TVA Fontana Dam

"Very cool place to visit with a visitor’s center, bathrooms, and plenty of parking. You get crazy views of the dam. Definitely need to visit if you’re nearby. Trailhead access and parking to the Appalachian Trail is about a mile away across the dam."

"June 2024 - after our paddling trip on Fontana Lake Wendy, Josh, Zack, Liv and I drive over to see the dam. It was so impressive we stopped and learned more at the museum and visitors center. We have been coming to Bryson City for 14 years to vacation but had never come to the Dam. It was worth the trip. I’d be willing to return to do all the things there we missed."

"The 480 ft high TVA Fontana Dam is the tallest concrete dam east of the Rocky Mountains. The dam stretches 2,365 feet across the Little Tennessee River. If you are coming from North Carolina to Smoky National Park or vice versa, you can park at the Fontana Dam Visitor Center Parking lot or at the Appalachian Trail Parking Lot and you can walk over the dam. There is a spillway at the dam to control the overflowed reservoir water. From the dam, you can see the basin, the hydroelectric power plant, and the Little River on one side, and the lake on the other side."

"This is one of TVAs many dams in the Tennessee valley. Fontana is the tallest dam east of the Mississippi River. When you stand at the base of the dame it’s size and height is quite impressive. When they spill water at Fontana it’s a stunning to witness the power of the water falling over 200’ into a very larger bathtub shaped concrete structure that launches the water high into the air and then landing mid river a couple hundred feet downstream."

"Passed through 11/10/1998 and 11/11/1998 after staying at the Fontana Hilton during a week long backpacking trip on the AT with my hiking partner Greg. We have some smaller dams in Florida where I grew up so was pretty awestruck with Fontana, esp given that it was built in 1940. We did not linger very long though, the trail called."