The town of Tahawus was once a prosperous mining town in the upper Adirondacks that has since fallen into decay and ruin. Within the upper works there are a number of houses located right on the road that leads up to the trail head of Mt. Marcy with even more hidden in the forest. The beginnings of the Hudson River run through the town. On the edge of the river is an abandoned and rusting pump house full of old plumbing and rotting fire hose and on the access road is the massive McIntyre Blast Furnace, built in 1854.

One house of historical note in the ghost town is the MacNaughton Cottage where Theodore Roosevelt was lodged when he first heard news of the shooting of President William McKinley, and of his consequential appointment to presidency. This house has undergone some restoration due to its historical importance.

Many of the houses are very unstable and caution would be advised upon entering them. One of the largest of the abandoned homes can only be accessed by crossing the nearby river on foot since there are no bridges nearby.