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Where the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains begin to roll up from the Tennessee Valley, Maryville is the friendly county seat that many travelers pass through on the quieter road into the national park. It grew from Fort Craig, a frontier post of the 1780s, and Maryville College, founded in 1819, remains one of the oldest colleges in the South.
The college's brick halls and old forest give the town a leafy core, and its Clayton Center for the Arts brings concerts and Broadway tours. A long greenway follows Pistol Creek through parks and neighborhoods to neighboring Alcoa, and Sandy Springs Park offers fields and trails. Just outside town, the log Sam Houston Schoolhouse recalls the year the future Texas hero spent teaching here.
Maryville is the natural base for the Foothills Parkway, whose western section runs along the crest of Chilhowee Mountain to Look Rock Tower, and for Townsend and the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. Knoxville and its airport are about 20 minutes north.
Founded in 1819, this liberal arts college has a hilltop campus of brick halls including Anderson Hall, the oldest building on campus, and Bartlett Hall. Visitors can stroll the quad and lawns freely. The college's long role in educating students of every background is told on markers around the grounds.
A modern performing arts center on the Maryville College campus with a large main theater and smaller stages, hosting touring Broadway shows, symphony and choral concerts, comedians and college productions. Its glass lobby looks toward the mountains. Check the season calendar and book seats early for touring shows.
A paved greenway that follows Pistol Creek and other corridors through Maryville and Alcoa, linking parks, the college, downtown and neighborhoods over many miles. It is shaded in long stretches and popular with walkers, runners and cyclists. Start at Bicentennial Greenbelt Park downtown, where there are ponds, bridges and parking.
A city park in Maryville with sports fields, a playground, picnic pavilions and paved walking paths under big shade trees. It makes an easy stop for families needing space to run around after a drive. The park is busy with youth leagues on weekend mornings, so come in the afternoon for a quieter visit.
A large forest preserve on the Maryville College campus, laced with hiking and mountain bike trails through hardwoods, ravines and creeks. It is open to the public and feels far from town despite being a few minutes from downtown. Trails can be rooty and muddy after rain, so wear proper shoes and stay on marked routes.
A one-room log schoolhouse built in 1794, where a young Sam Houston taught local children in 1812 before his career as a soldier, Tennessee governor and president of the Republic of Texas. A small museum on the site displays period items and tells his story. It is a short drive northeast of Maryville on rural roads.
A national park scenic road whose western section climbs from Walland along the ridge of Chilhowee Mountain, with overlooks on both sides: the high Smokies to the south and the Tennessee Valley to the north. There are no services along the route, so fill up in Maryville. Fall foliage weekends bring the most traffic.
A short paved trail from a Foothills Parkway parking area climbs to a concrete observation tower with a 360-degree view over the Great Smoky Mountains, Chilhowee Lake and the valley toward Knoxville. Sunsets here are memorable on clear evenings. The walk is steep in places, so allow about half an hour round trip.
A museum in Townsend telling the story of the people who lived in the Smokies, from Cherokee communities to mountain farmers, with indoor galleries and a collection of historic log buildings outside. It hosts music and craft events through the year. It is about half an hour from Maryville on the road toward Cades Cove.
A privately run cave system in Townsend, about half an hour from Maryville, where guided walks pass flowstone, stalactites and a huge underground room called the Big Room, along with a tall underground waterfall. Tours last a little over an hour on paved paths with steps. Inside it stays cool all year, so bring a light layer.
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