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Hiking to a real ghost town in the middle of nowhere is like the holy grail for paranormal-seekers and adventurers who enjoy haunted ancient buildings. Thrill seekers will be relieved to know that North Carolina is home to several abandoned settlements.

Lost Cove, a ghost town on the Nolichucky River in the Poplar Gorge on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is one of the most inaccessible places in the country. Even though the last family left Lost Cove in 1957, it still receives visitors who hope to experience some genuine ghostly activity.

How The Town Of Lost Cove Became A Deserted Settlement

Morgan Bailey founded the community of Lost Cove in Yancey County, North Carolina, just before the Civil War.

At first, the local economy relied on farming, logging, railroad construction, and with an emphasis on moonshine production. Some households distilled the illegal alcohol for their consumption, while others profited by selling or bartering it to their neighbors or railroad workers.

Judges seeking to crack down on the moonshining problem in Lost Cove were sometimes confused about which jurisdiction the town belonged to, which let the moonshiners thrive.

Due to its location on the Tennessee/North Carolina border and its relative isolation, Lost Cove attracted many moonshiners.

Related: How To Hike North Carolina's Largest Waterfall (With Tips)

Lost Cove did not experience significant growth until the logging business made it a profitable stop along the railroad lines. Because of its proximity to the Pisgah National Forest, Lost Cove served as a thriving logging community for decades.

Since the town was doing well, parents could afford to construct a school for their children, thanks to the logging and railroad sectors.

Unfortunately, lumber is a finite resource, and when the wood supply dropped, the railroad quit serving the town to concentrate on other industries, such as coal. As the economy declined, residents pushed for a road to be constructed into Lost Cove.

After legislators turned down the request, the town was eventually deserted due to its challenging geography, relative remoteness, and the discontinuation of passenger rail service.

When the final family left Lost Cove in 1957, it was utterly desolate. In 2007, a series of fires destroyed most of the town, but hikers can still reach the area today.

In addition to the cemetery and the three remaining homes, tourists visit the site to view Swin Miller's rusting Chevrolet, which is still sitting in a ditch.

What To Know Before Hiking To Lost Cove

It's a long trek to Lost Cove, and finding the path there can be difficult. The result, nevertheless, is both satisfying and eerily eerie. Hikers can go one of two ways.

Starting from a parking lot on North Carolina's Forest Service Road, one must avoid walking on the gravel road and instead locate the short route that leads directly up the mountain to the right of the parking area.

At the top, tourists should take a left and follow the road until they see the sign for Lost Cove. Then, after a few hours, they should head down, keeping in mind that bears are on the loose and remaining cautious at all times.

It's easier to walk the other path, which is also smoother. Three miles of hiking parallel to the Nolichucky River from River Road in Unicoi County, Tennessee, will bring travelers to a dirt road that leads another mile into town.

Related: This North Carolina Wilderness Isn't Called 'Yosemite Of The East' For No Reason

That GPS coordinate is for the center of town. The lines are active, and if one wants to get to the ghost town in this fashion, they'll have to walk down them for quite some distance, with no place to hide from an oncoming train and no idea what's around the next bend in the river.

A steep climb through the bear refuge is likely far safer than taking the slow train, which can be heard from quite a distance.

What Else Is There To Do In Yancey County?

Yancey County is unique because it contains five of the tallest mountains found east of the Mississippi River (including Mt. Mitchell – the highest point in Eastern America).

The county and Northeast Tennessee share the Appalachian Mountain Ridge in the region's northwest corner.

Parkway Playhouse and the Toe River Arts Council may be found in Burnsville, North Carolina, the county seat, and are two excellent illustrations of the impact and significance of the arts in this region.

The Pisgah National Forest in the western North Carolina Appalachians is another superb destination for tourists in the area. The forest's total area includes parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Balsam Mountains.

The forest extends to the areas around Asheville and Brevard, as well as the French Broad River Valley. Mountaineering, backpacking, and mountain biking are all examples of outdoor recreation.

The North Carolina Arboretum is not the only institution that benefits from the land and its resources; hunting, wildlife management, and timber harvesting also call this place home.