Hidden On The Tennessee-North Carolina Border Is An Abandoned Town Lined With Mossy Trails

Roughly 23 miles from underrated, artsy, and vibrant Johnson City, Tennessee, and 16 miles from the hiking capital of Western North Carolina hides the ruins of a 20th-century ghost town. Abandoned in the 1950s, Lost Cove was a remote community on the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

Allegedly, unionists established Lost Cove, North Carolina, during the Civil War and hoped the remote setting would keep fighting at bay. Once connected to the outside world by a nearby train, this community never had roads or electricity but did become a moonshine hub. As the world changed, the town grew increasingly cut off from resources, and people started relocating to more well-connected areas. By 1957, the village was deserted. Today, the ruins of Lost Cove poke between trees, moss, and fallen vegetation in a vast, wild forest. The land has returned to nature. 

Explore the area by driving to White Oak Flats Rd and turning onto the end of Forest Service Rd 278. Park at a gated road called Bearwallow. From there, you can take Devil's Creek Trail which will join up with Lost Cove Trail. This route travels a 2.5-mile one-way path from Flattop Mountain. The Forest Service warns that this trail is overgrown, and local weather conditions may impact trail access. Considered difficult due to steep sections and rocky terrain, this path ends up at a picturesque rail track — which is dangerous and illegal to walk on, so keep your distance.

This is a great destination for anyone who gets a kick out of the juxtaposition of nature overtaking civilization. Lost Cove was isolated even when people lived there, and no streets connect the empty town to the outside world. As a result, you may well have the forest all to yourself. Make the most of the experience by identifying wild mushrooms and flowers as you hike.

Visitors can also stroll through the woods and take advantage of many spooky photo-ops as they stumble upon a rusty abandoned car surrounded by vibrant plants and stroll past a literal cabin in the woods that looks like it's straight out of a horror film. There is also a condemned house and the ruins of the old church to explore. A little further along into Lost Cove, you will come across the town's cemetery, complete with hundred-year-old graves.

Fairy tale meets scary movie on these mossy trails. At one moment, you're in a lush field making daisy chains, and then you nearly trip over a gravestone in the abandoned cemetery.  

As you would for any trek, make sure you prepare and know what to expect when visiting Lost Cove. The trails here are fairly quiet, and the solitude can definitely add to the area's otherworldly vibe. Still, if you plan on going solo, keep these hiking safety tips in mind. Ideally, hikers should bring a friend or two. You can also bring your dog, but do keep them on a leash. 

Lost Cove is in the Appalachian Mountains, a region known for both natural beauty and supernatural phenomena. While scenic, local trails can be slippery, steep, and home to ticks, poisonous plants, and (potentially) bears. So, whether or not you believe in Appalachian cryptids like Mothman and Bigfoot, leave Lost Cove before it gets dark. If this trip sparks an interest abandoned places, you can also visit North Carolina's once-bustling island village that is now a ghost town.