Abandoned Resort Town Hidden In The Smoky Mountains

Samantha Elaine Mullins / Facebook

Nestled in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a sight that many people are unaware of. Visitors traveling to Gatlinburg, Tennesse can set off in search of an abandoned resort town in the middle of the woods. The remnants of this old town are right outside of the Elkmont campground and were around long before the National Park itself. If you’re a fan of ghost towns, this eerie sight is something worth seeing.

 

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Appalachian pioneers inhabited this hidden spot in the Little River Valley before being established as the town of Elkmont in 1908 by The Little River Lumber Company. Following the success of the logging trade, the town’s founder, Wilson B. Townsend decided to start publicizing the area as a getaway destination. The Lumber Company sold some of its lands to the Appalachian Club, a group of elite businessmen from Knoxville. They then built several cabins here that became a vacation spot for the rich and elite outdoor enthusiasts.

 

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The Appalachian Club continued to operate for years.  By 1934, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was formally established. When the last resident of the Appalachian Club’s lifetime lease finally expired in 1992, the National Park Service took over the area.

 

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The National Park Service is currently restoring and preserving what is left of the Elkmont ghost town. Seventeen cabins that made up the resort, along with the Appalachian clubhouse became the Elkmont Historic District.

 

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Visitors can walk through some of the cabins that have been fixed up and get the full ghost town experience.

 

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Watch the video below for a walkthrough of the Elkmont Ghost Town.