townsend holds the western entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, connecting directly to Cades Cove and the park's quiet interior while Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge handle the high-volume tourist corridor on the eastern side. The eight Classic Poolside King rooms from the original Talley Ho era retain their vintage shower tiles intentionally, sitting alongside rooms with gas fireplaces, soaking tubs, and mountain-view patios.

What The Parkman Is Known For

The Parkman is one of the few properties in the Smoky Mountain corridor that has successfully converted a decades-old roadside motel into something genuinely contemporary without discarding what made the original worth keeping. The eight Classic Poolside King rooms preserve the Talley Ho Inn's vintage tile and original character intentionally, sitting alongside renovated rooms with gas fireplaces and soaking tubs. The result is a property with both a history and a direction. Townsend's tourism identity, built around being the peaceful alternative to the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge corridor, now has a property that anchors it.

Amenities

• Pets Welcome
• Breakfast Included
• WiFi
• Saltwater pool
• Pickleball court
• Townsend Greenway trail access
• Complimentary continental breakfast
• Lobby lounge with fireplace
• Garden and picnic area
• Gas fireplace in select rooms
• Freestanding soaking tub in premium rooms
• Mountain-view patios and balconies
• Full-kitchen cottage available

The Room

The rooms span several configurations. Top-tier king rooms pair a gas fireplace and freestanding soaking tub with a balcony or patio and mountain views. Other king configurations include fireplace rooms opening onto meadow-facing patios, king room rooms with mountain-view balconies, and a king room with a den space suited to anyone who wants two separate areas. two-bed rooms come with mountain and meadow views from patios or balconies. A collection of poolside king rooms are the original rooms from the Talley Ho era, retained with vintage shower tile, pool views, and a character the renovation deliberately preserved; these rooms do not include a refrigerator or microwave. The Cottage has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a private patio; a minimum three-night stay applies.

The Grounds

The property's central feature is a saltwater pool, the largest in Townsend, with mountain views from the water that define the Smoky Mountain experience from pool level. A pickleball court is on-site, and beyond it the grounds open onto meadow, a garden, and a picnic area for gathering outside your door. The Townsend Greenway, a paved walking and cycling trail, runs adjacent to the property and connects to the Little River corridor and the park boundary. Inside, a lobby lounge with a fireplace serves as the property's common room, where a complimentary continental breakfast is set out each morning. The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, a cultural museum exploring the Appalachian history of this valley, is adjacent to the property and walkable. Free parking throughout, with all rooms on exterior corridors.

The Experience

The Parkman is organized for Smoky Mountain access without Smoky Mountain crowds. Townsend puts guests at the park's western entrance, which means Cades Cove, an 11-mile loop through one of the oldest European settlements in the Appalachians with open meadows, historic structures, and reliable wildlife sightings, is eight miles from the front door. The Abrams Falls trail begins just inside the park. The Townsend Y, where Little River meets Laurel Creek at the edge of town, is a short walk from the property and a classic summer swimming hole for guests who want to stay cool without driving anywhere. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are accessible for guests who want the Smokies' commercial corridor, but the appeal of the quiet side is that you don't have to go.

Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Things to Do Near the Great Smoky Mountains, Townsend

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend Entrance

2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.

2 miles, about 5 minutes by car. The Townsend entrance is the park's quietest western gateway, leading directly to Cades Cove and the Little River Road corridor. The Townsend Wye, where Little River and Laurel Creek converge just outside the park boundary, is a classic swimming hole a short walk from the motel. Cades Cove, the park's most visited destination, is 8 miles from the entrance.

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

8 miles, about a 15 minute drive.

8 miles, about 20 minutes by car. An 11-mile one-way loop through one of the most historically intact European settlements in the Appalachian Mountains, with open meadows, 19th-century homesteads, grist mills, and reliable deer, wild turkey, and black bear sightings. The most visited destination in the most visited national park in the country. Timed-entry required on Wednesdays and Saturdays in summer.

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center

0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.

0.2 miles, walkable from the motel. A museum dedicated to the Appalachian and Cherokee history of the Smoky Mountain valley, with a reconstructed pioneer village of relocated historic log structures on the grounds. Free admission. The Heritage Center anchors the Townsend area's identity as a place with a deeper history than its current role as a park gateway suggests.