Fontana Lake:

Kayaking in the Shadow 

of the Smokies

(Sierra Club Outing)

Fontana Lake is the boundary between Great Smoky Mountain National Park on the north and Cherokee National Forest on the south. Together they control over 90% of the land around the lake. The lake, created in the early 1940's by the TVA's construction of Fontana Dam, is 29 miles in length with over 240 miles of shoreline. Only a few marinas dot the area and few residences can be seen from the water. Black bear, red wolf, bald eagles, wild boar, and beaver outnumber humans, and the many mountain creeks that feed the lake boast several species of trout. Mountain ranges soar in every direction, and despite the nearly constant smoky haze, ridge after ridge after ridge seem to stretch into infinity.

Don, Bill, and Pat paddle the pristine and inviting waters of Fontana Lake. A swinging rope and rock ledges for jumping into the lake beckoned Bill, Greg, and Quock to enter the water from high above the surface. One afternoon, we practiced self-rescuing -- wet-exiting our kayaks, rolling them back upright, and then crawling up the back of the boat and into the cockpit -- and no one complained about spending time in the warm water.

Shoreline campsites are infrequent since all the land above water represents mountaintops not covered by the water. Hence flat land is at a premium. On the national park side, camp areas are numbered, somewhat developed with bear bag cables and firepits, and require a permit, but campsites on the national forest side are at-large and do not need a permit. Some sites are quite small and unsuitable for larger groups. Several of our 5 nights were crowded on small sites, and one night we set up our tents on the Lakeside Trail because another group without a permit was occupying our site.

Matt paddles the tranquil lake early one morning. We practically had the lake to ourselves during the week, quite different from the weekends when power boats ruled the waters. We never tired of the mountain vistas, the green shoreline, and the reflections off the water as seen above, and while on land, we rarely saw anyone else.

The group

standing (l to r): Quock (co-leader), David, Don, and Pat

seated: Matt, Marika, Greg (leader), Laura, and Bill

After our Sierra Club kayak trip, 8 of us rafted the Nantahala River. Here are the photos.

Greg Pflug, our leader, operates Adventures in Florida and volunteers eight or more weeks per year guiding Sierra Club outings.