White Oak Flats Cemetery is a bit of a hidden gem in Gatlinburg, TN. Just a short walk from The Village, a popular tourist and shopping spot, you’ll find one of the oldest cemeteries in the area.
Established in 1830, this cemetery boasts the graves of Wiley Oakley, and several of Gatlinburg’s early settlers as well as several unmarked graves.
This is the resting place of many of the ancestors that started Gatlinburg which was originally known as White Oak Flats. Plan a visit here to enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience with History and escape to a place where your mind, body, and soul will relax and become one with nature.
The best way to get there is to go through The Village. Walk toward the back, and take the walk way beside the restrooms and go up the hill. There is a roadway that you follow and it takes you to the entrance.
While he isn’t widely remembered today, Wiley Oakley was one of the most famous Gatlinburg residents back in the 1930s and 40s. Many folks called him the “Will Rogers of the South.”
Wiley Oakley was a legendary wilderness guide, storyteller, and frequent guest on radio stations across the country. He was often referred to as the “Roamin’ Man of the Mountains,” His immense knowledge of the East Tennessee back country and irrepressible personality made him popular with notable visitors to the Smokies like Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Listen as he tells one of his stories in the video below.