On a scenic drive in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the ghost of Lucy of the Roaring Fork is said to wander the Roaring Fork Motor Trail through the historic early settler area as a disappearing hitchhiker.
Just outside Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail winds through the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offering a scenic drive through the remains of early settlers' homesteads, consisting of cabins, mills, and historic buildings along the way.
Named after the swift mountain stream it parallels, the trail offers a captivating ride through lush forests, vivid wildflower meadows, and historic log cabins that paint a picture of early Appalachian life. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely drive, stopping at a variety of points of interest, including cascading waterfalls, such as the popular Grotto Falls, and old-growth forests teeming with wildlife.
Amidst the beauty of this historic trail unfolds a haunting legend – a story that has earned the Roaring Fork its reputation as one of the most haunted roads in America. At the center of this ghostly narrative is an enigmatic figure known as Lucy of the Roaring Fork.
Lucy Ghost girl
But who is Lucy from Roaring Fork? There are many legends, but some say that it was a adolescent girl or woman who died when her family cottage burned down and now haunts the surrounding roads and forests. It is not known exactly when this took place, but it is usually said to have taken place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The story of Lucy of the Roaring Fork is told as the story of a disappearing hitchhiker, an urban legend that spread in the latter half of the 20th century, but it is uncertain whether there were any stories of her haunting the area before she became an urban legend.
Lucy as the Vanishing Hitchhiker
Legend has it that at the turn of the 20th century, a adolescent man, sometimes called Foster, walked the trail on a nippy fall evening. To his surprise, he found a adolescent woman in rags wandering barefoot in the historic forest. Out of kindness, he offered to take her home, and she graciously accepted the gesture. After safely dropping off the mysterious woman at her door, the adolescent man continued his journey. However, the memory of the pretty hitchhiker remained in his thoughts like a ghost.
Unable to shake the spell, the man returned to her house the next day, eager to reunite with the captivating Lucy. When he asked Lucy's mother about her, he received a chilling revelation that sent shivers down his spine.
“I took Lucy home last night and I'd love to see her again,” the adolescent man explained.
“It's impossible!” cried the mother. “Lucy died many years ago.”
The Tale of Lucy from the Roaring Fork
The story of Lucy the Disappearing Hitchhiker has echoed through the decades, a classic tale familiar in many places around the world, with its own local twists and lore added to the phenomenon known as the Disappearing Hitchhiker.
Lucy of the Roaring Fork's ghostly presence lingers, creeping through the mist-covered trees, forever hoping for a journey home that transcends the realms of the living and the dead.
Reference:
Lucy's Ghost on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Image Source: Pixabay.com
