Fontana Lake

Located in Western North Carolina, Fontana Lake is a stunning lake sandwiched between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The lake, which provides more than 10,000 acres of recreational water surface, is the largest lake in Western North Carolina and serves as the southern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

By using NC Highway 28, also known as the Indian Lakes Scenic Byway, one can reach Lake Fontana, which is situated in a relatively rural region of Western, North Carolina.

The lake was created between 1942 and 1945 when Fontana Dam, the highest dam east of the Rocky Mountains at 480 feet tall and 2,365 feet across, was built and the Little Tennessee River was dammed.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Nantahala National Forest around and protect the lake principally. Numerous spots around the lake offer access to boats and swimming, many of which are reachable from Highway 28. The amount of house boats in the lake is one distinctive aspect of Fontana that most people notice right away. There are thought to be 400 houseboats on the lake, according to a recent count. The image below shows one of the houseboats.

Location: Graham / Swain counties