There's a very helpful brochure at the entrance and if they're out of stock, I've added a picture…read more The brochure tells the story of this cemetery that dates back to 1785 when the oldest church in the county was organized by Scots-Irish in a log building that stood at the north side of the graveyard called Francis Dean's or Robert Henderson's Lower Meeting House. Dean owned the land and Henderson was the first pastor of the church. The brochure continues, "When the church was founded in 1785, Dandridge was just a small western outpost nestled along the French Broad River in Caswell County, State of Franklin, where most people were living in scattered log cabins. The ace of cession by North Carolina paved the way for the formation of the State of Franklin which almost became the nation's 14th state and survived for four years under its own government even though North Carolina would never officially recognize the Franklinites." It was peaceful and interesting and quite historic. If you're heading to Dandridge, stop in and visit the final resting place of these pioneers. [Review 20105 overall - 461 in Tennessee - 1081 of 2023.]

So old. Yeah, this is pretty neat. Dating back to around 1785, interred here are the graves of…read moreRevolutionary War veterans and early citizens of Dandridge. The are only a handful of headstones and they are all unmarked and weathered - in a really cool historic way. There are several stone benches and the grounds are well maintained. The local attendant at the visitor center told me much more oral history; apparently you may never guess it by the size of this little hill mound but approximately 200 unknown graves lie underneath. Oh my.

Worth the drive to see and walk through the tunnel…read more Read the history, it's really a sad story. They call it the stolen highway

If you didn't know the history of this spot, you might not think it's a big deal but if you do know…read morethe history, it becomes more relevant. Yes, it literally is a road that ends in a very long, dark and wet tunnel. There are also several walking trails nearby. We drove back on the road a little bit and did one of the shorter hikes that leads to a section of the lake. There are other trails that are more strenuous. This is more of an oddity than anything else, but still an interesting place to visit.

Thanks to Google Maps (and my thorough trip itinerary planning), I had discovered the historic…read more(once a) "ghost town" of Elkmont. For America's most visited national park, it can be difficult to escape the crowds within the Great Smoky Mountains--yet Elkmont is one place to do just that! This Little River Valley was once home to a pioneer Appalachian community, a logging town, and later a resort community. To this day, old relics and abandoned buildings from the past remain--awaiting to be explored. The area was settled in the 1840s as the town of Little River when a logging company was formed. A railroad was later constructed to transport timber for the Little River Lumber Company. This eventually allowed the wealthy from Knoxville to visit what eventually became a resort town. When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was was established in 1934, residents were given the option to sell their homes at full price and relocate, or sell to the National Park Service (NPS) for a discounted price allowing them to live there until they become deceased. By 1992, most of the homes remained vacant or with expired leases leading 70+ historic buildings into a state of deterioration. Thankfully the NPS decided to renovate and preserve 19 buildings in Elkmont for public visitation. You can now find the Elkmont Historic District with cabins along Jakes Creek Road that were completed around 1997. They attempted to keep the buildings in the closest original condition--even their exterior paint colors! Each cabin has information about the tenants and any unique features. Unfortunately, the cabins cannot be brought up to code for renting or staying inside. However, the largest lodge known as the Appalachian Club is available as an event venue. Continue to explore the Old Elkmont Cemetery up a rocky road near the beginning of Elkmont Road, or choose to hike the Jakes Creek or Little River Trails where you will venture past less discovered old chimneys, walls and tractors that still remain. Directions: Coming from Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge or Cherokee, turn to go west on Fighting Creek Gap Road toward Cade's Cove (turn off near the Sugarlands Visitor Center). After the Laurel Falls trailhead, watch for signs to Elkmont Campground. Follow Elkmont Road all the way til it becomes a loop drive at Jakes Creek Trail Trailhead.

Pretty neat location. Reminded us of a place back home that is still a resort for the wealthy…read more Warning to others who visit, make sure to stop at Sugarlands Visitor Center and get your park tag before going. We were hoping to hike more of the area but didn't know we needed a park tag for our vehicle

Today was amazing! We went to see a castle right here in Tennessee! Floyd "Junior" Banks built the…read morecastle out in Loudon County TN called the Greenback Castle or Fortress of Faith. He dedicated this castle to the Lord and encourages everyone to come out and see it for themselves. He never charges a fee to visit, but donations are very much appreciated. He was excited to meet us and take us for a tour. He is a fascinating gentleman with some really interesting stories. He built the castle himself with donated items over the past 30 years and still works on it. Junior told us he never used a level or measuring device, God guides him. He lives in a house nearby on the many acres of property. I highly recommend touring this incredible castle (AT YOUR OWN RISK) and spending some time listening to Junior. I immediately went on Amazon and bought 2 of his books because he was so intriguing. Fortress of Faith: Art, Science, and Divine Intervention at the Greenback Castle What In Another World Is Going On At The Greenback Castle?

(Not a restaurant) If you love the bizarre and unique visit…read morethe Greenback Castle. A retired old gentleman built this "art project " over 30+ years. And loves to greet people and explain the (mostly religious) meaning of all displays. Fun, weird, unique!

Best caverns we've ever toured! Barbara, our tour guide, was incredible. Extraordinary beauty and…read morenever felt claustrophobic. Huge inside. Absolutely beautiful. This was our most favorite part of our trip so far.

We really enjoyed this visit. It's a family owned establishment with a pretty cool origin story…read more And it's huge - so much larger than we imagined. Our young guide was great and shared so much information about the caverns. The tour is about an hour and a half and you'll def gets some steps in, along with some fairly steep staircases. But the views and the experience of being so far underground with all the natural beauty is absolutely worth it. Bring a sweater. Oh, and grab some fudge on your way in or out. Such a fun day!

The tunnel is cool, but very short. The trails make up for it and the waterfalls are a great sight…read more No wait time, no reservations recommended, price to entry $1-5. But make sure you have a flashlight with you to go into the tunnels and the waterfalls is so pretty. I recommend this to anyone who want to adventure.

Short experience but worth going to. The entrance is $5 a car. You can walk the short tunnel, just…read morebe careful it gets dark and there's puddles. The waterfall is beautiful and it can be viewed from the top and from the side on the observatory deck.

Beautiful example of a southern plantation house. The house and grounds have a rich history. Our…read moretour guide was very knowledgeable and gave interesting details as we went through each room. Pictures are not allowed inside the house. Some families that once lived here donated furniture that was in the house at the time. The pieces of furniture and accents are gorgeous! The design of some of the tables and even some door hinges was ingenious. This is well worth the stop if you're nearby!

I'm always all in when it comes to historic bridges especially when I can experience them first…read morehand and if I can walk across them then that's gets it to a entirely different level. I actually found this foot bridge by happenstance, I was driving down the highway and saw it connecting the two sides of the river, which is the intended purpose. Getting to this little gems is quite tricky and as you approach it on the residential side of the river you may be a little hesitant to pull into the narrow lane that sits between two homes but trust me the neighbors know what they have on the backside of their riverfront property - one friendly owner was outside and invited me in to check it out. These bridges are so cool but they were simply constructed to provide a solution which was "to get to the other side" I'm sure there is some correlation to "why did the chicken cross the road" but I'm not certain. The water below was running at a good pace and is very shallow you definitely wouldn't want to jump from or fall from this bridge the rocks would break you fall immediately after the splash. You could probably see everything you want to see here in about 10 minutes I stayed about 20 minutes - besides the bridge being super cool and the fact that it is historic there is more to it, the "love lock" phenomenon which symbolizes "unbreakable love" has attached itself to the structure. The love padlock phenomenon is like a weird alien growth that just won't die so think about this before placing your lock...

A little awkward to find but so beautiful!! It's lovely and well worth the hunt. Lots of fun. We…read morealso saw turtles near the creek below