Man-made lakes throughout North Carolina hold mysteries in the depths of their waters, but Badin Lake has mysteries galore. The lake was created in 1917 when Alcoa dammed two rivers in the valley. There are said to be numerous towns, railroad tracks, and graves still beneath Badin Lake, along with a plane that crashed in 1944, killing the two servicemen aboard. But none of those are as easily visible as the hilltop site where three graveyards were relocated prior to flooding the valley to create the lake.
After the lake filled with water, the hilltop graves were soon marooned on their own island, now known simply as Graveyard Island.
Google Maps
And getting here means walking three miles down a set of train tracks (not recommended), or arriving by way of a boat.
Google Images/Katie Hilderbran
Either way, upon arrival at Graveyard Island, visitors may find they need to wander a bit to find the surviving remaining headstones of the relocated graves.
findagrave/Anthony Colburn
Many are unreadable, but a good number of the headstones date back to the 1800s. The most recent, surprisingly, belongs to a woman who passed away and was buried here (alongside loved ones, no doubt) in 1946, nearly 30 years after the original graves were moved in preparations to create Badin Lake.
findagrave/Record Keeper
One of the oldest headstones belongs to Sally Myrick Harris Chisholm born in 1784, and died in 1819.
findagrave/C Prevette Vannoy
In the more than 100 years since the graves were moved to Graveyard Island, the site has become overgrown, but appears to be passable for explorers and families to visit and pay their respects to the many whose (new) final resting place didn’t leave them destined to end up at the bottom of the lake.
Google Images/Katie Hilderbran
Graveyard Island is located on the western side of Badin Lake.
Google Maps
Have you visited the abandoned graves on Graveyard Island in North Carolina’s Badin Lake? Would you? We’d love to know! You can learn a bit more about this fascinating burial island from FindAGrave.
Google Maps
Google Images/Katie Hilderbran
findagrave/Anthony Colburn
findagrave/Record Keeper
findagrave/C Prevette Vannoy
For more must-visit grave sites, read about the 7 Most Haunted Cemeteries In North Carolina!
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Address: Graveyard Island, Harris, NC 28127, USA
