15 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Secciones 4 y 3. De Stecoah Gap a Little Tennessee River, Fontana Dam
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 14.79 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3,671 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 5,200 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,956 ft
- TrailRank
-
92
5
- Min elevation
- 1,657 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Coordinates
- 776
- Uploaded
- April 4, 2016
- Recorded
- April 2016
near Stecoah, North Carolina (United States)
Viewed 2583 times, downloaded 26 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Stage 15
⇐ Link to the previous stage: 14 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 5. From Nantahala River, Wesser, to Cheoah Bald and Stecoah Gap, route US-143
⇒ Link to the next stage: 16 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 2.4 - Great Smoky Mountains - From Fontana Dam to Mollies Ridge Shelter
⇒ Link to the complete itinerary in North Carolina: 257.5 km - Appalachian Trail in the State of North Carolina (complete itinerary)
Tour of the Appalachian Trail, as it passes through the state of North Carolina (United States), in a south to north direction, in the area occupied by the Cheoah Mountains and the Yellow Creek Mountains , which corresponds to with sections 4 and 3 of the official trail in the states of Georgia and North Carolina.
The stage begins at the intersection of the trail with Route 143 (Sweetwater Road), in Stecoah Gap, and ends at Fontana Dam, a hydroelectric dam built on the Little Tennessee River, right at the point from which the Great Smoky Mountains begin. National Park .
In its main section, it is a transitional stage, already farewell to the immense Nantahala National Forest, without important peaks, and with a trail that runs at an altitude of approximately 3,500 feet, with continuous ups and downs of small hills. At the end of the trail, the trail descends rapidly, to an altitude below 2,000 feet, in the valley that runs through the Little Tennessee River, which is home to the TVA's Fontana Dam hydroelectric plant. Authority), which is the tallest dam in the entire eastern United States, built at the end of World War II.
Fontana Dam. Hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River
From a landscape point of view, the highlight of this tour are precisely the spectacular views offered by Fontana Lake , a large reservoir embedded in the valley that separates the Nantahala National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park .
View of Fontana Dam. In the background, the first peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains
On the southern shore of this lake or reservoir, is the popular Fontana Dam Shelter (better known as the Fontana Hilton Shelter) , which happens to be the best conditioned shelter on the entire Appalachian Trail, with capacity for 24 occupants, solar panel for recharging mobile phone batteries, services, running water, easy access and excellent views.
Fontana Dam Shelter (Fontana Hilton Shelter), located on the edge of Fontana Lake, with capacity for 24 people
A little over 3 km to the west, is Fontana Village , a large tourist complex that offers accommodation in houses and pavilions with a rustic decoration and that has a small shopping center, cafeteria, laundry and post office. In this same resort you can process, through the internet, the necessary permits to transit and use the shelters of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
On the other hand, on the path itself, shortly before crossing the dam, there is a visitor center (Visitors Center), which has a very large parking lot, and which, in addition to offering tourist information on the entire area, provides support to hikers. that follow the Appalachian Trail, with restrooms and showers.
Fontana Dam. Hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River. Visitors Center
PPI Index: 104 HKG
Total distance: 25.81 km
Desn. cumulative ascent: 921.7 m
Desn. cumulative descent: 1364.35 m
Maximum height: 1205.4 m
Minimum height: 508.3 m
Total time : Not available
Moving time: Not available
Stopped time : Not available
Total average speed: Not available
Average moving speed: Not available
IBP index. IBP index is an automatic assessment system that rates the difficulty of a route traveled
⇐ Link to the previous stage: 14 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 5. From Nantahala River, Wesser, to Cheoah Bald and Stecoah Gap, route US-143
⇒ Link to the next stage: 16 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 2.4 - Great Smoky Mountains - From Fontana Dam to Mollies Ridge Shelter
⇒ Link to the complete itinerary in North Carolina: 257.5 km - Appalachian Trail in the State of North Carolina (complete itinerary)
Tour of the Appalachian Trail, as it passes through the state of North Carolina (United States), in a south to north direction, in the area occupied by the Cheoah Mountains and the Yellow Creek Mountains , which corresponds to with sections 4 and 3 of the official trail in the states of Georgia and North Carolina.
The stage begins at the intersection of the trail with Route 143 (Sweetwater Road), in Stecoah Gap, and ends at Fontana Dam, a hydroelectric dam built on the Little Tennessee River, right at the point from which the Great Smoky Mountains begin. National Park .
In its main section, it is a transitional stage, already farewell to the immense Nantahala National Forest, without important peaks, and with a trail that runs at an altitude of approximately 3,500 feet, with continuous ups and downs of small hills. At the end of the trail, the trail descends rapidly, to an altitude below 2,000 feet, in the valley that runs through the Little Tennessee River, which is home to the TVA's Fontana Dam hydroelectric plant. Authority), which is the tallest dam in the entire eastern United States, built at the end of World War II.
Fontana Dam. Hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River
From a landscape point of view, the highlight of this tour are precisely the spectacular views offered by Fontana Lake , a large reservoir embedded in the valley that separates the Nantahala National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park .
View of Fontana Dam. In the background, the first peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains
On the southern shore of this lake or reservoir, is the popular Fontana Dam Shelter (better known as the Fontana Hilton Shelter) , which happens to be the best conditioned shelter on the entire Appalachian Trail, with capacity for 24 occupants, solar panel for recharging mobile phone batteries, services, running water, easy access and excellent views.
Fontana Dam Shelter (Fontana Hilton Shelter), located on the edge of Fontana Lake, with capacity for 24 people
A little over 3 km to the west, is Fontana Village , a large tourist complex that offers accommodation in houses and pavilions with a rustic decoration and that has a small shopping center, cafeteria, laundry and post office. In this same resort you can process, through the internet, the necessary permits to transit and use the shelters of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
On the other hand, on the path itself, shortly before crossing the dam, there is a visitor center (Visitors Center), which has a very large parking lot, and which, in addition to offering tourist information on the entire area, provides support to hikers. that follow the Appalachian Trail, with restrooms and showers.
Fontana Dam. Hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River. Visitors Center
PPI Index: 104 HKG
Total distance: 25.81 km
Desn. cumulative ascent: 921.7 m
Desn. cumulative descent: 1364.35 m
Maximum height: 1205.4 m
Minimum height: 508.3 m
Total time : Not available
Moving time: Not available
Stopped time : Not available
Total average speed: Not available
Average moving speed: Not available
IBP index. IBP index is an automatic assessment system that rates the difficulty of a route traveled
Waypoints
Intersection
3,168 ft
Stecoah Gap. Intersección del sendero con la ruta US-143. Inicio de la etapa
Stecoah Gap. Intersection of the path with the US-143 route. Start of the stage
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Panorama
Photo
3,614 ft
Bajada hacia Hogback Gap, entre rododendros
Bajada hacia Hogback Gap, entre rododendros
Mountain pass
Intersection
2,959 ft
Estacionamiento y cruce con la Yellow Creek Road
Estacionamiento y cruce con la Yellow Creek Road
Photo
3,635 ft
Pequeña cima, sendero, y entre los árboles y todavía a distancia, vistas del Fontana Lake
Small summit, path, and between the trees and still distant, views of the Fontana Lake
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Photo
3,686 ft
Cima rocosa. A la distancia y entre los árboles, Fontana Dam
Cima rocosa. A la distancia y entre los árboles, Fontana Dam
Photo
3,147 ft
Presa de Fontana Dam. Al fondo, las primeras crestas del Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Dam of Fontana Dam. In the background, the first ridges of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park
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Intersection
1,794 ft
Intersección del AT con la ruta 28. Estacionamiento y zona conocida como Marina
Intersection of the AT with route 28. Parking and area known as Marina
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Wilderness hut
1,838 ft
Fontana Dam Shelter (Fontana Hilton Shelter), situado al borde del lago Fontana, con capacidad para 24 personas.
Fontana Dam Shelter (Fontana Hilton Shelter), located on the edge of Fontana Lake, with capacity for 24 people.
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River
1,768 ft
Fontana Dam. Presa hidroeléctrica sobre el Little Tennessee River
Fontana Dam. Presa hidroeléctrica sobre el Little Tennessee River
Photo
1,800 ft
Fin de la etapa. Inicio del Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Fin de la etapa. Inicio del Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Comments (2)
You can add a comment or review this trail
Que maravilla de recorrido el que estas realizando, un disfrute total con unas fotos que me encantan, a seguir ....
Muchas gracias por tu apoyo y tu ánimo. Ciertamente, el sendero de los Apalaches es una maravilla para cualquier senderista. Confío en poder seguirlo en su totalidad.