Elkmont Historic District was once a Tennessee ghost town. But now, 16 cabins have been preserved, restored, and are open for public access.
Insider's reporter explored a 1900s resort town full of historic cabins that were abandoned by the end of the century. After restoration by the National Parks Service, 16 cabins are now open to the public.
Joey Hadden/Insider
There's a resort town in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that was abandoned in the late 1900s.
The National Parks Service began restoring the ghost town in 2009, and now it's open to the public.
I visited the town, called Elkmont, and toured the insides of cabins built more than 100 years ago.
Hidden in the lush woods of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a once-abandoned resort town known as Elkmont is full of 100-year-old cabins.
Cabins in Elkmont Historic District hidden behind trees.
When I made plans to visit the historic district, I expected to wander outside of cabins and see their facades, so I was excited to find I was actually able to step inside them for a more intimate look at what life was like 100 years ago.
Colorful cabins in the town.
Joey Hadden/Insider
Elkmont Historic District is in a valley on the northern border of the park just south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Elkmont Historic District is in the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Google Maps
I traveled to the town by taxi. Drivers can take the US-411 from Gatlinburg and turn at the "Elkmont Campground" sign, according to Visit My Smokies, a tourism site run by Sevier County. From there, take a left at the sign that says "Elkmont Nature Trail."
A view of the Great Smoky Mountains from the road.
According to the site's historical markers, the land was used for farming in the 1800s. Then a railroad was built in the 20th century, bringing loggers and tourists to the area. This led to the establishment of a resort town.
The homes of logging company employees were lined up alongside the railroad tracks in Elkmont. This photo was taken by Jim Shelton around 1912.
About 100 years ago, wealthy Tennessee travelers took the train to the resort community to escape hot summers in cities and find "harmony with nature," according to the same source.
The front porch of a cabin in Elkmont Historic District.
The resort town diminished after the National Parks Service bought the land in 1934. Residents had the option of selling their cabins for full price or at half-price with a lifetime lease, according to Visit My Smokies.
In 2009, the NPS announced plans to preserve Elkmont's historic buildings, Knox News reported. From there, volunteers removed trees, repaired roofs and ceilings, and added insulation to the cabins.
An image of the on-site information showing cabins before and after renovations.
The oldest cabin in town was built in 1830 and then moved in 1932 to serve as a guest house in the resort community, according to NPS on-site information.
The oldest cabin in Elkmont is nearly 200 years old.
The one-story building stood out to me because I thought it looked older than the rest with a distressed, wooden facade that remained unpainted.
A peek inside the oldest cabin in Elkmont Historic District.
Joey Hadden/Insider
Inside, there was a single, large room with nothing but a stone fireplace.
A wide view of the single-room cabin.
Joey Hadden/Insider
In fact, all the cabins were free of furniture, but I thought details like built-in kitchen counters and cabinets gave them a sense of a past life.
A kitchen in one of the cabins.
Joey Hadden/Insider
Looking out the windows of these historic cabins, I thought about what it would have been like to vacation here a century ago.
A view out the window of one of the cabins.
Joey Hadden/Insider
I pictured waking up to natural views with no agenda. I thought it seemed like the ideal getaway for city dwellers like me.
Windows show nature outside of the cabin.
Joey Hadden/Insider
From the front porches, I pictured kids running around while waving to other families outside of their cabins.
A view from the front porch of one of the cabins.
Joey Hadden/Insider
On my way out of Elkmont, I noticed a handful of families wandering the street. This made me think that the site is no longer the ghost town it once was.
A person pushes a stroller through Elkmont Historic District.
Joey Hadden/Insider
I left Elkmont with a sense of what the once-abandoned resort community was like and felt grateful for the preservation crew that made it possible for me to visit.
The author enjoys her time at Elkmont Historic District.
В Дубне сотрудники Росгвардии помогли утиному семейству перейти оживленную трассу
Автопробег в честь Дня России прошел в Ленинском округе
«ЯРКО» провела развлекательную программу на фестивале «Крутая песочница»
Филиал № 4 ОСФР по Москве и Московской области информирует:
Свыше 5,2 миллиона жителей Московского региона получают набор социальных услуг в натуральном виде
Концертный директор для музыкантов. Концертный директор для певцов. Концертное агентство в Москве. Букинг агентство. Организация концертов и гастролей.
Социальные и ESG-проекты ГПМ Радио названы лучшими в России
Храм Преображения Господня в Коммунарке
«ЯРКО» провела развлекательную программу на фестивале «Крутая песочница»
Филиал № 4 ОСФР по Москве и Московской области информирует:
Свыше 5,2 миллиона жителей Московского региона получают набор социальных услуг в натуральном виде
Форумное решение: как гостиницы и рестораны заработали на ПМЭФ-2024
«ЯРКО» провела развлекательную программу на фестивале «Крутая песочница»
В Дубне сотрудники Росгвардии помогли утиному семейству перейти оживленную трассу
Неблагодарный батька или о чем говорил президент Белоруссии с делегацией Азербайджана?
МОК не допустил до Олимпиады сильнейших борцов и тхэквондистов из России
LG ДЕМОНСТРИРУЕТ ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНЫЕ ДИСПЛЕИ С УЛУЧШЕННЫМИ ВОЗМОЖНОСТЯМИ ИСКУССТВЕННОГО ИНТЕЛЛЕКТА НА ВЫСТАВКЕ INFOCOMM 2024
Концертный директор для музыкантов. Концертный директор для певцов. Концертное агентство в Москве. Букинг агентство. Организация концертов и гастролей.