There are many historic pioneer structures remaining in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and most of them are well known and heavily visited. One lonely cabin remains somewhat hidden however and is a bit of a secret from many of the millions of visitors to the Great Smokies.

This wonderful treasure is known as the Mayna Avent Cabin and is located near the Elkmont section of the GSMNP. The home was originally built prior to 1850 and later purchased by Frank Avent in 1918. In 1926 it was remodeled into the cabin that hikers can visit today.

The cabin’s namesake, Mayna Avent (1869-1959), was a renowned Tennessee artist from Nashville. Her and husband Frank were frequent visitors to the nearby Elkmont vacation community. This new cabin however was a quiet and wonderful place of solitude and natural beauty for the Avents, especially Mayna, who made it her own personal art studio. In the mid-1920s Mayna’s son installed the home’s large windows to make it even more suitable for his mother’s artistic endeavors.

In 1932 the National Park Service took possession of the home but the Avents were given a lifetime lease and Mayna continued to use the cabin as a studio until the 1940s. It remained in the family until 1992.

To reach the cabin turn left just before reaching the Elkmont Campground. At the end of the road you’ll see a parking area for the Jakes Creek Trail. From there you’ll hike the trail for close to 3/4 mile passing the the intersection with the Meigs Mountain Trail along the way. There’s no sign marking the side path to the cabin so you’ll need to keep a sharp eye out for a set of wooden stairs on your right that lead down the hill. This path will lead you across a small log bridge before ascending up another hill to the cabin.

The Mayna Avent Cabin is a pleasant and easy hike. Once there it’s easy to see why the spot was such an inspiration for Mrs. Avent’s work. But don’t tell anyone else about it. It is a secret after all….