Posted in Tennessee History February 18, 2016 by

These Unbelievable Ruins In Tennessee Will Transport You To The Past

If you find an interest in the lost and forgotten, then you can’t miss out on taking a trip to the Elkmont Cabins tucked deep in the Great Smoky Mountains. Originally a logging town and now unoccupied since 1992, over two decades of time has managed to trip the once bustling family camping area to a ghost town of what once was. It’s a popular spot for tourists to go and wander, to take a look at the grounds and catch a couple of pictures with the cabins. The Wonderland Hotel tends to lend itself as the eeriest piece of the past, which went defunct when its operating license wasn’t renewed due to solid deterioration. Built at the turn of the 20th century, this is once place you can’t let fade into the smoky mountain green.

Wikipedia
For reference? Here's Elkmont during its prime in the early twentieth century. It was still a logging town tucked far, far away from society. A two-hour train ride, that is.
Wikipedia
The Wonderland Hotel is very popular for tourists to photograph. Be careful, though - you should NOT enter any of the buildings unless they have the proper signage and/or have been restored.
rjones0856 / Flickr
We think it would be wildly eerie to see this through the trees...
Vineet Patel / Flickr
There are also two cemeteries on the Elkmont property, if you manage to make it a bit past the treeline.
Sarah Murray / Flickr
The wooden siding is now discolored, showing severe signs of wear and tear over the last two decades of disuse.
Wayne Hsieh / Flickr
Walking down the road of a ghost town is a truly strange experience. There are some that claim ghosts watch them from the empty cabin windows as they stroll through the treelined avenues.
Wikipedia
The ruins here are from a long lost area of the hotel.
Wayne Hsieh / Flickr
A common sight from the road. Once upon a time, this must have been a paradise for so many.
Smoky Dan / Flickr
Located in Walland, Elkmont began as a company town for the Little River Railroad.
Wikipedia
The entire town was named as one of the "11 Most Endangered Places" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

We feel a little strange talking about this snapshot into the past of East Tennessee, but it sure makes us want to take a drive! Some cabins have been revitalized in recent efforts to make the area a better tourist destination, and to preserve the absolute beauty of this tiny Tennessee town.

Have your own Elkmont stories? Let us know in the comments below!

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