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RECLAIMED BY NATURE

Haunting pictures show log cabins once home to wealthy holidaymakers left to rot after forest village was turned into ghost town 30 years ago

Elkmont in Tennessee is being overrun by nature

THESE spooky photographs reveal the rotting remains of an abandoned resort town where the wealthy once built luxurious holiday cabins.

They were taken at Elkmont in The Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, which was abandoned over thirty years ago.

The elements have ravaged the once-proud resort
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The elements have ravaged the once-proud resortCredit: Media Drum World
A cross adorns a crude grave in Elkmont, Tennessee
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A cross adorns a crude grave in Elkmont, TennesseeCredit: Media Drum World
The town is so remote that many thought it had been consumed in a forest fire
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The town is so remote that many thought it had been consumed in a forest fireCredit: Media Drum World

The resort is a shadow of its former glory as mother nature slowly reclaims the buildings.

One picture shows how an entire roof has caved in on one of the larger buildings, while others show flaking paint, broken windows and rotting floors in the once-proud holiday spot.

The images were taken by an urban explorer known as Abandoned Southeast.

Explorers and photographers who chronicle abandoned places - such as glorious cinemas and once-beloved theme parks - have become increasingly popular.

Abandoned Southeast said: "I heard of this place several years ago when an internet article went viral about a hiker discovering a ghost town.

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The resort was once filled with wealthy holidaymakers
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The resort was once filled with wealthy holidaymakersCredit: Media Drum World
Some of the cabins are mostly intact, while others have collapsed into ruin
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Some of the cabins are mostly intact, while others have collapsed into ruinCredit: Media Drum World

"This is a decaying resort town that was abandoned in the early 1990s.

"In 1992, the National Park Service refused to renew the lifetime leases of the cabin owners which forced them out. The NPS wanted to remove the cabins and restore the land back to nature."

Elkmont was initially a lumber town and wealthy families from Tennessee and North Carolina started to build holiday cottages and chalets. The owners gave parts of the town names like ‘Millionaire’s Row’ or ‘Society Hill’.

The haunting images were taken by a photographer who seeks out ruined and abandoned places
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The haunting images were taken by a photographer who seeks out ruined and abandoned placesCredit: Media Drum World
The haunting buildings and remoteness of the resort combine to create a macabre scene
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The haunting buildings and remoteness of the resort combine to create a macabre sceneCredit: Media Drum World
Most of the cottages were built between 1910 and 1930
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Most of the cottages were built between 1910 and 1930Credit: Media Drum World

Compared to the rustic cabins of the lumber workers, these cottages were mansions in their day. There are 47-buildings standing in the town today.

Until recently, locals thought the town was lost to a series of wildfires.

Some of the buildings are remarkably well-preserved after more than 30 years
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Some of the buildings are remarkably well-preserved after more than 30 yearsCredit: Media Drum World
The photographer said people are often 'amazed' at how beautiful a derelict cabin can be
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The photographer said people are often 'amazed' at how beautiful a derelict cabin can beCredit: Media Drum World
The town was settled by early American pioneers and was a logging town before it became a resort
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The town was settled by early American pioneers and was a logging town before it became a resortCredit: Media Drum World
The area is full of picturesque creeks, valleys and woodland
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The area is full of picturesque creeks, valleys and woodlandCredit: Media Drum World
Hunters and fishermen once flocked to the area
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Hunters and fishermen once flocked to the areaCredit: Media Drum World

"I want people to know this town was not harmed by the Gatlinburg wild fires and is very much intact," added Abandoned Southeast.

"The Park Service asks visitors to not go inside the cabins. Some are partially collapsed or have rotting floors.

";When I show people my images they are often amazed at how beautiful a derelict cabin can be."

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