These days, a creepy-feeling cemetery and. SAHC purchased the tract with the intent that it will eventually be added to the Pisgah National Forest. It began to fall into decline towards the end of the 19th century, though, and was disincorporated as a town in 1973. “The offering of this property for sale presented a unique opportunity to protect an incredible recreational, environmental, and historical asset,” said Carl Silverstein, SAHC Executive Director. Four streams originate on the property and flow into the Nolichucky, and populations of federally endangered plants have been noted on (or near) the property. It is visible from this popular rafting river as well as a portion of the Appalachian Trail. The property recently purchased by the SAHC fronts on the Nolichucky River, a Significant National Heritage Area. “To me, this effort is one more example of the amazing and extremely important conservation work of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.” It has long fired our imaginations, made us curious about our mountain surroundings and our history and inspired many of us to dig deeper into – and ultimately care more about – our Appalachian heritage,” continued Ramsey. “ ‘Lost Cove’ is a phrase every Unicoi County kid hears pretty early in his/her life. However, the cove’s isolation, as well as economic necessity, eventually led to the community’s demise. Its remoteness and location along the state boundary made it difficult for tax collectors to penetrate. Located on the boundary of Yancey & Mitchell Counties in NC, very near Unicoi County in Tennessee, Lost Cove became notorious for moonshining as early as 1898. Lost Cove grew into a self-sustaining, thriving agricultural community until the railroad brought timber and railroad jobs around 1910. The community was most likely founded during the Civil War era, although a few accounts hint that two families from a Daniel Boone expedition originally settled the area. Lost cove is one of the most legendary ghost towns in the Eastern United States.

altitude is 3,700 feet above sea level sits an Abandoned Mining Ghost Town in the woods. Explore 19 Located high up in the mountains approx. “The opportunity to save this significant part of Lost Cove was very important and welcome to those of us who live in its vicinity, who know personally of its special natural and historical significance and have long hoped it would one day be protected,” said David Ramsey, SAHC Trustee. Abandoned ghost town hidden in the woods. Nestled near the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, the secluded Lost Cove is a ghost town with a colorful history of self-sufficient families, railroad crews, timber, and moonshine. In mid-December 2012, SAHC purchased a 95-acre portion of historic “Lost Cove” in the remote and rugged Nolichucky Gorge, an in-holding in the Pisgah National Forest. You can almost imagine that the stones in fallen walls whisper stories about the families who once lived here. You can still see the oval outline of the old speedway via Google Earth (coordinates: 39☃6’4.59”N, 74☄4’37.10”W), an eerie glimpse of where the raceway once existed.There’s something alluring about a ghost town in the middle of the forest, where stone chimneys and building remnants hearken back to more vibrant days. Made out of wood, it was a 1.5-mile oval track, about 50 feet wide. The Amatol Racetrack, also known as the Atlantic City Speedway, was the biggest raceway on the East Coast at the time. You can also see hints of the racetrack that was built in 1926 on the site of the former munitions plant. The structures that were left behind were made out of concrete, and if you make the hike out into the woods and look closely you can see the remnants of the former munitions village: piles of concrete that were once houses and concrete foundations where structures once stood. Because most of the buildings were built to be temporary, they were dismantled and little was left behind. The homes were deserted and the plant shut down. The roads in were muddy and quite challenging because of it. Over 600 people lived there in its prime. When the gold rush hit, it turned people into millionaires. The planned community was short lived: After World War I ended that same year, Amatol became a vacant town. Renfrew was apparently quite the place once upon a time. It was called Amatol, and in 1918, shortly after the United States entered the war, a munitions plant and adjacent factory town were established in New Jersey named after the explosive they manufactured.Īmatol, New Jersey, was built on 6,000 acres of land in the Pine Barrens. During the last years of World War I, a new explosive was invented to help stretch the depleting stores of TNT.

Hidden ghost town in woods