Most People Don’t Know About These Strange Ruins Hiding In North Carolina
By Robin Jarvis|Published January 31, 2018
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Robin Jarvis
Author
Robin Jarvis began writing for OnlyInYourState.com in 2015 and quickly advanced to a Senior Editor role. She's currently the Brand Manager and has a Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University in Journalism with a minor in Marketing. Her career history includes long running appearances on radio and television. She also has served as publisher of Shades of Green Magazine and Design Lead on several print publications. Her love for travel has taken her to many parts of the world. She's lived in the Carolinas for more than three decades and currently resides in Charleston, SC. When she's not working, she loves playing guitar, painting, traveling, and spending time with family.
Contact: rjarvis@onlyinyourstate.com
Combine your love of North Carolina history with a trek into the woods you won’t soon forget. Not far outside of Asheville there is a trail leading to the ruins of an old summer lodge from the early 1900s. Rattlesnake Lodge, as it was called, was purposely located off the beaten path so as to preserve the remoteness of the experience.
The lodge, built in 1903-04, was owned by an Asheville doctor named Chase P. Amber. His wife and kids would spend each summer at their mountain hideaway and he would join on the weekends.
Ambler built a small road up to the location, but pointedly made it too small for carriages to fit. As you can imagine, the huge summer home regularly hosted guests — all of whom had to park their carriage a great distance away and then walk into the retreat.
Rattlesnake Lodge was perhaps named after Ambler put a bounty on the rattlesnakes in the area. There were so many of them, Ambler reportedly offered up $5 per skin if they were delivered to him personally. Those snake skins ended up on the ceiling in the lodge. A photo of that snake-covered ceiling is below.
Today, what remains of the lodge is in ruins in the middle of the woods. Generations have passed, but the family keeps the memories of Rattlesnake Lodge alive. They've placed a marker at the location and host an occasional family reunion that involves hiking out to the ruins.
The looped trail to the ruins of Rattlesnake Lodge is 3.9 miles in length. It has an elevation gain of 900 feet, making it just strenuous enough to be cautious if you're a beginner hiker.
On the trail to the ruins, you'll pass a long stone wall. This is where the barn stood. The barn was used to house the carriages that brought the family and guests to the lodge. They'd park them here in the barn, and then guests would walk the remaining distance, or saddle up a horse to ride in.
The mountains of North Carolina are filled with rich history from days gone by in the Tar Heel State. Have you ever heard of the ruins of Rattlesnake Lodge near Asheville? Get more information about the hike and directions to the trailhead here.
For a hike to see an entire abandoned village in the North Carolina mountains, read on.
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