THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Legend says the spirit of a settler who died searching for his daughter appears as a glowing light along Noland Creek Trail and guides lost hikers back toward safety.
Noland Creek Trail follows an old roadbed through the North Shore area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, passing historic homesites and cemeteries associated with communities displaced during creation of Fontana Lake and the national park. Local ghost lore tells of a settler who died while searching the surrounding woods for his missing daughter. Hikers have reported seeing a mysterious glowing orb or guiding light along the trail, which legend identifies as the settler's spirit helping lost travelers find their way to safety. Some publications have incorrectly referred to the location as Norton Creek Trail.