Ruins of an American Civil War iron forge still survive today.

The sole remaining outpost of a once-thriving South Carolina chain still sells “pic-a-nic” baskets.

An abandoned town is hidden in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

An eerily abandoned stone tower is all that remains of a demolished dam on Cape Fear River.

Over 200 people were buried here with only a small stone to mark their final resting place.

In one of America’s oldest mountain ranges, a long-awaited section of a scenic highway is now open to the public.

The scant remains of this flooded historic village can be explored in one of the most remote areas of the Great Smokies.

A curious whirlpool formation supposedly capable of entangling or engulfing branches, tree trunks, or whole rafts full of hapless tourists.

This road in the Great Smoky Mountains was supposed to assuage a displaced community, but ended up a $52 million dead end.

Granite outcropping that the state's tourism bureau doesn't promote because of its delicate ecosystem.

Some North Carolina Cherokee have been keeping their history alive for decades with a single play.

This bright yellow relic is the final survivor of a short burst of seashell-shaped petrol pumps.

This roadside attraction has been serving out its fair share of hearty folklore and chaos since 1858.

The highest point in South Carolina was once owned by an energy company that neglected it but now the state is taking it back.

A delightful park featuring homemade scale replicas of dinosaurs, tucked away in the Tennessee mountains.

These strange large stones served as a campsite and lookout post for generations of Native Americans.

For two weeks every June, fireflies in the Smoky Mountains perform an astonishing light show.

An unfinished rail tunnel that has since been used to house cheese and bats.

This 5-by-6-foot wooden hut is the smallest historic post office in the U.S.

A 120-year-old legend concerning an empty circular patch in the North Carolina woods.

Cherokee alphabet, proof of ancient North American Jews, or just a hoax?

The remains of the iconic train crash from the movie The Fugitive can still be found rusting along the Great Smoky Railroad.

This abandoned amusement park was built on a site with a dark history.

Mysterious ancient boulder carved with petroglyphs in the mountains of Western North Carolina.