Smokey Mountain Resort For The Wealthy Now A Haunting Memory

#1 Elkmont, Tennessee

Once a playground for the very wealthy and famous, this resort in Elkmont, Tennessee is dangerous for people to visit after many years of neglect when it was turned over to the National Parks system in 1930.

#2 A Getaway For The Wealthy

The resort, at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains, once held luxury cabins and a hotel where the cost of a unit kept the middle class and poor away during peak seasons. Only the rich were able to afford to stay here. But it's now a ghost town, and in such disrepair that it has been deemed dangerous to enter.

#3 In Total Disrepair

From flaking paint, broken windows to collapsed roofs and rotting floors, some wooden cabins are in better shape than others. The resort is a shadow of its former glory as mother nature slowly reclaims the buildings. One picture shows how an entire roof has caved in on one of the larger buildings, whilst another shows a large cabin complete with a garage falling to the ground.

#4 They Became Part Of The National Parks System

The resort village was taken over by the national parks system in the early 1930s, and the cabins were to be demolished. Instead, the government gave the cabins to lease owners with dates that expired in 1992, when they would be appropriated back to the park.

Notice the grave for this newborn, only three days old, who passed away while the family was at the resort and buried on site. It's an eerie reminder of the past.

#5 National Register Of Historic Places

The properties and many others in the area could have been destroyed in 1994 but the once in vogue Wonderland Hotel and many of the cottages were still standing strong and had been kept as they had been since their construction from 1910 to 1920. So, they were placed on the National Register of Historic Places which protected them from being taken down. This meant they were now under the care of the National Parks Department.

#6 The Little River Lumber Company

Before becoming a resort destination for the wealthy, the Elkton area was owned by the Little River Lumber Company, where is had been the company's logging operations base since 1908. However, the company had logged out the area and there was nothing left but prime property. They secretly removed the train tracks in 1910 that led into the mountains and sold the steel.

#7 The Land Becomes A Haven For Wealthy Tourists

At the end of 1910 and into 1911, the Little River Logging Company decided to sell off parcels of land to hunters, fishermen, and adventurers who wanted a place to come and enjoy the great outdoors that the Smokey's had to offer. Most of the parcels were purchased by enthusiasts from Knoxville, who established the 'Appalachian Club' just south of the logging town.

#8 Tourism Flourished

Within a few years, the town's tourism sector began to flourish, and Elton became a popular destination for members of the private club and others wanting to get to the river in the hot summer months.

#9 The Appalachian Club

The Appalachian Clubhouse became a lodge for those who did not have a slice of land for themselves, as many more parcels were sold off to eager families who began building their own private cabins and vacation cottages. But the club remained exclusive.

#10 The Construction Of The Wonderland Hotel

In the spring of 1912, the Wonderland Park Hotel, a 50-room resort lodge, was also constructed nearby on a hill overlooking Elkmont. It was established by a handful of people who failed to be admitted to the exclusive Appalachian Club. It soon connected the two areas after more people began to construct cabins along the paved roadway to the Little River.

#11 Tourism Died In Elkmont As The Nationa Parks Movement Began

However, the glory days of Elkmont as a resort for the wealthy began to die as the country saw the birth of the National Parks movement. Cottage owner Willis P. Davis suggested the idea of a national park in the Smokies after visiting Yellowstone National Park to the local government in 1920 believing it could bring economic benefits to the area.

#12 The US Government Takes Over

The U.S. government agreed to establish the national park in the area if the states of Tennessee and North Carolina purchased the land first, meaning the companies and individuals would have to sell their properties in Elkmont. The area was named 'Elkmont Historic District, Great Smoky Mountains National Park'. The owner of the Little River Lumber Company was first to make the sale to the state, giving up their 76,000 remaining acres of the land, forcing the rest of the cottage owners to sell as well. All of the cabin and cottage owners were given half the full value and lifetime leases on their cabins, which expired in 1992.

Since most were in pristine condition, they were placed on the National Register of Historic Places which protected them from being taken down, sparking a 15-year debate over what to do with them. In 2004, and Environmental Impact Statement for Elkmont announced that the buildings and area would get remodeled and restored to its natural glory, and the Appalachian Clubhouse and the Wonderland Hotel would be completely renovated, along with two dozen cabins. But then it was left to rot and fall down around itself by the Parks system.

#13 The Historic Wonderland Hotel In All Its Lustre

The Wonderland Hotel during its heyday at the foot of the Smoky Mountains in Elkmont, Tennessee in the late 1900s. By 2006 it had totally collapsed from structure failure leaving only the annex and a chimney. Some parts were removed to be restored and preserved by Knoxville historians.

#14 The Final Nail Was The Great Smoky Mountains Fire In 2016

This photo of the annex building at the Wonderland Hotel, one of the only remaining portions to survive after the structure collapsed, shows children enjoying a warm Tennessee summer in 1917. However, the building was destroyed by the big fire that swept through the area in 2016 and took portions of Gatlinburg and Cades Cove as well.

#15 The Last Day Of Operation In 1022

The entire area of the park remains open today though there are safety issues with the structures remaining due to rotting wood and materials and fire damages. On November 15, 1992, the Wonderland Hotel saw its last day of operation.