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Lakeview Drive: Road to Nowhere, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina
Photo: Washuotaku · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped

Drives North Carolina The Smokies

Lakeview Drive: Road to Nowhere

Lakeview Drive · Bryson City → Before the Tunnel

Twisty6.8 mi20 min1,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 2,400 ftOne way
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The drive

Lakeview Drive is the Road to Nowhere. It leaves Bryson City, enters Great Smoky Mountains National Park and runs about seven miles, with 1,200 feet of climb, to a parking area just short of a tunnel. The road was promised after Swain County gave up much of its land for Fontana Lake and the national park. It is an unfinished project from the 1940s that stopped at the tunnel after environmental problems.

The tunnel is 1,200 feet long and unlit, and it is closed to cars; it is open to walkers. From the lot you can walk through or take the Tunnel Bypass Trail, and beyond it are Noland Creek Trail, Goldmine Loop Trail and Lakeshore Trail. The area has views of Fontana Lake to the south.

The curves are moderate, with three twisty stretches. The drive is an out-and-back: you turn around at the lot and come back the way you came.

Along the way

  1. Bryson City (Everett Street)
  2. Before the Tunnel
Elevation
1,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 2,400 ft
Bryson CityBefore the Tunnel
Curves
Mostly moderate, with three twisty stretches
Bryson CityBefore the Tunnel
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The tunnel is closed to motor vehicles; the road dead-ends at the lot.
  • The park requires a parking tag for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes; driving through or stopping briefly does not need one.
  • The lot near the tunnel is small.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Great Smoky Mountains NP: conditions and closures.

Questions about this drive

Why is Lakeview Drive called the Road to Nowhere?

The road was promised to Swain County after land was given up for Fontana Lake and the national park, but the project from the 1940s stopped at a tunnel after environmental problems and was never finished.

Can you drive through the tunnel on Lakeview Drive?

No. The 1,200-foot tunnel is closed to motor vehicles and open only to pedestrians.

Do you need a parking tag for the Road to Nowhere?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires a parking tag for any vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes. Stopping briefly does not need one.

How long does Lakeview Drive take?

Lakeview Drive from Bryson City to the tunnel parking is 6.8 miles and takes about 20 minutes.

What you get in the app

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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Lakeview Drive: Road to Nowhere, from Bryson City to Before the Tunnel