The Noland Creek South Trail stretches just a 2-mile round trip heading back in the direction of the lake. There’s also plenty of peace and quiet around here for solitude seekers. The trails lead north and south and both feature some fairly amazing views of the Creekside. The next stop-off after the lake on the same side will be the Noland Creek Trails parking lot. The Hiking Trails Image: woodleywonderworks Fishing, boating, and swimming are all popular activities here on top of what are probably the main ones-hiking and camping. The lake and dam are obvious hotspots for recreation. You’ll notice from the Lakeview Drive Entrance the Fontana Lake Overlook is the first left-hand pull-off, and this is one of a few overlooks along the way. On top of that, the majority of the lake’s 238-mile shoreline is within the boundaries of the Nantahala National Forest along with the Smoky Mountain National Park. The famous Appalachian Trail actually runs across the dam. Or they can drive or walk across the dam to the visitor center to get more information and history related to the formation of the dam in the 1940s. Visitors can park in a picnic area with a pavilion and some serious views. The picturesque lake is the largest there is on the western wing of North Carolina, and the Fontana Dam is the highest east of the Rockies.
The simply stunning Fontana Lake comes with a 480-foot accompanying dam. It also features various scenic mountainside stop-offs along the way, particularly in the vicinity of Fontana Lake. The winding 6-mile road is a scenic enough attraction by itself as it curves through the amazing terrain of the national park. This eventually resulted in the laying to rest of the project and the compensation of those most affected by the events leading up to it.Īs it stands, Fontana Village Marina provides pontoon shuttle transportation on various days of the year for families wishing to visit the otherwise inaccessible cemeteries. On top of that, there was a major debate about any possible way forward with the project. This became a more urgent issue as time went on, but even after a decade or so had passed just the six miles of road that exists today had been completed.Įnvironmental factors were attributed to the eventual demise of the construction effort. One of the main issues related to the flooding had been that thousands of people had literally been cut off from access to family cemeteries. But this didn’t happen until around 20 years later. The flooding became such an issue that the National Park Service made the decision to provide an alternate route for the highway through the national park. It’s worth including the fact that the original road running through the area was Highway 288, the road that ended up badly flooded after Fontana Lake burst its banks in the 1940s. The history behind how the road came to be is long and somewhat complex, so we’ll try to offer a condensed version here. Image: Smoky Dan A Brief History of the Road Road to Nowhere–All You Need to Know in a Nutshell In this article, we will take a closer look at the ominously named “Road to Nowhere” and what you can expect driving or hiking along it. It is also a popular hiking destination ensconced within the mountains, serving as something just a little different to the usual adventures. But how does the idea of a scenic drive and a unique hike through a long tunnel in the mountains sound?Ĭommonly referred to as the “Road to Nowhere,” here lies a scenic route with a touch of history attached to it, and it runs through the national park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an interesting enough region based on its views alone.
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