Jim Bales Homestead in the Gatlinburg region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

See the Gatlinburg Region web page for an interactive location map.

Stop 10 on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is the former homestead of Jim Bales. The corn crib and barn are Bales’s, but the cabin actually belonged to a man by the name of Alex Cole who lived in the Sugarland area. It was relocated here so that its original location could be returned to nature. Bales moved to the area in the 1860s and lived here until Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created in the early 1930s. His brother Ephraim’s house is still standing as well and is located a little farther down the road.

When the concept for Great Smoky Mountains National Park was first conceived, the idea was to either remove all buildings or let them rot away so that the entire park could return to nature. However, shortly before opening, a survey of structures was done and it was decided that it would be better to preserve some of the area’s history. Buildings that were salvageable were restored over the next few decades, some even as late as the 1970s. Many remained in their original locations, while those too remote for tourists to visit were moved to more accessible locations.

Like most structures in the park, the buildings at the Bales Homestead are open, but there are no furnishings inside. Allow 10-15 minutes to walk around the property.

Alex Cole cabin in the Gatlinburg region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park