Ghost towns from above: Bird's eye view of abandoned communities across NC
Have you ever wanted to visit a real ghost town? There are ruins of abandoned and forgotten towns all across North Carolina.
In fact, it's likely you've driven or even hiked past the remnants of a ghost town or lost community without even realizing it. These ruins are hidden atop mountains, beneath manmade lakes, off hiking trails in the deep woods – and even on their own island.
Some are more accessible than others, and some are off-limits. But using the power of Google Maps' satellites, we can take a look at several North Carolina ghost towns from a bird's eye view.
1. Ghost Town in the Sky: Abandoned theme park on a mountain
Look closely at the satellite view of Maggie Valley's Ghost Town in the Sky and you can still see the old amusement park rides and abandoned buildings dotting the mountaintop.
While not a real historic town that has been left behind, the abandoned amusement park has the look and feel of an "old western ghost town," complete with creaky wooden facades and saloons, as well as an overgrown train and looping roller coaster.
The mountaintop park enjoyed its heyday in the 1970s and 80s, much like its contemporary Land of Oz – yet another mountaintop theme park that was abandoned for several years. While Land of Oz reopens for visitors to return for a touch of childhood nostalgia, the Ghost Town in the Sky has remained vacant for a little over a decade.
2. Portsmouth Island: Lost 1800s town on an island
Footprints of ghost towns can be found up and down North Carolina's coast, where some colonial settlements were destroyed by the dangers of the era – hurricanes, floods, cannon fire and war.
Many coastal ghost towns have almost no remains. Portsmouth, established on an island in the mid-1800s, has a surprising number of surviving structures – including a church, a school a post office, a general store, a historic house and a life saving station. Look closely at the satellite image, and you can see some of these places still standing.
Because the small island is only accessible by boat, it has remained relatively untouched by the rapidly-developing modern world.
While the town thrived in the mid-1800s, the "coming Civil War signaled an end of the era for the village," according to historians at Friends of Portsmouth. "Many residents fled for the mainland as the Union Army marched down the Outer Banks. A large portion did not return after the war."
Visitors can book a boat to visit the town, and the historic buildings are sometimes open for tours.
3. Brunswick Town: Colonial town destroyed during a war
Before the founding of the United States, parts of the colonial Brunswick Town had already been destroyed. Most of the ghost town is hidden beneath the dirt; however, satellite images show foundations of colonial homes that have been carefully uncovered by historians over the years.
Ruins of the town include an old cemetery, as well as an impressive brick skeleton of St. Phillip's Anglican Church. The enormous ruins of an old governor's mansion can also be seen – making the tiny foundations of the regular homes and shops look diminutive by comparison.
The town was destroyed by British soldiers during the Revolutionary War; many residents fled before the soldiers arrived. Some moved to the nearby Wilmington. Even today, scars from cannon fire can be seen on the church walls.
Visitors can walk through the ruins of this colonial ghost town, catching a glimpse of what life was like in a pre-Revolutionary colony.
4. Judson: Ghost town flooded beneath a lake during WWII
Just as ghost towns dot the North Carolina coast, there are also many hidden remnants of old towns and communities in the woods of the Smoky Mountains – and even a few hidden beneath manmade lakes.
Fontana Lake was created in the 1940s when the federal government needed more hydroelectric energy for developing bombs during WWII. When the water levels are low, some locals say you can see the housetops of ruins of the ghost town of Judson.
With the creation of Fontana Dam, many residents of Swain County gave up their family homes and land. However, the government promised to build a special road that would allow them access to their ancestral land – and, most specifically, their family cemeteries.
Unfortunately, the road was never finished. Today, the 7-mile section of road hits a dead end at an abandoned tunnel into a mountain – known today as the Road to Nowhere.
5. Proctor: A mountain ghost town
Proctor was another small, historic town that flooded when Fontana Lake was created.
The once-thriving lumber town was located on Hazel Creek. However, like many small communities in the area, it now rests beneath Fontana's waves.
Ruins of the old town and mill can be found in the woods near Backcountry Campsite #86. Family cemeteries can also be found in the area.
However, since the floodwaters destroyed Highway 288 and the Road to Nowhere was never completed, it's difficult to find Proctor and learn about its history. Those who want to visit this ghost town can find it in the woods via a 10-mile hike or a roughly 20-minute boat ride.
No remnants of Proctor are visible on Google Maps' satellite view today – just the thick tops of trees and a red dot along Hazel Creek where it once stood.
6. Mortimer: Ghost town ruins off hiking trail in Pisgah
Mortimer was built along Wilson Creek over a century ago as a lumber town in Caldwell County. While the overhead view on Google Maps is blanketed by trees, photos from the ground reveal there are ruins in the woods slowly being reclaimed by the forest.
Remnants of the cotton mill, as well as overgrown foundations of crumbling buildings, can be found in the woods along Wilson Creek.
Visitors can find these ghost town ruins near the Mortimer campground in Pisgah National Forest.
7. Henry River Mill Village: Sleep over in a ghost town
While many of North Carolina's ghost towns require intense hiking or a boat trip in order to visit, the Henry River Mill village is now open for visitors who want to learn about history.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019, restoration work has been done on the historic mill village, which now even offers overnight accommodations.
Built in the very early 1900s, the remaining wooden structures of the century-old village provided a glimpse into historic life in little mountain mill villages. Even today, a satellite view shows the clear layout of a town – unlike other ghost towns that have been almost completely taken back by nature.
With the loss of the mill in the 1970s, people slowly left the town behind. Some of the town was lost to fire or decay; however, there's a two-story brick store and several mill village homes.
"The mill village, though decaying, survives unspoiled by modern intrusions and material alterations. The Henry River Mill Village is a distinguished collection of unaltered mill housing in a planned rural village associated with North Carolina’s important textile industry in the early twentieth century," says the village's website.
Take a closer look at the satellite view and you may recognize the home of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games – as Henry River Mill Village was used in the filming of District 12 in the movie.
8. Underwater and overgrown ghost towns around Raleigh
While they may not reach the size or status of full 'ghost towns,' there are multiple lost communities exist in the woods and under lakes around Raleigh.
Similar to how the town of Judson was lost beneath Fontana Lake, an entire community of farms, homes and roads was lost beneath Jordan Lake and Falls Lake in Raleigh. Satellite views of both lakes reveal abandoned roads – and even a highway – crumbling and disappearing into the lake.
Beneath Jordan Lake are communities like Pea Ridge and Seaforth. Falls Lake hides a large swath of a community once called The Harricane, where moonshine stills can still be found rusting in the woods,
Hidden in the woods around Umstead Park and the Eno River are more ruins and remnants of old farming and mill communities. Some hiking trails at both parks lead to hidden cemeteries and stone foundations of old mills and homesteads.
That's how it is with ghost towns: Some of these abandoned towns are still standing, but many have been reclaimed by time and nature. You never know when you could be walking over top ruins from long ago.
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