GSMNP Southern Boundary

[Harmless]

Does the AT enter the Great Smoky Mountain National Park at the fork in the road immediately west of Fontana Dam, or not until the fork in the road to Payne Cemetery?

In the AT guide, it looks like they're calling it at Payne Cemetery Road, but the Forest Service map looks like it is closer to the dam.
TIA

[TNhiker]

comes in from the road near the marina----parallels the dam road............crosses the dam and then enters the park at the end of that road...

not sure it it has an exact name.....

ill look at google in a minute....

[TNhiker]

here its called lakeview dr w..


https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pa...!4d-83.8165184

[map man]

Does the AT enter the Great Smoky Mountain National Park at the fork in the road immediately west of Fontana Dam, or not until the fork in the road to Payne Cemetery?

In the AT guide, it looks like they're calling it at Payne Cemetery Road, but the Forest Service map looks like it is closer to the dam.
TIA

It's at the fork in the road immediately west of the dam. I have access to the USGS 1:24,000 scale topo maps where I work and looked at the "Fontana Dam" quadrangle. The map shows the park boundary very clearly.

It's easy to see why some assume it isn't until the trail leaves the road and goes back to being single track in the woods, since that's where the box is where hikers entering the park deposit a copy of their GSMNP thru-hiker permit, but that is not the case.

[HooKooDooKu]

It's at the fork in the road immediately west of the dam. I have access to the USGS 1:24,000 scale topo maps where I work and looked at the "Fontana Dam" quadrangle. The map shows the park boundary very clearly.

It's easy to see why some assume it isn't until the trail leaves the road and goes back to being single track in the woods, since that's where the box is where hikers entering the park deposit a copy of their GSMNP thru-hiker permit, but that is not the case.

Yea, that.
Checked in Google Earth as well as an online topo. Actually, because the park boundary seems to be the middle of the channel of Lake Fontana, and the boundary goes right up to the dam, you're actually walking along the park boundary once you get about 1/2 way across the dam.

[Harmless]

Thanks. I have been day-hiking my way from Amicalola to GSMNP. Since I'm day-hiking, a trail mile = 2 miles of walking. My last day looks like 17 miles to the boundary, but 18 if I go to the permit box. I think I can do 17, but I'm not sure about 18 (plus my round-trip drive from Atlanta).

[Deacon]

Does the AT enter the Great Smoky Mountain National Park at the fork in the road immediately west of Fontana Dam, or not until the fork in the road to Payne Cemetery?

In the AT guide, it looks like they're calling it at Payne Cemetery Road, but the Forest Service map looks like it is closer to the dam.
TIA

This marker is immediately on the north end of the dam.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ddd96b0b29.jpg

[dudeman_atl]

We hiked this section in May.

There is a paved road that leads over the dam & curves right and slightly up hill. 2nd image is looking down towards the dam, standing at the sign board where you go in the woods.

Here's a picture of where you practically exit the dam area and enter the GSMNP AT.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3027cbdaf0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9103591643.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0361db421e.jpg

[rmitchell]

Thanks. I have been day-hiking my way from Amicalola to GSMNP. Since I'm day-hiking, a trail mile = 2 miles of walking. My last day looks like 17 miles to the boundary, but 18 if I go to the permit box. I think I can do 17, but I'm not sure about 18 (plus my round-trip drive from Atlanta).

Sounds like you are planning a out an back hike. The good news is that the area in question is flat (road walk). Bad news is parking. It's be a while since I've started a hike there, but at times parking is on the south side of the dam. It depends on if there is maintenance work on the dam.

[dudeman_atl]

Shuttles will drop & pickup at the dam parking lot & there are showers.

For your next section, it's likely to be Fontana to New Found gap which works out nicely when you start & end in a parking lot.

[TNhiker]

Bad news is parking. It's be a while since I've started a hike there, but at times parking is on the south side of the dam. It depends on if there is maintenance work on the dam.

it the dam is closed-----its only about a mile to where the AT enters the woods......

and one can walk (typically) across the dam......

or if the dam is closed----there is a back route using dirt roads that will take one over to this area.........


as for parking---theres a ton of parking options in the dam area....