Departure of the Galadhrim

[Ghazi]

Originally Posted by Gorthaur the Cruel

I've always wondered why Lorien was utterly deserted by the time Arwen came to die...why would the folk of Lorien abandon their home completely?

I noticed this before too and it didn't seem to make much sense. However, maybe the Lorien elves were simply following Celeborn's lead since he chose to remove to southern Mirkwood. Celeborn may have made this choice for himself because he didn't want to be constantly reminded of Galadriel's absence. Also, the Lorien elves lived in southern Mirkwood previously until Sauron drove them out long before the War of the Ring. Some of those fleeing elves went north and others crossed the Anduin and established the realm in Lorien. After Sauron's defeat the Lorien elves may simply have wanted to return to their old home.