When the East Tennessee Trails & Ales Tour was announced, one of the first request was for Townsend, Tennessee. After all, you can’t leave out the Great Smoky Mountains if you’re putting together an East Tennessee hiking list, right? Well, rest assured we’ve got you covered with The Peaceful Tremont Shuffle.
Anyone familiar with the Great Smoky Mountains is most likely already aware of The Peaceful Side of the Smokies. Townsend prides itself on being the laid-back alternative to The PFG (Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg), and that mellow approach rings true in the trails and businesses in this area. One place that exemplifies this chill style is Peaceful Side Social Brewery.
Peaceful Side Social – Peaceful Tremont Shuffle Stop 1
Peaceful Side Social Brewery + Craft Kitchen is unlike any brewery I’ve visited. This family friendly spot has it all:
- Brewery
- Restaurant
- Outdoor Playground
- Taco Bar
- Creamery
What do they not have? Shoot, they even host live music on certain nights. This place has “social experience” written all over it. As expected, this place, like all places in this neck of the woods, is packed on peak weekends, but I was able to sneak in on a peak weekday with no issues. That said, I didn’t check the hours of the Taco Bar, so I’ll have to go back when they’re slinging tacos.
Drinks & Eats
When walking into Peaceful Side Social, you’re immediately in line to order food and drinks. Don’t let this quick service restaurant setup fool you, the staff is super nice and are quick at taking your initial order. I brought my appetite with me and ordered their Sausage + Vegetable Pizza. While waiting for my pizza, I sat at the bar to review their beers.
Peaceful Side Social Brewery has 16 different beers on tap, four of which are their own brews. While waiting for my pizza, I sampled their Czech Pilsner before grabbing a pint of their Smoky Mountain Nights Schwarzbier. The Nights went great with the pizza and gave me enough room to try their Bote Mtn Session IPA. The brewer is going with the quality over quantity approach and is crushing it.
Middle Prong Trail – Peaceful Tremont Shuffle Stop 2
Gotta give a big shout out to my bud Wes Bunch (IG: @flatirona5) for suggesting this trail. Somehow in the middle of the Smoky Mountains, people detour this spot making it the perfect trailhead for the Peaceful Tremont Shuffle.
Hidden in The Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont, Middle Prong Trail is a gradual incline hike that stays next to next to water. In fact, this photo was taken at the beginning of the trailhead.
According to AllTrails, the distance is 7.8 miles with an elevation gain of 1,177 ft. That in mind, when I completed this hike the other day, I logged 8.58 miles and 1,237 ft elevation. The milage MAY be due to me going off the main trail to explore some prongs to take in some extra scenery, though I don’t think I went that far off the main trail.
The trail itself is wide due to it also being used for horseback riding. So be careful watching your step for leftover horse presents.
Speaking of watching your step, it is a little tricky to locate the turnaround point of Indian Flats Falls. If you have AllTrails, it will point you in the right direction. If you don’t have AllTrails, then here’s a pro tip I got from Wes before the hike. About 3.60 miles into the trail, you’ll reach a switchback. To the right, you’ll see a rock wall and a narrow trail. TAKE THAT TRAIL. There you will find Indian Flats Falls.
Chasing Waterfalls
If you’re a fan of waterfalls, then this is your spot! Not only does this trail lead to Indian Flats Falls, but you’ll see several other waterfalls along the way.
As previously mentioned, the trail starts with some mini waterfalls, plus Lynn Camp Falls is less than a mile into the hike. There’s a nearby bench where you can sit and snag some photos. For more adventurous hikers, you can take a side route to hike closer to the falls for some great photos.
Though this hike was taken around fall, I have every intention of returning during warmer weather so I can play in the water.
Hit the Trails with Salomon Xa Pro 3D
An all-weather, waterproof trail shoe equipped with Gore-Tex and offers an incredible fit.
I’ve wore these on the AT, Cumberland Trail, and spots in Iceland.
I highly recommend these waterproof bad boys!
Back to the Brewery for…Ice Cream – Peaceful Tremont Shuffle Stop 3
Hiking out to Indian Falls and back, can work up a sweat. To remedy that, head back to Peaceful Side Social for their house-made ice cream. That’s right – the brewery is also a creamery! They have great ice cream options…just wish they would make craft beer floats. Maybe one day.
Wrapping Up
The Peaceful Tremont Shuffle truly lives up to its name. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a quiet hike and to chill out in the Great Smoky Mountains. That is exactly what I experienced! The brewery offers some culinary treats while the trail creates a laid back environment. It was so laid back, that I was able to interact interact with two deer and an adventurous crayfish. How cool is that!
Have you exerienced this side of the Great Smoky Mountains? If so, share your experience in the section below.
Happy hiking!