A Journey Through Time at the Noah Bud Ogle Cabin

Tucked into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, sits a working farmstead frozen in the 1880s — wooden sinks, a chicken door cut into the cabin wall, and a grist mill that still turns.

The Noah "Bud" Ogle Place is one of the best-preserved homesteads in the Smokies, and the easy loop trail around it makes for a short, rewarding stop on the way to or from Cherokee Orchard Road.

Who was Bud Ogle?

Noah "Bud" Ogle was a great-grandson of William Ogle, one of the first European settlers in the Gatlinburg area. Bud and his wife settled this 400-acre homestead in 1879 and farmed it until his death in 1913. So much of what they built has survived that the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The saddlebag cabin

The cabin is actually two small one-room cabins built side by side, sharing a single central chimney — a style known as a "saddlebag" cabin that's rare in the Smokies. Ogle started with just one room and added the second as his family grew. Look closely at the roofline and you can still see where the two sections meet.

Running water, mountain-style

Ogle carved a hollowed-out log flume to carry water from a nearby spring straight to the cabin porch, where it emptied into a wooden sink — a rare convenience for a homestead of this era. Keep an eye out for the small door cut low into the cabin wall, too: it let the family's chickens duck inside when predators were nearby.

The tub mill

About half a mile down the trail from the cabin stands Ogle's tub mill, the last surviving operational tub mill in the national park. An 80-foot log flume once carried water from LeConte Creek to spin the mill's turbine and turn the grindstones. Neighbors paid Ogle in cornmeal to grind their corn here.

The four-pen barn

Near the cabin, Ogle's barn is the last remaining four-pen barn in the park — a "drove-through" design that let him drive a wagon straight into the center of the barn from either side, keeping it out of the weather while he unloaded.

Walking the trail

The loop trail behind the cabin winds about a mile through the old homestead, crossing small streams and passing through what were once Ogle's pastures and fields — rocky ground that made for tough farming but a beautiful walk today. The trail is open year-round and easy enough for most fitness levels, though the ground is uneven in spots, so sturdy shoes help.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Noah Bud Ogle cabin located?

It's just off Cherokee Orchard Road near Gatlinburg, right along the start of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

How long is the Noah Bud Ogle trail?

The loop is about a mile long and typically takes under an hour to walk, including time to explore the cabin, barn, and mill.

Is the Noah Bud Ogle cabin open to visitors?

Yes — the cabin, barn, and mill sit along a self-guided nature trail that's open year-round. There's no admission fee to enter the national park at this location.

What makes this homestead unique?

It holds the last surviving operational tub mill and the last remaining four-pen barn in the national park, plus a rare "saddlebag" cabin design — two cabins sharing a single chimney.