A short run down Moonshiner 28 (NC-28) from Deals Gap brings you to Fontana Dam — at 480 feet, the tallest dam east of the Rocky Mountains. Built in a wartime rush in the 1940s to power the aluminum and atomic effort, it backs up Fontana Lake against the southern wall of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
There’s a visitor center, a walk out across the dam, and the Appalachian Trail crossing right here (the famous “Fontana Hilton” shelter is nearby). The lake-and-mountain views are enormous — a completely different scale from the tight, green tunnel of the Dragon.
Fontana was built at furious speed during World War II by the TVA to generate power for aluminum production and the Manhattan Project — a wartime engineering feat as much as a scenic one.
The Appalachian Trail crosses the top of the dam; northbound thru-hikers step straight from here into the Smokies.
Pro tip: Make it a loop: run the Dragon, drop down NC-28 (Moonshiner 28) to Fontana, and come back — or continue to the Cherohala Skyway for the ultimate day of driving.
- • You can walk out across the dam; there’s a seasonal visitor center.
- • It’s reached via NC-28 (Moonshiner 28) — itself a famous ride.
- • Great with kids and easy stops; big water and mountain views.
- Is Fontana Dam worth visiting from the Tail of the Dragon?
- Absolutely — Fontana Dam, the tallest dam east of the Rockies, is a short drive down NC-28 (Moonshiner 28) from Deals Gap. You can walk across the dam, see where the Appalachian Trail crosses, and take in huge lake-and-Smokies views.
