Hiking to the House of the Fairies in the Great Smoky Mountains
There are a ton of unique spots throughout the Great Smoky Mountains you can get to by hiking. One of the lesser known spots is the fairy house along Twin Creeks Trail. We want to tell you all about this cool little spot and how to get there. Here’s more about hiking to the House of the Fairies in the Great Smoky Mountains:
History of the Fairy House
Before we talk about how to get to the fairy house, we want to share the history of this spot with you. A man named Louis E. Voorheis bought and developed land from 1928 to 1944. He owned 38 acres of land in what is known as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Voorheis wanted this area to be a mountain retreat to get away from crowds of people.
Voorheis enjoyed experimenting with water power, which is probably why he chose the property where two creeks run across it. Soon after he bought his land, he started working on a dam for hydroelectric power. He also built a water powered mill and many gardens where water features were prominent. Voorheis liked to use water features as part of the landscape, and he also built a pool, as well as the springhouse, known as the House of the Fairies.
Getting to the Fairy House
To get to the House of the Fairies, you will have to hike the Twin Creeks Trail. To get to the trailhead, you can park at Ogle Place Parking area to start at one side of the trail or at Mynatt Park on the other side of the trail just before the entrance to Cherokee Orchard Road. From there, you’ll have to walk up the road to get to the trailhead. There is a small pull off area at the trailhead but parking at these areas would probably be easier.
Twin Creeks Trail is an out-and-back trail with a roundtrip length of 4.5 miles. You’ll walk along the creek and see many buildings from the Voorheis Estate. You can walk inside and see what living in log cabins was like. You’ll also find the Natural Resources Center of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the trail. There’s also the Voorheis Estate house you can see. On one part of the creek, you can even see the water mill Voorheis built on LeConte Creek. Many people also see wildlife along the trail, including snakes and black bears. Just be careful if you do see any wild animals, and follow these other safety tips while you’re hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains.
As you’re walking along the trail and you pass the Resource Center, you’ll see a small path jutting off from Twin Creeks Trail. Follow this trail to get the Fairy House. Once you get to the House of the Fairies, you’ll see an arch wall with a simple open door, with stairs leading to the top. You can go inside the springhouse. The exterior and interior are completely constructed of stone. The stone is covered in moss, which is probably why it was named the House of the Fairies!
Once you hike to the House of the Fairies in the Great Smoky Mountains, you’ll want to explore many other unique spots! Want to try some other short hikes? Check out these short hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains!
