road to nowhere

230carlosl

Great little road with lots of history, right off Bryson city. Read the history before you go on the road and you will realize why they call it the Road to Nowhere. They also have hiking trails at the end of the road.

Dakota249

You have to know the history to appreciate this dead end. Otherwise it's is just an unfinished road with a tunnel that drips. I had heard about it all through college but never made it over there. After a long car ride, it was a good place to get the kids out and walk around. My son was scared of the tunnel at first but once we were through, he enjoyed climbing on the rocks. My daughter burnt some energy off before riding the train. It was overcast and foggy the day we went but that just leant to the coolness of the area. Hopefully will be back to explore other hiking trails in the area.http://www.westernncattractions.com/the-road-to-nowhere/

phillipsjosh2415

I agree with others that you really need to read the history on the Road to Nowhere. So interesting! I drove this road on Halloween day. The road just comes to an end and there is a small parking area. You walk about 100 yards to the entrance of the tunnel. I won't lie...the tunnel is kind of creepy. It is very long and completely dark when you get away from the opening on either end. I was there all by myself on Halloween evening while a snow storm was brewing. Kind of creepy, but I'm sure it's not like that all the time. It was definitely beautiful with all the fall color at peak especially on the far side of the tunnel. This is where the 35 mile long Lakeshore Trail begins which goes all the way to Fontana Dam. There are several great views of Fontana Lake on this drive.

dww1957

You should read the history behind the road first before driving it, There is alot of history about the area before the dam was built.

karlv2013

It was a nice crisp walk and the tunnel was very interesting. At the end the road tuns into a trail that connects to one that runs the 33 mile length of the trail.

McKerry

There are beautiful views of Fontana Lake on the drive up. This is a popular place for horseback riding so you may want a flashlight for the tunnel. The tunnel is quite dark. We hiked for a bit on the trails beyond the tunnel. Pretty but no views. We encountered very few people while there which was very nice.

jubilee4

We've heard about the Road to Nowhere for years, but no one would tell us how to get there. Luckily, a little searching online this year, and we found it. It's a beautiful drive into the Park. You will come to a pull off/parking area on the right (you won't be able to continue by car), and you continue on foot through a long, dark tunnel. Flashlights and boots or sneakers are recommended. I will admit, the tunnel was a but eerie, but there is plenty of light at both ends. Past the tunnel, the road suddenly stops and continues on as hiking trails into the park. We weren't prepared for a lengthy hike this time, but we are already planning on hiking further past the tunnel next time we are there. Highly recommended, but please respect it. There is graffiti in the tunnel, and it's sad to see how people could care less about such a great piece of Smoky Mountain history. I hope one day they are able to rid the tunnel of the graffiti.

UncleJackNY

I like seeing the less popular areas of the Smoky Mountains. Also, I feel like a broken record in my reviews, but we travel with our dog. Although pets are not allowed on the trails, I appreciate that they are allowed in many areas including a stroll through the tunnel and surrounding area. I think it is worth the ride up there and if you don't have a pet, you can explore the trails more than we could.

Tyler418

This place is very, very, very, cool. The floor in the tunnel is very muddy. Wear sneakers (or tennis shoes). Overall: Worth it!

tissy1977

For one we had a wonderful time... 2 we were so amazed to see a black wild hog... 3 my daughter got it confused with a bear lol... 4 She thought it was coming right 4 us which it was...5 Everyone scattered it was so hilarious...I was like don't run don't run y-all... But now if I would've known it was a wild hog I would've been running to lol... Thats were the road to nowhere took me today... what a hilarious story to tell my friends my guy friend was even running lol...

205GlennB

The road is hard to locate so you need to do some google searching and bring a map (GPS might not work). It will also help to look up the history behind the road. Once you find the road, you will see a sign that says "welcome to the road to nowhere, a broken promise 1943-?". That is how you know you are at the right place. The drive is nice and you will come up on some barricades. This is where the creepy part comes in. Beyond the barricades is a tunnel. Beyond the tunnel is the end of the road. Construction halted due to environmental issues. The issues were resolved but the road was never completed. A cash sum of $52 million was paid to the county in lieu of completing the road. You can walk up to the tunnel and you can even walk through it. For more info, check out the link below. http://www.greatsmokies.com/roadnowhere.html

RPRR

It is tough to fond by the GPS so we had to go old school- maps and asking locals. The road is Ok, nothing special about it. There are couple scenic views of Fontana lake. The road ends to a tunnel which was pretty muddy so we did not venture inside.Ok, if you want to kill some time

cophbulls

Lovely area with great history. We took a quick trip but ended up following the trail out a bit. Turns out we were following a 42 mile long trail instead of the 3 mile trail we thought we were on. When in doubt, bring a map and water. Beautiful creeks and vistas. Nice trail for conversation and thinking.

kimv1067

Research the history before the ride up; very interesting. I felt the ride up to the spot seemed more serene and colorful than the ride through the rest of GSM park. The day we chose to venture the drive was a dismal day with drizzle on and off. By the time we made it to the tunnel and into about 50-75 ft, I had to turn around and walk out. My eyes were tearing so bad, it looked like I was crying. I don't know if it was mold spores within the tunnel or something to do with the "leaching of toxins" from the wet rock on other side of tunnel that apparently haulted further road construction. Nonetheless, it was beautiful there. There were many people that brought horses for trail riding. I imagine it is beautiful. I highly recommend taking the trek through Bryson City(quaint little town), stop and eat and talk with the locals, they are/were very pleasant. For me, the history behind "The Road to Nowhere" makes it worthwhile.

lilender

Literally you walk through a tunnel, continue for another fifty feet and the road ends. Nothing too exciting about that. Great trail rides for horse people (from what I have been told anyways). I went in fall so the colors where beautiful. No views of mountains at the road.The most interesting part of this sight. Is the historical backround here. So look it up before you go. There are no signs to read once ypu get there.