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What Makes The Smoky Mountain Road To Nowhere So Cool? – Bryson City, NC

What Makes The Smoky Mountain Road To Nowhere So Cool – Bryson City, NC? It’s not the beautiful mountain views or the six miles of winding back-roads. The hiking trails are a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. But hey, you can do that almost anywhere in the Smokies. Bryson City is one of my favorite small towns in America, but still not the reason to ride the road to nowhere.



So what makes the Smokies’ Road to Nowhere so cool? The graffiti-laced tunnel that remains open for all to see is what makes this journey so cool!

Not So Cool History:

Swain County surrendered a vast majority of private lands for the creation of Fontana Lake and the Great Smoky Mountains Park. This decision caused the displacement of mountain communities forced to give up their land. The production of Fontana Lake flooded out existing roads leaving loved ones unable to visit family cemeteries. With the promise of a newly constructed thoroughfare, officially named Lake View Drive, these displaced families had hopes of being connected to ancestral grave-sites. Citizen’s expectations smashed when Lake View Drive construction came to a halt due to environmental issues, never to be completed and forever becoming know as The Road to Nowhere. (The Broken Promise)

Overview:

Barricades prevent drivers from entering this 1,200 foot long underground passage, so wear comfortable shoes. Pictures I found available online did not prepare me for the overall experience. Surprisingly as the light reflected on the few outer feet of the structure, I could view bright colors. As we got closer, it became clear that man created something completely different then what I initially anticipated.

So what makes the Smokies’ Road to Nowhere so cool? The graffiti-laced tunnel that remains open for all to see is what makes this journey so cool!

Steve and I visited in January, and a cold breeze blew through the tunnel. Dark black emptiness fell into this space with voices of other travelers heard as an echo down the length of this broken promise passageway. Dampness felt coming up through the partially wet floor gave me an eerie feeling. It may have only been the voices of children off in the distance that kept me from becoming scared that the ancestors of previous generations could have easily been haunting me in retaliation for the road’s in-completion.

Using smartphone flashlights, we were able to illuminate the inside walls to view spray-painted interesting artwork ranging from amateur to more visually appealing. I usually associate graffiti with the idea of gangs, but my novice mind felt most of the artwork evoked happiness. Random colors seemed to stretch as high as a can of spray paint would allow. I remember feeling this street art filled the entire Road To Nowhere tunnel. However, looking back at my pictures, there is plenty of the pit left untouched. With the structure being so high, art only happens as long as the artist gains reach.

So What Makes The Smoky Mountain Road To Nowhere So Cool? – Summary:

The Road To Nowhere has a backstory of heartbreak and untruest.

Officially named Lake View Drive, and this is what will be recognized by GPS. Steve and I initially wondered if we were on the wrong road.

Pull-offs are available on your travels up the winding road, for beautiful views.

Hiking trails at the entrance of the tunnel are marked, and we found the Lake shore trail to be easy enough. Steve and I are at a beginner level.

Lake Shore Trail can is used as a tunnel bypass. We walked through the tunnel and used the bypass out.

Comfortable shoes and we visited in January, where the tunnel was quite a bit colder inside than the outside temperature.

I do not recommend if you are at all afraid of dark spaces.

Use a flashlight or smartphone light to be able to enjoy all the graffiti artwork.

Spend some time in the Bryson City downtown area. One of my favorite quaint small towns in the US.

Leave nothing behind – I was disgusted by the amount of garbage left on the side of the pull-offs to mountain views. What is wrong with people?

Most of All – Get outside and enjoy!

For More Information On The Road To Nowhere Visit The Great Smokies.

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