The TVA bought or took 67,800 acres of land from Graham and Swain Counties leaving 1,300 families homeless, some of which were widows with children, some who were elderly and many of which had never lived anywhere else. In the midst of World War II, while many Swain and Graham County NC men were fighting for their country, the US Government and the Tennessee Valley Authority decided to build a hydroelectric power dam which would flood 11,000 acres of North Carolina land.

Be sure and take a flashlight if you want to see all of the unique artwork sprayed throughout the tunnel walls.

However, when you do reach the end of the tunnel there are various hiking trails that lead off in to the park and make for great adventures. One of the most popular sites along this road is the abandoned tunnel at the end of it, almost a 1/4 mile in length this tunnel will leave you in the dark wondering if you will ever reach that light or not. This road was originally to be built to provide the many residents, who gave up their land for the Fontana Dam project, access to their ancestral gravesites. It provides spectacular views of Fontana Lake and the Appalachian Mountains and was originally named вЂњLakeview DriveвЂќ, but since the road was never completed (as the government promised) residents, who were forced to leave their homes in order for Fontana Dam to be built, gave it the name of вЂњThe Road To NowhereвЂќ.

Bryson City, NC -В вЂњThe Road To NowhereвЂќ, as most local residents call it, is a 6-mile scenic drive into the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where it dead-ends.

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