The One Creepy Ghost Town In Tennessee You Can Actually Visit… If You Dare
The town of Elkmont, Tennessee has long been a space questioned and theorized about in recent years. It exploded onto the internet with a gush of strange, eerie shots and set writer hearts on fire – us included. This is a strange place, a historic spot nestled in the great mountains of the east, and we just can’t ignore its story-inspiring beauty. Care to take a look?
Elkmont is located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States. As you can tell, it hasn't been inhabited in many years. By humans, at least. We're sure the animals of the forest had a field day when the tiny town was left to the forces of nature.
The town was originally used as a living space for workers employed by local logging companies. After the logging boom died down, the wealthier sector of Tennessee decided that Elkmont would be the perfect place to expand their summer cottage empire. But really - the area exploded with families bustling about with ice cream cones and vacation highs. Can't you just imagine a few little ones laughing and swapping childhood stories on those steps? What a sweet memory.
Here, you can see the street on which quite a few of the cottages were built. An entire neighborhood, just abandoned.
It's really that simple, actually. There is no flood or strange epidemic, no murder or sad story associated with the loss of Elkmont - just a simple fade. The area was bought by the national park, and community members slowly filtered out of the town as their leases on the land expired.
Unfortunately, the state of Tennessee began demolition of some of the homes along the Little River Trail in Elkmont this past spring for safety concerns. The remaining homes are being fortified for the safety of hikers and park workers alike. It's a bit of a loss, but you can still see quite a few of the buildings in Daisy Town.
The area is known as the Historic Elkmont District, lauded with the moniker in 1994. It's a silent nod to the past, a quiet stare into what once was in East Tennessee.
What an eerie place, echoing with the laughter of so long ago. Would you visit for yourself, or does it creep you out too much...? Let us know in the comments!
If you’re hungry after your adventure, check out these killer Tennessee foods – they’re classic.
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