N.C. 28, Fontana Dam, North Carolina 1-800-467-1388 At 480 feet high and 2,365 feet wide, Fontana is the tallest dam in the Eastern United States. Built in 1942 by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the dam controls 10,600-acre, 29-mile-long Fontana Lake. About 6,340 workers labored on the project, which cost nearly $75 million. The Appalachian Trail crosses over the top of Fontana Dam. The visitor center offers exhibits detailing the dam’s construction. For just $1, visitors can take a tram ride inside the dam itself.
The area surrounding the Fontana Dam has evolved over the years into a resort community that offer a multitude of recreational opportunities. Anglers flock to Fontana Lake in a quest for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Fontana Dam is located approximately 42 miles Southwest of Cherokee.
