Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN · NC
A loop through old homesites to a Fontana Lake cove.
Overview
Fontana Lake gives the loop its clearest change of scene. The cove’s shoreline shifts with the reservoir level, so the amount of exposed bank can vary. If you stop for a photo, include the wooded edge with the water; that narrow inlet is the route’s distinctive view.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe cove is worth a pauseMap & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Smoky Mountains audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Lakeview Drive Tunnel“You're nearing Lakeview Drive Tunnel, where the Road to Nowhere ends for cars and continues on foot. The twelve-hundred-foot passage is unlit, so take a flashlight or use your phone light.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Goldmine Loop is a loop with a Lakeshore Trail approach and return, about 4.5 miles in all. It travels through hardwood forest, reaches a cove on Fontana Lake, and comes back by Tunnel Bypass. Allow about 2.5 hours. The full mapped walk measures roughly 4.5 miles; shorter published estimates can describe a different access or route variant.
Start at the end of Lakeview Drive and follow Lakeshore Trail to the Goldmine Loop. The route drops steeply toward Goldmine Branch, crosses shallow water, and passes a clearing from an old homesite. At the side trail for Backcountry Campsite 67, stay on the main loop. The trail continues to a small Fontana Lake cove, then climbs back toward Tunnel Bypass and Lakeshore Trail to the parking area.
Early settlers thought this area might hold gold, but no significant quantity was found. The name stuck, and the forest still carries signs of homes and farms that once stood here. A clearing near Goldmine Branch is associated with chimney and washtub remains; their current condition can change, so treat the old homesite with care and leave anything you find where it is.
This is a moderate hike, with rocky stretches, shallow creek crossings, a steep drop toward the branch, and a sustained climb back. It is more than a quick tunnel walk, but the route stays on established trails. Pets are not allowed. A parking tag is required when a vehicle stays longer than 15 minutes. The nearest listed restrooms are near Deep Creek or outside the park; no potable-water point is identified along this route.
Wildlife
1,569 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
900 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
142 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
42 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Smoky Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingGoldmine, Forney Creek and Lakeshore Loop9.9 mi · 7 hr · At the trailheadTwo connected loops save a steep Fontana Lake climb for last.
ChallengingHigh Rocks Trail19.4 mi · 11.5 hr · At the trailheadLong backcountry climb to a former fire tower site above Fontana Lake.
ChallengingLakeshore Trail34.2 mi · 18 hr · At the trailheadA 34-mile backcountry crossing through the woods above Fontana Lake
ChallengingNoland Creek Trail18.3 mi · 12 hr · 0.6 mi awayA long creekside road walk past traces of old Northshore life.
ChallengingBear Creek Trail5.9 mi · 5 hr · 1.9 mi awayA steep old grade climbs from Forney Creek into high backcountry.
ModerateSpringhouse Branch Trail6.9 mi · 4.5 hr · 3 mi awayA backcountry link between Forney Creek and Noland Creek.
ChallengingJonas Creek Trail4.1 mi · 4 hr · 3.9 mi awayCreek crossings first, then a steep climb to Welch Ridge.
ModerateWelch Ridge Trail6.3 mi · 4.5 hr · 5.2 mi awayA remote fern ridge with an optional High Rocks fire-tower detour.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayLakeview Drive TunnelWalk a 1,200-foot tunnel on a road that never reached its end.
Scenic pullout · 1.8 mi awayFontana Lake OverlookA quick lake-and-ridge view on the Road to Nowhere.
Picnic area · 5.6 mi awayDeep Creek Picnic AreaCreekside shade, charcoal grills, and waterfall walks in one stop.
Campground · 5.8 mi awayDeep Creek CampgroundCreekside camping puts waterfalls and tubing within easy reach.
Sight · 5.8 mi awayJuney Whank FallsCross a footbridge for an unusually close look at both waterfall tiers.
Sight · 6.1 mi awayTom Branch FallsFront-row benches across from tiered falls, after an easy walk.
Sight · 6.3 mi awayAndrews BaldAn open mountain meadow with a 3.6-mile hike and a steep return.
Sight · 6.3 mi awayIndian Creek FallsA creekside walk to two falls, ending at a broad 25-foot cascade.Parkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
