About Daisy Town Cabins (Elkmont)
The NPS describes Daisy Town as a former logging camp that became an early vacation destination, and that line holds the whole story. Loggers came for the timber; vacationers followed the railroad the loggers had built.
What you see
Along the paths of Elkmont, small frame cabins stand among the trees, with porches and tin roofs. Many are modest, built to be used a few weeks in summer. Others are only stone foundations, steps and chimneys where a cabin once stood. The NPS Elkmont page notes that visitors can explore on foot via the Jakes Creek and Little River trails, which pass stone walls and chimneys marking former resort cabin sites.
The National Park Service chose to preserve a set of the cabins, while others were removed after the last leases ended in 1992. Daisy Town was one of the two cabin neighborhoods; the Appalachian Club was the other.
Visiting
- Where: Elkmont, off Little River Road, about 5 miles from Sugarlands Visitor Center.
- Access: cabins are viewed from outside, and entry is not permitted except for reservation holders at the clubhouse.
- Time to allow: 45 minutes to an hour.
- Parking: the Elkmont lots fill by mid-morning; a parking tag is required for stops over 15 minutes.
- Trails: Jakes Creek and Little River trails start nearby. Check the park conditions page for current trail status.
Context
Elkmont is also known for its synchronous fireflies, with viewing for about eight nights from late May to mid-June (2026: May 20 to 27), by lottery. The campground closes in winter. Together with the Appalachian Clubhouse, Spence Cabin and the Wonderland Hotel site, Daisy Town makes a good half-day. See the NPS Elkmont page.
Good to know
- Do I need a parking tag?
- A Park It Forward parking tag ($5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year) is required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Entry is free, and federal passes such as America the Beautiful do not replace the tag.
