Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Swain County, North Carolina

Judson

Submerged former town.

Record

About Judson

Judson was a former small town in Swain County, North Carolina which had a population of around 600. It was evacuated for construction of the Fontana Dam on the Little Tennessee River, completed in 1944, which created the Fontana Lake reservoir upriver.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Judson, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Judson is

USGS topographic map around Judson
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

11 historic USGS maps cover Judson

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Judson

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our North Carolina index.

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Judson": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Judson, Swain County, North Carolina": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q6304200.
  4. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  5. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).