The old Wonderland Hotel in the Smokies of Tennessee. Take a free tour!

On a hill overlooking the Elkmont Campground in the Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee there is an abandoned hotel which must have been a beautiful vacation spot in its time. Somehow that era ended to soon.
Built in 1911 it was owned by club members. When the national park was formed people continued to own by lease from the government. When those leases expired the hotel closed in 1992. Parts burned in 1995 and collapsed in 2005. Now you can see how nature is taking over the once beautiful vacation spot.
Be careful when you travel to this place since those buildings could collapse and are in extreme disrepair due to decades of neglect and fire.
This really shows you how time passes by. Just a quarter century ago this place was in operation and look what time did to this place! It seems to me like those 25 years passed by like nothing but they sure changed this place.
The more I spent time at the Wonderland Hotel the more I felt like I want to travel this place like those travelers did many years ago.
It seems like it was a peaceful, old-fashioned, quiet vacation spot. Family style cooking, big porches, fresh fish caught in the river below. It's the America we have come to love and miss. Nothing like today's over-commercialized stuff.
Take Hwy 73 from Towsend or when you come from Gatlinburg turn right at the Sugarland Visitor Center and go to the Elkmont Campground exit. Look left on top of the hill and you see the remaining structures of the Wonderland Hotel lurk through the trees as you drive to the campground. You'll pass by the steps that I took to walk on top of the hill.
#SmokyMountains #WonderlandHotel #Elkmont

[@crystalgaddy2985]

1993 was the last time my family got to stay in the apartment that was 4 doors down on the left side of that hallway. I mailed postcards to my Daddy via that mail slot! I used to sit and read for hours and hours as a kid in front of that fireplace. The green painted room had a screened in area to the back and it was magical at night. My grandfather inherited the apartment from his mother and her father who was in the railroad business. I spent probably totally 2 years of my life there. There was no telephone in the apartment and no television, even in 1993. I fed raccoons off the porch of the hotel. The huge fireplace at the hotel was in a long room to the right off the dining room with a ping pong table and board games. I cannot thank you enough for showing the inside of the annex. I'm emotional now, my grandparents are all gone but I can watch your video and remember it exactly as it was.

[@IngoBreuer]

Thanks for your comments. When I visite this place back in 2014 or 2015 I really enjoyed it and all the time I was thinking what it was like to take a vaction here in this original hotel or in those cabins. I mean this is so different than the average Gatlinburg motel. This place must have had some class but it was still country. it was not fancy. I am glad you shared this and like those videos. It must have been a beautiful place out there when it was still in operation. That mailbox fascinated me. There were people running around in the upstairs but I did not go there because it did not look really that stable.

[@crystalgaddy2985]

@@IngoBreuer it was a special place. Classy country! It was still all in good shape when the Gov't did what they did. I mean it was old and could have used some repairs, but had so much sweetness and character. It was special enough that I still look for videos like yours after all these years. Thanks and happy hiking!

[@nunnaurbiznez8815]

These building were not abanded willingly. The government purchased the land as they assembled land for the park. The buildings were then leased until the leases expired and the governent would not renew, stating that they wished the land to return to nature.

[@blessedagent7713]

Stayed there twice in the early 90’s. It was a super quiet place to stay. No TV’s, no telephones. We enjoyed sitting on the huge deck at night just listening to the night sounds. On our 2nd visit while I was unloading the baggage a family of bears raided a near by dumpster. We almost didn’t stay there due to the steep ride up. My wife was terrified of the steep high roads.

[@IngoBreuer]

It must have been a beautiful place back then.

[@sassysue6472]

Boy i couldn't agree with you more! Crummy cars-they either look like hearses or refrigerators. Clothes that i wouldn't use for anything but rags let alone leave the house wearing! I miss what used to be. Great video. I subscribed!

[@fairday2]

I agree, we need to go back to this way of living.

[@tiffanystephens3460]

Love this video🎥 so beautiful... times past,when I see this it makes me think of simpler times when people got together and had good clean fun, just enjoying sitting on the porch drinking cold iced tea and chatting. I used to live in a wooden cabin growing up in Alabama with my family👪. My mom, used to take my siblings and I for walks through the woods where there was a rushing stream and creeks it was so beautiful back there in those woods...🙌

[@anewcreation8458]

Thanks for this video and your witness for Christ.

[@erinbricker-urbanhistorian5803]

:)

[@lolosunicornfarm8316]

So very sad! What a beautiful location! They should fix up the ones they can and reopen. I would love to go there!

[@erinbricker-urbanhistorian5803]

I agree, thanks for the video.

[@jimwade9570]

Your first words are so true ~~great video thank you very much!

[@eleanortwardy]

thanks for video and especially leaving the tracts...love Oliver B. Green

[@erinbricker-urbanhistorian5803]

:)

[@CS-bu9kd]

Love that place and the fire place is beautiful and cozy. I see comfortable furniture and delicious country food. Peaceful living and its good for your soul ......

[@erinbricker-urbanhistorian5803]

I totally agree with you! :)

[@sassysue6472]

You are so right! How wasteful and ungrateful we are here. So many have so much and others do without. But the biggest thing we do without here is the gospel! Bless you for sharing Jesus with others!

[@erinbricker-urbanhistorian5803]

:)

[@ericj810]

Train use to roll infront of the hotel. I have pics of the tracks somewhere. The trail is where the tracka use to be. Alot of history there. Last time i walked up to the hotel it looked as if the last of it burned down. There was nothing there at all but chimneys.

[@rebekahmcfatridge6691]

yes I agree with you sir absolutely

[@realityhappens4893]

Thanks for sharing great video

[@IngoBreuer]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jordanliles]

I was wondering how the Wonderland area looked today. Thanks for shooting this video.

[@dementedpuppy]

So sad to hear it burned down a couple of years ago. Sad story.

[@cwb0051]

I Totally Agree..Pitful that it has decayed like it has..Shameful!!

[@roselanemable3141]

Cool

[@seanmcknight138]

How do you get to this area? Is it part of the Elkmont Campground?Thanks,Sean

[@IngoBreuer]

Take the road that leads to Elkmont Campground. Look left up the hill. If you drive slowly enough you see old stairway that leads up on top of hill where hotel and cabins used to be. That's before you even get to the Campground. I parked at the campground and walked back to the stairway. You see the stairway in the video.

[@seanmcknight138]

Thank you! Heading down to Gatlinburg next weekend..plan on checking this area out.

[@IngoBreuer]

You're welcome. Enjoy your trip. I was there in 2014 I believe. I understand the big white hotel burned down a couple of months ago. When I was there you could see it through the trees from the road to campground. By now I am sure you can't. But you will find out for yourself soon. Have a great trip.

[@maystaufer231]

I am so sorry this was not kept up what a disgrace god forgive us

[@erinbricker-urbanhistorian5803]

:) I agree May.

[@BatmanYZFr1]

This probably was a good video, but instead of just showing the he had to involve politics. So tired of politics or religion being pushed when unnecessary. Time to find another video on this place.

[@IngoBreuer]

Hello. Thank for watching. Many more Videos on this channel with pure Nature Sound and no commentary. Please understand that KZbin is one of my Main places of free speech and I speak about Religion and politics because it affects our lives.

[@TNmomwith3kids]

burned down on april 19 2016

[@kelleybest2482]

Thanks to federal government.

[@TNmomwith3kids]

+kelleybest is that who burned it down?

[@Shane_Hammond]

It’s still there! Only a few sustained damage.

[@Shane_Hammond]

Well the hotel is gone. ☹️

[@teresabasinger5965]

The clubhouse burnt in 2016. The main Lodge rotted down thanks to the government. There's another video showing it surrounded by a chain link fence. Roof collapsed, porch fallen, what a shame!!

[@novaska69]

I ceased watching this once the creator turned the narrative political. Likely the creator has little idea of how people behaved back then . Based on the clothing styles this appears to be taken in late 20s to early 30s, right smack dab in the middle of prohibition. Wonder if anyone in these photos were illegally obtaining alcohol