Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains and has one of the most distinctive paranormal traditions in the South. Gatlinburg's paranormal history is deeply tied to Appalachian folklore, Cherokee legends, frontier hardships, mountain cemeteries, and abandoned settlements. Originally known as White Oak Flats, the community was settled in the early 1800s by families living in relative isolation among the Smokies. The area's remoteness helped preserve generations of supernatural stories that blended Native American traditions, Scottish-Irish folklore, and local mountain legends.