Smokys Abandoned Resort Town Hike and Walking Tour

Sightseeing  :  United States  :  Tennessee  :  Gatlinburg  :  Walking Tours

Experience the captivating history of two competing turn of the century resorts, which included: hotels, a swimming hole, cottages, and dance halls, and who's reputation for gala party atmosphere was fueled by beautiful ladies, and handsome gentlemen, in their fine casual attire, clean Smoky Mtn. air, the beautiful mountain river setting, and East TN moonshine! Reminisce while hearing the colorful stories from your guide of train wrecks, to an infamous barn storming, Bi-Plane Pilot named "Rooster", who was not only the first person to land a plane in that little logging town of Elkmont, but he was also the first to crash just after takeoff! Today, sadly, only a small portion of the resort's structures are being preserved by The Great Smokys Mountains Park Staff. A larger portion are presently in a state of decay and collapse. They won't be around much longer, and likely won't be seen by future generations. You'll be in great hands!Your very personable and entertaining guide, will take you back to the earliest days of the era, beginning with dark days of the forced evacuation of the Cherokee Nation, known as, "The Trails of Tears", and the drastic changes to the ecosystem by the introduction of logging in the early 1900's. The tour will begin the hike/walk in Elkmont,  where your guide take you back in time while walking through the historic and once bustling town, where  the celebrations, partying, and revelry occurred, among the social elite of the day at the two resorts. You'll see the abandoned cottages, which were once owned by the prominent area citizens, and others, among whom where later the principle founders of the National Park. We'll discuss architecture, local customs of the day,, train wrecks, and how a very colorful and flamboyant personality, brought a WW-I Biplane from the same man Charles Lindberg had also purchased his planet, to near tragic crash on it's historic maiden flight at Elkmont. There is so much more to the story of this flamboyant logger and aviator and his eventual demise.