GATLINBURG, Tenn. – There’s a little-known vehicle drive-through nature trail just off of the main Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN at the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum.
It’s virtually a mini-sized Cades Cove at 4.5 miles long in a lonely section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You’re sure to see a black bear along the trail at least 50% of the time and a few cabin homesteads are located throughout.
Towards the end of the trail is a hidden graveyard treasure, literally steps off of the road. It is called the Bales Graveyard. Also known as the Giles Reagan Cemetery.
Built on a mound, during the Springtime, it has a spectacular, but eerie green glow to it. In the 1800’s many of the Great Smoky Mountain graveyards were manicured by removing all of the grass.
By doing this, it created virtually a maintenance-free upkeep by just keeping it as dirt. Many are completely covered with a brilliant green moss now, which in return creates the glowing effect.
In the 1830’s there was a sawmill in Elkmont, this was where Giles Reagan lost his leg in an accident. His leg was buried in the Bales Graveyard. Mr. Reagan would often complain he was haunted by his missing leg and always felt stones and pebbles between his toes and swore he was going to dig his leg up.
Well that never happened. Years later when Reagan passed, his body was actually buried in downtown Gatlinburg in the White Oak Flats Cemetery. As for his leg, well it was left buried at Bales.
Watch as Graveyard Ghosts ventures through this unique graveyard and search for Giles Reagans’ leg.
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