Tennessee hides dozens of abandoned communities in its mountains, valleys, and beneath its lakes. Some vanished when dams flooded entire valleys, others emptied as logging camps shut down or the government seized land for secret projects.
Walking through these ghost towns today feels like stepping into a time capsule, where crumbling cabins, old cemeteries, and overgrown roads tell stories of families, industries, and dreams that once filled these quiet places.
History lovers trek deep into national parks, paddle across reservoirs, and follow forgotten trails to find these lost settlements and imagine the voices that once echoed through their streets.
1. Elkmont Ghost Town, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Following the Little River upstream from Gatlinburg, the pavement narrows and the forest suddenly opens onto an entire abandoned neighborhood…