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The Ghost Town of the Great Smoky Mountains…Elkmont, Tennessee. Originally known as “Little River”, Elkmont began as a logging town in the 1840’s and grew into a thriving little place when the Little River Lumber Company formed in the early 1900’s. When Great Smoky Mountains National Park was formed in 1934…the residents of this little town were forced to relocate…either selling their homes for full value and leaving right away or selling to the National Park Service for a discounted price and staying in their home for the remainder of their lifetimes. Most leases expired in 1992, so the cabins and buildings began to deteriorate with no one to maintain them. Nowadays in the Elkmont Ghost Town, you’ll find remains of these cabins and buildings, some of which are now being restored...along with the Elkmont Troll Bridge, the town’s old cemetery and other remnants of this once thriving little town in the Smokies. It can be visited via multiple hiking trails within the park. #smokymountains #smokymountainvacation #smokymountainstennessee #smokymountainsnationalpark #smokymountains #smokymountainsnationalpark #smokies #NorthCarolina #northcarolinaliving #northcarolinaoutdoors #northcarolinamountains #westernnc #westernncmountains #Tennessee #tennesseelife