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Visit House of the Fairies in the Great Smoky Mountains

Even regular visitors don’t always know about the special spot called House of the Fairies.  The House is actually the springhouse at what was once the Voorheis estate.  The Voorheis estate is a 38-acre site located about a mile from Gatlinburg.  Louis Voorheis bought the land in 1928.  Desiring a mountain retreat, he developed the land accordingly.  Mr. Voorheis wanted to offer people a place to retreat from big city life and find the peace of the Smoky Mountains.  He utilized the two creeks that ran across the property for a water-powered mill.  He experimented with water power and built a hydroelectric dam.   Many of the flower and vegetable gardens include water features.   In 1933 Mr. Voorheis deeded the property to the National Park Service, which took over full management of the property in 1952.

Much of the original estate survives today.  The structures include the main house, two guest cabins, a horse barn, and an apple barn.  The stone springhouse is called the House of the Fairies and is in the Twin Creeks area of the park.

How to Find House of the Fairies

To get there you should hike the Twin Creeks Trail, a moderate trail of about 4.5 miles round trip.  There is a small pull off at the trailhead, but you may find it more convenient to park at the Ogle Place Parking Area and walk up the road a bit.  The trail goes along the creek.  You will see many buildings from the Estate, including the mill.  As you walk you can imagine what it must have been like living in a log cabin.

After you pass the Resource Center, you will see a small path.  Follow this path to get to the quaint Fairy House.  You will see an arched wall with an open door and stairs leading to the top.  You are welcome to enter the springhouse.  The stone walls, covered in moss, do look like the place where a fairy or water sprite might reside!  It looks like a magical building from some other time.  For more information, visit http://www.thesmokies.com

This photo of a possible denizen at the House of Fairies was taken by Anthony Tran.ou

If you are staying at Buckhorn Inn, don’t forget to order one of our hearty sack lunches for the hike.  Who knows, you might be sharing your lunch with a fairy!