I explored an abandoned resort town in the Great Smoky Mountains where wealthy city dwellers vacationed 100 years ago. Take a look around.

Joey HaddenMay 29, 2024, 08:13 IST

In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Business 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/Business 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.

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.

I visited in the spring of 2023 and was amazed to find the cabins preserved and restored by the National Parks Service were open for public viewing.

When I made plans to visit the historic district, I expected to wander outside 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.

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

When I arrived in Elkmont, I learned about the land's rich history through on-site information provided by the NPS.

On-site information about Elkmont Historic District.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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 resort town diminished after the National Parks Service bought the land in 1934.

Cabins stand in the woods among several trees.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

By the late 20th century, the once-booming resort community was a ghost town.

An undated photo of an abandoned vacation home in the Elkmont historical district.ehrlif/Getty Images

In 2009, the NPS announced plans to preserve Elkmont's historic buildings.

An image of the on-site information showing cabins before and after renovations.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

During my visit, I explored the insides of all the cabins lining the pedestrian street.

A paved road lined with cabins in Elkmont Historic District.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Inside, there was a single, large room with nothing but a stone fireplace.

A wide view of the single-room cabin.Joey Hadden/Business Insider

In fact, all the cabins were free of furniture.

A kitchen in one of the cabins.Joey Hadden/Business 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/Business 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/Business Insider

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I explored an abandoned resort town in the Great Smoky Mountains where wealthy city dwellers vacationed 100 years ago. Take a look around.

Elkmont Historic District is in a valley on the northern border of the park just south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

When I arrived in Elkmont, I learned about the land's rich history through on-site information provided by the NPS.

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 resort town diminished after the National Parks Service bought the land in 1934.

By the late 20th century, the once-booming resort community was a ghost town.

In 2009, the NPS announced plans to preserve Elkmont's historic buildings.

During my visit, I explored the insides of all the cabins lining the pedestrian street.

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.

Inside, there was a single, large room with nothing but a stone fireplace.

In fact, all the cabins were free of furniture.

Looking out the windows of these historic cabins, I thought about what it would have been like to vacation here a century ago.

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.