House of the Fairies: Hiking to a Stone Springhouse Near Gatlinburg

About

The House of the Fairies is one of the most charming finds close to Gatlinburg: a small stone springhouse with an arched entry, now softened by moss, standing in the forest along the Twin Creeks Trail. It was part of the mountain retreat of Louis E. Voorheis, a Cincinnati manufacturer who bought land here in 1928 and developed it until his death in 1944. The whimsical nickname stuck, and the short hike makes it a favorite for families.

Voorheis named his 38-acre property Twin Creeks Orchard and filled it with rustic structures, water gardens and a system that drew water from mountain springs. The springhouse was part of that design. Hiking the Twin Creeks Trail, you pass remnants of the estate before a small side path leads to the fairy house. The out-and-back hike is about 4.5 miles round trip and is considered easy, and it can be paired with a visit to the historic Noah Bud Ogle cabin nearby.

The trail runs along Cherokee Orchard Road just outside downtown Gatlinburg. Parking is limited: there is a small pull-off at the trailhead, the Noah Bud Ogle Place parking area, and Gatlinburg's Mynatt Park, from which you walk up Cherokee Orchard Road to the trail. A national park parking tag is required for vehicles parked more than 15 minutes in the park. Pets are not permitted on this trail. Please admire the springhouse without climbing on the stonework.

AI rendering based on visitor photos, not an actual photo

Did You Know

• Louis E. Voorheis bought the Twin Creeks land in June 1928 for $8,000 (National Park Service).
• The House of the Fairies is a stone springhouse that was part of the estate's water gardens (National Park Service).
• Voorheis named his retreat Twin Creeks Orchard after the two creeks on the property (National Park Service).
• The estate's main house, two guest cabins, horse barn and apple barn still stand (National Park Service).