The reason it’s called Hidden is because the trail loops around a lake that is well hidden by two bluffs.
In the 1800s, the area was used as farmland. From about 1895-1910, the lake was created when the Hutton family started a limestone quarry. During Prohibition in the 1920s, rumor had it that there were speakeasies and illegal moonshine sales operating on the property.
In the late 1920s/early1930s, the Dobsons opened a family-style resort called Hidden Lake. They sealed to bottom of the quarry with asphalt and a concrete edge, created a system to filter the water, and built a water slide from the top of one of the bluffs. The resort also featured a lodge with showers and a mess hall.
It was neat to walk the path and see multiple abandoned, dilapidated buildings in the middle of the woods.
On top of one of the bluffs, we found the remains of a 90-year-old stage and marble dance floor, with a beautiful birdseye view of the lake. Apparently, popular groups from the Big Band era played at the resort while guests danced.
At the trail entrance, this old flyer was displayed:
We also found an old fuel tank that sort of looked like a submarine.
Unfortunately, the lodge burned down in the 1940s, and the resort closed. The area was once again used for farming until acquired by the state in the 1990s.
Looks a lot like Elkmont in TN! We went there for the first time this year, and I have to admit, it was a little spooky and sad! It left me with a rather empty feeling. Check it out online if you don't in person!
I went to Elkmont years ago, and I loved it. It was very fascinating. Thank you for mentioning it because I couldn't remember the name of it right off the top of my head:-)
I hadn't heard of Elkmont, but I looked it up, and it looks like a unique place. We will have to put that on our list of places to visit. To the first commenter, I definitely understand why it could leave you with an empty feeling. It's always a shame when people have to leave their homes, for whatever reason.
Ellie
Yes Ellie please check out elkmont next time you go to gatlinburg!! It's just down the road from gat 7 miles or so. My family used to camp at elkmont a number of years ago and we would walk through the dilapidated houses with the doors hanging open. Very spooky feeling. Just don't go walking through it at twilight (which we did one time 👻😱) and watch mr handsome at all times so he won't scare you!) I can relate to the empty feeling comment very much. But it's very historical throughout that area. Was a big logging "town" there at that area before the smokies was a national park with a train running through there etc. We need to go back there to camp…if you hiked Laurel falls you were just down the road a bit from there. Also another honorable mention in the smokies is the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It's like a Cade's cove right outside gatlinburg also. It's a one way loop with your vehicle and you see cabins, a gristmill, the first framed house in the smokies is there. It winds up in the hills right below mt. Leconte. Just as pretty or prettier than Cade's cove in my opinion with an enchanting drive through the forest with a rushing stream and phenomenal views wondering how in the world could a community could thrive so far (in that day with only a wagon or horse) from town.
The former Newsom Farm/property was purchased by Peterson & Hensley but We Veterans needed a new Veterans Rest & some of us worked to save the Big Bend of thye Harpeth property for ALL… Thanks to our Senator Douglas Henry who said that “he swam there as a boy…” but “…the War broke out & we, all, got called up…” Thanks! Doug Henry for “…doing all you could..” & did!
This has brought back many wonderful memories for me. I am a Henslee, the family who owned Hidden Lakes and the farm that became the Veteran’s Cemetery. Loved being there. We sold it in the mid 80’s. It was a very thriving dairy farm when my Grandfather was alive. As much as it breaks my heart not to be there I am so excited the land is being appreciated.
How interesting! Thank you for commenting. It’s a beautiful place. Do you know what year your family bought it?
We have had Hidden Lake made part of the Tennessee State Park system but for some reason, our State Parks people refuse to make improvements.. That is particularly disturbing since we worked to save this place from a dump & saved the old Newsom property for our Veterans Place. I am a Veteran of the 1950s & worked to save these spaces/places for ALL. I overlook the site from the nearby hilltop/ridge along Tennessee Highway 1 which is now improved as US 70 Highway.
Hi Ellie. I really enjoyed reading about your hiking experience, and also the pictures. Thank-you for sharing…Jane
It's my pleasure, Jane. Glad you enjoyed the pictures.
Ellie
Wow! Interesting post Ellie! I love historical sites. It's always amazing to think that long ago other people lived in the same spot you stand. The abandoned buildings were near to see! God bless 🙂
Yes! It makes you wish you could travel back in time and see what it was like many years ago. I was recently in a 120-year-old house with original doors and windows and couldn't help but wonder about all the people who turned the front doorknob and entered the home over the years. I do love history!
Ellie
I love how Americans are impressed by 120 year old buildings! I love old stuff- I have a degree in history! Still, it's all more standard over here! My house in London was built in 1895, my college canteen was 500 years old and my wedding reception was held in middle temple hall, where Twelth Night debued (on candlemas night on 2nd February 1602)! Have you ever been to London/ Europe?
Hi MarriedUK,
Those buildings sound very neat! What college did you attend that was 500 years old? And may I ask what a college canteen is? 🙂
My family went to Europe when I was young, but we didn't tour England (only stopped over at Heathrow for a few hours). It would be lovely to go to London someday.
Ellie
I went to Magdalen College, Oxford. College canteen is the dining room. Look it up online, it's lovely…
London is definitely worth a visit. If you're ever heading in this direction, I'll give you a list of top tips!
I spent a few years in the UK as a U.S. Army Engineer & our Groups built & rebuilt WW2 bases like Chelveston, Molesworth & Stansted for large jet bombers/aircraft. A very special experience with special people! Unforgettable!
Wow, how beautiful! I looked up the history, and it's quite impressive. How neat to attend a school founded in the 1400s. I would love to take a trip back in time and see what it was like in its early days. What did you study?
I'll let you know if we make plans to visit the area.
Ellie
Appropriately, I studied history. Although I have sullied myself now by taking up law…
That's wonderful! Are you back in school full-time studying law, or just evenings?
Ellie
I love your blog. You make the history of the area come alive for us. Was it sort of sad to see very little left of a place that was once so full of life? Barb
Thank you, Barb. I'm glad to hear that. 🙂
Yes, it was a bit of a shame. I can only imagine how much work it took to build a resort on a bluff in the middle of nowhere. It's too bad it was only used for a short time.
Ellie
Hidden Lake was “carved” from a hill along the Harpeth for fill for the adjacent railroad & Tennessee Highway 1 or the Memphis to Bristol Highway. The swim “Club” opened about 1931 but closed in 1941 when WWII started & “We all got called up” for military service… I interviewed some of the visitors & lobbied Tennessee Senator Douglas Henry who “..swam there as a boy…” to save the site as a park as well as to get the adjacent Newsom farm for our Veterans Cemetery. It was not easy since there were some who wanted to fill it with waste. There are many good stories & memories about “Hidden Lake” & other sites along the Harpeth like the “Cave Spring Home” at the Pegram Station railroad whistle stop. You may find it of interest to read a little booklet by Julia “Grandma” Grow, who organized the “Home for the Handicapped” about 1950. She said: “We took the children that no others would …” She called it “the House that Love Built.” Special story!
We need a visitor complex for our Park & the Veterans Cemetery… I am a Veteran & worked to get both sites for ourselves & our posterity… It is inspirational to see our giant Banner above the well-kept grounds from my hill-top view a few hundred feet above the Harpeth floor. Curious that our Park has not been improved by our Conservation Department. As a Veteran & proponent of the Park along with Senator Douglas Henry, We should make this a Veterans Park since it does have a special overlook above our Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery which is a PARK for our Veterans & could be a memory garden for the families & friends of those at REST… One small step for man, One Giant step for our Veterans…
This looks like a fascinating place!
It is!
Ellie
Do you know why the lake is so green and opaque? Related to the mining?
That's a good question! Unfortunately I don't know the answer. Perhaps we have some folks on here who can shed some light?
Ellie
The Quarry/Lake has no outlet nor way to drain. The Harpeth River has flooded a few times in the past 50 years but more debris has flowed in… When the quarry was made into a swim are in the 1930s, the quarry was cleaned & some filtration was done. I worked with some dedicated State of Tennessee park people like Mack Pritchard, Bill Jenkins, Bob Allen. Bill Russell & others to rescue the site. Thanks to all who helped save this place but WE do need to make it into a destination to complement the river & Veterans Rest site. It is so close & adjacent to I-40 & Tennessee Highway #1 or U.S. 70.
The green stuff in the water is an overgrowth of algae. Algae thrive in conditions where there are a lot of nutrients and the water is stagnant. Ellie said the area was used for farming, and farms are responsible for a lot of nutrients (e.g. manure and other fertilizers) getting into nearby bodies of water from runoff. Also, since the lake was created and not natural, there is probably no/minimal input and outflow to exchange the water with new water, and little movement of the water. In addition, established fish populations usually keep algae growth in check, but there probably weren't any fish there because of the mining. There definitely isn't any fish in there now because an algae bloom like that creates an hypoxic zone where there is not enough oxygen for anything else to survive.
There are bream & other fish in the quarry…Occasionally, the Harpeth floods & spills over into the pool… also, there is an occasional otter that visits… they also feed on the fish & mussels in the pool & river… We need to preserve this site as well as the adjacent vacated quarry on the East side of McCrory Lane… Thanks to all keepers & Nature lovers for their thoughtful efforts…
I thought it was algae. (If a dog is along and there is algae in the waters and the dog ingests that water, I have read that some algaes can have an affect on a dog that is deadly.)
There is algae in the pools in warmer months since there is no fresh water flow except rainfall and there are leaf accumulations which are left to nature to mulch… There is another abandoned quarry on the East side of McCrory lane … Interested persons should encourage our State to make this a Park for All … The pools make a special Public place in conjunction with our Veterans Cemetery. I live nearby & worked to acquire these lands with Senator Douglas Henry’s aid… These are great open spaces with room for “distancing” under current concerns. We do need an on- site manager/Ranger….
Algae bloom? As soon as I saw that lake, I thought it was an old quarry. Limestone quarries often have blue water, though. That looks like algae.
The only fresh water coming into the “lake or quarry is from rain although the Harpeth River has overflowed twice in the last 40 years which just added debris. The Harpeth is a polluted stream which deposits organic material from sewage plants upstream as well as fertile material from area agriculture activity which feeds the algae. We need a management plan for Hidden Lake instead of allowing the Public Property to go without care & maintenance. At least, our negligent State Officials should be prodded into responsible action. Shame! As a Veteran from the 1950s & nearby resident, I ask any citizen of Tennessee to show a little care & concern for our Veterans Place & our Public Park. The Harpeth is a small free-flowing stream that runs by & overflows into Hidden Lake. It is “Our Park” our place & WE have to get our elect who purport to represent US, our interests to do so. If they only have self-interest, let US turn them out! Politics has become “poly-ticks” those insects which feed off the blood of others… Visit our neglected Park & make a statement & be Patriotic by visiting our adjacent Veterans Rest… These are among our “Tennessee Pearls” & WE should encourage our State to protect & maintain them for US because that is why WE employ them!
Accumulating leaves & debris are left to “mulch” & there has never been any clearing, cleaning nor maintenance since WE acquired the property. Sad that our State has ignored our efforts to restore & improve our Park since We, our State of Tennessee acquired the site. Our State Senator, Douglas Henry, said that he “swam there as a boy…” Bill Wade, Chicago Bears star, lived on Buffalo Road a few miles away & was a Life-Guard at “Hidden Lake” which was accessible from US 70 or Tennessee Highway 1 or the Memphis to Bristol Highway just a few hundred feet West of McCrory Lane… Our State Parks has been remiss in not developing our “Treasure.” We should develop OUR Park under our Veterans Department since so many of US Veterans have worked to preserve OUR Place.
There is no flow nor outside water to provide oxygen or “clean water.” We should acquire the adjacent quarry & make it part of our Harpeth River State Park…. It would be special to have a NEW State Park next to the Harpeth River & our Middle Tennessee Veterans Rest…. Curious that our elect have not worked to make “Hidden Lake” our Greatest State Park! Let your ideas & wants be known, I don’t want to be alone…
I opened your blog yesterday and did not have time to read it. One of those moments when one realizes something is more complex and involved than they have time for. So I got back to it today. I found what you wrote very interesting and fun! You have a way of bringing your readers along and for awhile we can be right there with you exploring and discovering and imagining the whole scene, like it was once in its glory days. Then we're back on a healthy, invigorating hike with you going over the trails and landscape with the story items hidden all around. Thank you for taking the time before, during and after your ventures to sometimes share something unique, historical, etc. that are interesting, as well as the great scenery places you have been too.
I absolutely agree! Ellie is a good writer…Jane
You both made my day. Thank you for your kind words. If you ever have any feedback or suggestions for posts, do let me know.
I'm blessed to have you both as readers.
Ellie
I looked up the Elkmont place too. I don't think Ellie eould have memories going back to the times when these places were in use, and I just barely do but my parents and late grandparents might have those memories. In my heart I cherish that environment still, the things people did, the way life used to be, the buildings, people and activities. The nostelgia and love for all that can excite some strange and ambitious revival projects. But the overall dynamic of how things thrived is more than a sdingle hearted passion for the old days and attempt to get abit of it back. To be honest you have comforted me in letting o of a pipe dream to restore an old building near me. I have a bit more humility and willingness to let of an open ended Goliath sized project that was daunting and no one shared my enthusiasm for. Because of your post and comments and links I may be seeing mypassion for what it is and may be more willing o see the futility of spending ones life time trying to restore a little piece of the way things were, that is in my heart. In a way I praise and thsnk the Lord for this blog and how it has been a gentle nudge to me to move my attention and efforts on to realistic and relevant areas of my life. Thank you.
Ok, I get you, so in that line of thinking what is the antonym for nostalgia?
I think you're being nostalgic for a time that really didn't exist. There were wars, civil unrest, unequal rights, no cures or vaccines for diseases, barely social security for the elderly, few other social programs, limited technology, and economic depression. You can take those problems and apply them to almost any decade in human history! What you sound nostalgic for is how people acted "back then." Well many people still act that way – look around you. Not at the news, not online, but in your "real" life and in your community. Find the good – it's already there. Are you yourself acting the way you're nostalgic for? If not, change can start with you. Otherwise, time only goes one way, forward. Thank goodness.
We should acquire the adjacent Newsom quarry & build an Inn for our Veterans Park. The Past is our light & guide into the future… it is not nostalgia that brings joy & comfort to our lives but what we do in the present & make a part of the past… to last….
Hi Ellie I thought this might be of interest to you. In Ohio there is a park called Mohican State Park with many beautiful trails, so if you and Mr. Handsome are ever looking for a weekend get a way or a long weekend you might be up for this.
I'll add that to our list of places to see. Thank you!
Ellie
Thank you for sharing. I wish I had known about this place when we were at Fort Campbell because I would have loved to see it. Places like this fascinate me.
Neat that you were at Fort Campbell. How long were you there for?
Ellie
I taught at Fort Campbell but live adjacent to Hidden Lake as well as lobbying to make it a State Area/Park as well as getting the Harpeth Bend Farm tract for the Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery… Come to the end of Scenic View Drive for a “Skyview” of the park & Veterans Rest,,, I am a Veteran of the 1950s serving in Europe & England rebuilding the WWII airfields as an Airborne Engineer… SCARWAF!
We were there for just under three years, and we hope to go back again someday:-)
Very nice! Northern TN/Southern KY is a beautiful area.
Ellie
Hidden Lake was a railroad quarry opened about 1840 to construct the railroad bed from Nashville to the Tennessee River. Some stone was also used for Tennessee Highway # 1. Without going into too much detail, The Railroad from Nashville was started about 1850 stopping at Belle Meade, Bellevue, Newsom Station, Pegram, Kingston Springs & points West… I can hear the train now, rumbling by with horn blowing for the McCrory Lane crossing along the perimeter of Hidden Lake State Park… State Senator Douglas Henry “swam there as a boy…” & Bill Wade, football standout was a lifeguard when it was open in the 1930s… Thanks, Doug Henry for doing all you did to save this site as a State Park & thanks to many others who worked with us… We still need a Park Center to be used in conjunction with our State Veterans Cemetery… just across the Harpeth River…
It is sad that so many have fabricated & posted false information about Hidden Lake State Park. I am an Army Veteran living adjacent to the Park Property high above the site & overlooking our Flag & Veterans Rest. Our State has promoted slave-master Bell’s name but has made no effort to promote “our park” adjacent to our Veteran’s Park…. The quarries provided stone for Tennessee Highway 1 aka Memphis-Bristol Highway. I worked to acquire the Newsom Farm & the Quarry & the Veterans new Cemetery… The Newsoms came from Virginia to Tennessee & I did as well…. The adjacent Newsom Quarry should be acquired for safety & posterity as heritage sites… How many even know of these special places?