The Spooky Jakes Creek Trail In Tennessee Will Lead You To The Elkmont Ghost Town
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Meghan Kraft
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The famed Great Smoky Mountain National Park is known around the world for its incredible forests and peaceful, calming rivers. It’s a place of true natural majesty that has a few secrets up its sleeve. If you haven’t hiked the stunning Jakes Creek Trail, it has a spooky edge that takes on an entirely new meaning come the haunted spirit of October. Wander along Jakes Creek Trail to find one of the best-known ghost towns in the mountains of Tennessee, Elkmont.
Jakes Creek Trail is a well-known hiking trail that ascends through the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's a 3.7-mile hike from point-to-point and is considered an easy to intermediate hiking experience.
Jakes Creek does make its way uphill, so you'll want to be careful of tree roots and rocks along the way. Heavy rains can dislodge parts of the trail, so make sure you keep an eye out! You'll also find yourself crossing a myriad of creeks, either by foot or along narrow footbridges.
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Of course, it's the trek past the ghost town of Elkmont that most folks remember. Once a full-blown town in the early 1900s, Elkmont made a name for itself as the second-largest town in the county. Most of the residents were employed by the Little River Lumber Company. Although the town has since been abandoned, a few of the remaining homes are still standing.
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After the rise and fall of the railroad company, the town was opened as a resort and its where the aptly named Wonderland Club operated. The resort town eventually closed and the National Park Service is working to preserve 19 buildings, including 17 of the cabins and the Appalachian Club lodge.
The area will be known as the Elkmont Historic District. It's a work-in-progress, so the goal is for the final restoration to be completed by 2025.
Jakes Creek Trail takes on a whole new feel once you realize what it's hiding. Elkmont is a radical experience, a step back in time that you simply can't have anywhere else.
Will you be hiking the beautiful Jakes Creek Trail anytime soon? If you have any tips from a previous trip, make sure to leave them in the comments below!
If you’re looking for other fun ways to experience the state, these hot spots near Nashville are great for viewing fall foliage all season long.
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Jakes Creek Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA