Explored an abandoned resort town in the Great Smoky Mountains where wealthy Tennesseans vacationed a century ago
A resort in the mountains
Elkmont Historic District lies in a valley along the northern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The land was farmed in the 1800s, then a railroad brought loggers and visitors in the following century, helping establish a resort called Daisy Town.
About 100 years ago, wealthy Tennesseans came to escape hot summers in the cities. National Park Service markers describe their search for “harmony with nature.” Families arrived by train, relaxed on vacation-home porches and played outdoors. Visitors can reach the area from Gatlinburg via US-411, turning at the Elkmont Campground sign and then following the Elkmont Nature Trail sign, according to Visit My Smokies.
From resort to ghost town
The National Park Service bought the land in 1934, and the resort community gradually declined. Residents could sell their cabins for full price or accept half price in return for a lifetime lease, Visit My Smokies reports.
By the late 20th century, the vacation community had become a ghost town. The park service stopped renewing leases in 1992, after which abandoned cabins began to deteriorate.
Cabins preserved for visitors
In 2009, the National Park Service announced plans to preserve Elkmont’s historic buildings. Volunteers cleared trees, repaired roofs and ceilings, and added insulation, Knox News reported. The oldest building was constructed in 1830 and relocated in 1932 to serve as a guest house. Its weathered, unpainted wooden exterior looked older than the other cabins, while built-in kitchen counters and cabinets offered signs of their former everyday use.
Imagining a summer escape
The cabins offer a glimpse of what a vacation in Elkmont might have felt like a century ago. Their windows frame natural views, and their porches suggest quiet summer mornings for visitors seeking time outdoors.
Families were wandering the street during the visit, a sign that Elkmont is no longer the ghost town it once was. The preserved buildings make it possible to explore the community’s history firsthand.
Key points
- Elkmont began as a farming area before a railroad helped create the resort community of Daisy Town.
- Wealthy Tennesseans visited about a century ago to escape hot city summers.
- The National Park Service acquired the land in 1934 and stopped renewing leases in 1992.
- Preservation plans announced in 2009 helped protect cabins that visitors can explore today.