Fontana Dam
The dam was built to accommodate the skyrocketing electricity demands at the height of World War II.
Plan Around Fontana Dam
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Fontana Dam Details
Fontana Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to accommodate the skyrocketing electricity demands in the Tennessee Valley at the height of World War II. At 480 feet (150 m) high, Fontana is the tallest dam in the Eastern United States, and at the time of its construction, it was the fourth tallest dam in the world. The dam impounds the 10,230-acre (4,140 ha) Fontana Lake, which spreads across a scenic stretch of the Little Tennessee along the southwestern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Appalachian Trail crosses the top of the dam. Fontana is named for the now-inundated town of Fontana, a lumber and copper-mining hub once located at the mouth of Eagle Creek. The town's name was derived from the Italian word for "fountain." Source: Wikipedia
Difficulty
Low
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Nearby Parks Around Fontana Dam
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Fontana Dam
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Fontana Dam while the map context is still fresh.
0.2 mi away
Shuckstack Tower Trail
Leads to one of the last remaining fire-lookout towers in the Smokies.
2.4 mi away
Shuckstack
A mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains with an elevation of 4,020 feet.
4.2 mi away
Twentymile Creek
One of the best hidden and least known streams in the park.
4.3 mi away
Twentymile
The hiking trails of Twentymile are the only way to explore this roadless backcountry.
