Inside abandoned forest resort once visited by wealthy tourists now a ghost town after being left to rot for 40 years
THE Elkmont region in the upper Little Valley of The Great Smoky Mountains was once the stomping ground of the rich and elite.
Eerie photos reveal the decaying remnants of a wealthy lumber resort-turned abandoned town, deep within Tennessee‘s mountains.
The resort is merely a shadow of its former glory after the creation of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934 – no longer a bustling enclave with over 1,500 residents.
Elkmont was left to rot for over 40 years when locals either had to relocate or sell their homes at full value to the park.
If they opted to sell their homes, they’d receive a discounted rate but get to stay in their homes forever.
Compared to the rustic cabins of the lumber workers, these cottages were mansions in their day. There are 47-buildings standing in the town today.
The majority of leases expired in 1992 – but this meant the national park, the most visited national park in the US, had a staggering 70 buildings or so left without anyone to maintain them.
The cabins started to deteriorate into the macabre state they are in today.
The owners gave parts of the town names like “Millionaire’s Row” or “Society Hill.”
But not all of Elkmont was subject to this degradation – the national park chose to preserve 19 buildings, knocking down the rest.
The remaining buildings are available for the public to view on a tour.
Elkmont’s high number of abandoned buildings led to its nickname as the “Ghost Town.”
Images show entire roofs caved in, flaking paint and floors that look like they’ve been smashed in by tresspassers.
The now-dilapidated buildings are a far cry from the booming logging camp, the mountain range once considered a hidden gem nestled among the Tennessee–North Carolina border.
The spot first become popular in the early 20th century when a prolific colonel set up a logging company and a railroad to transport his timber, establishing it as a lumber town.
Wealthy families from Knoxville, Tennessee and North Carolina would then travel by train to visit Elkmont and built holiday cottages and chalets.
Photographer Abandoned Southeast, specialises in capturing the mytery of abandoned buildings.
They said: “I heard of this place several years ago when an internet article went viral about a hiker discovering a ghost town.
“This is a decaying resort town that was abandoned in the early 1990s.
“In 1992, the National Park Service refused to renew the lifetime leases of the cabin owners which forced them out. The NPS wanted to remove the cabins and restore the land back to nature.”
Until recently, locals thought the town was lost to a series of wildfires.
“I want people to know this town was not harmed by the Gatlinburg wild fires and is very much intact,” added Abandoned Southeast.
“The Park Service asks visitors to not go inside the cabins. Some are partially collapsed or have rotting floors.
“When I show people my images they are often amazed at how beautiful a derelict cabin can be.”
Local TV station WVLT reported a bear ripping into a tent at Elkmont Campground in June 2022.
They said the bear found a tent with food in it, violating guidelines outlawing campers to keep food in vehicles.
“As a result, a girl, 3, and her mother suffered ‘“’superficial scratches to their heads.’”
