This September marks our 50th wedding anniversary. Nothing says party like a 50th anniversary, and our friends Roger and Trudy Knipp pulled out all the stops for us. We are forever grateful. Friends and family came from as far as Canada to celebrate with us. It was a wonderful weekend of remembrance and celebration. It seemed a fitting contrast to seek peace and solitude in the hidden gems of the Smoky Mountains.
As the party ended, and everyone returned home, we sought time to reflect. As we drove to the mountains, Susie and I looked forward to the peaceful quiet of the Hippensteal Mountain View B&B. We have been there before, and I have written about it (https://lifesojourn.com/romantic-weekend-getaway-return-to-our-beginning/).
As for our favorite stops, the Ristorante Dellasantina (https://ristorantedellasantina.com) and the Red Oak Bistro (https://redoakbistro.net) are special favorites and not to be missed. At the Mountain View Inn, we shared delicious Hippensteal desserts and stories with guests from across the United States. And no visit to the Smokies is complete without visiting the galleries and the arts and crafts shops on Glades Road. However, for this visit, we thought we would check out some things known as “hidden gems” of the Smoky Mountains, interesting, out of the way places that most people miss.
The Appalachian Club
At the turn of the 20th century, a gentleman’s hunting club, the Appalachian Club, took root near the logging town at Elkmont, and later the well-to-do of Knoxville moved in to construct a village of rustic cabins. The village stood where the Elkmont Campground exists today. Today, you will find it in a drive to the back of the campground.
People sought to escape the summer city heat and move to the mountains with their households. When the states of Tennessee and North Carolina created the national park in the 20s and the 30s, private owners were bought out and displaced from the park. Once doomed to demolition, a community of volunteers sought to preserve the past and were successful in placing the village on the National Historic Register. This kickstarted a long term preservation effort.
As you walk through the woods on the Little River Trail, you will find the remains, usually a solitary stone chimney, of cabins that are slowly disappearing back into the earth on which they once stood.
Troll Bridge – A Hidden Gem
But here is the hidden gem, the Troll Bridge that stands alone a short distance off the Little River Trail approximately 100 yards from the trail’s beginning at the parking lot. The trail is about 3 miles from Fighting Creek Gap Road, the road from the park’s Sugarlands Visitor Center to Townsend. The bridge is in the heavy shade of the tall, dark forest. It is quiet, eerily quiet. The peace and solitude in the hidden gems is real. It is not difficult to close your eyes and envision trolls dancing over the bridge.
Harrisburg Covered Bridge – A Hidden Gem
Another hidden gem of the park is the Harrisburg Covered Bridge. It stands in Sevier County where it crosses the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River. Elbert Stephenson Early constructed the bridge in 1875. Two subsequent restoration efforts in 1972 and 2005 led to the sturdy, authentic-looking bridge that stands today. It is one of only three covered bridges in the state of Tennessee. A grist mill stood beside the bridge, but only a trace of the foundation remains in the stream bed. A nearby road, Harrisburg Mill Road, stands in evidence that a mill once stood there.
These sights are not dramatic nor do they occupy large roles in the history of the Smoky Mountain Park or in east Tennessee. But they quietly stand as symbols of a time when peace and solitude reigned. The traffic jams, noise and congestion of Pigeon Forge car shows and Gatlinburg tourist shops are so prominent, yet so foreign to the peace and solitude so many people seek in the mountains.
