Ride the Townsend TN Bike Trail while Visiting our Bicycle-Friendly Resort
Shadows of the Past Trail
Experience the thrill of the wind on your face while knowing that you’re saving money on gas, contributing to less road traffic and helping promote cleaner air. Bicycling is also a great way to squeeze exercise into a fun activity so you become fitter and leaner while feeling a heightened sense of freedom and relaxation. There’s nothing like riding to stimulate circulation, relieve stress, and allow creative thought.
The community welcomes and celebrates bicycling and provides safe and convenient places to ride and park. The 10-mile Shadows of the Past Townsend TN Bike Trail runs on either side of Highway 321, providing a paved, well-lit and maintained pathway for traveling on foot or bicycle. Added in 2002, it makes for a moderately easy but enjoyable workout while you see Townsend’s shops and attractions including the Little River Railroad Museum, the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, artisan galleries, and more. You can start or stop anywhere you choose. Along the route, signs describe the history and culture of the region from the earliest documented inhabitants to present day. It’s viable to get around Townsend without riding in your motor vehicle while you stay at Dancing Bear.
You can take a bike to Cades Cove, with the proper racks and necessary gear, on Saturdays or Wednesdays. Here are some of our favorite Smoky Mountain bicycling recommendations.
Guests of Dancing Bear Lodge receive complimentary bike rentals (during warmer seasons) and can keep them overnight for day rentals. This is subject to availability and seasonal. Please be prepared to sign a liability waiver and use a valid credit card when returning a bicycle to the store.
If you prefer to leave your bikes at home and want to rent bicycles, we recommend Smoky Mountain Outdoor Center, located at 209 Wears Valley Road in Townsend, or Cycology Bicycles.
Vee Hollow — A Great Big Adventure on Two Wheels!
Just 4 miles down the road from Dancing Bear Lodge & Appalachian Bistro is an exciting new adventure called VeeHollow. Vee Hollow is a 14-mile mountain bike trail network, free to use and open year-round.
Located on Salubrious mtn., “VeeHollow is a mountain bike destination where you can pedal into nature, find adventure, and progress your mountain bike skills as far as you want to go. There are a range of trails and experiences from hand-cut singletrack and long enduro-style descents to a range of flow-based trails that allow for maximum progression. Visitors can enjoy short rides and sessions in the base area zone at the skills area, demo flow zone, and the jump forest or ride all day on the multiple trails that cover the West and East Mountains.” – Vee Hollow
The trails at Vee Hollow are rated as follows:
- Green – Beginner
- Blue – Intermediate
- Black – Advanced
- Double Black – Expert
