Lakeshore Trail

The complete Lakeshore Trail is a 34.2-mile point-to-point walk from the Lakeview Drive Tunnel access east to Fontana Dam west. This is the long backcountry corridor, not the separate 4-mile Lakeshore and Goldmine loop. Most of the distance is through woods and rolling terrain; despite the name, the path spends more time under trees than beside water, with intermittent lake views. Treat it as a multi-day backpack. Plan for roughly two to three days and about 18 hours of walking before long stops. Published route lengths vary by a few miles, so use about 34 miles as the working total and check the itinerary you plan to follow.

Start at the Lakeshore Trailhead by the eastern tunnel and walk west to Fontana Dam. The 1,200-foot tunnel at the end of Lakeview Drive is closed to motor vehicles but serves as a pedestrian gateway to the trail network. It is very dark inside; carry a light if your route passes through it. This is not a loop, and the endpoints are far apart. Arrange a vehicle shuttle or pickup before setting out; no full-route shuttle was confirmed. Check current trail access and overnight logistics with the park before departure because this is a remote route.

The route's rhythm is forest, repeated rises and drops, then stretches that open just enough for the lake to show through. A summer section hike described tall trees and a remarkable variety of mushrooms, including a Berkeley polypore growing at the base of an oak. That is a single seasonal observation, not a promise of a mushroom walk. No reliable full-route time or elevation-gain figure is available, so plan around the long distance and rolling terrain rather than a precise climbing total.

Near Proctor, the route enters a landscape shaped by logging and Fontana Dam. The town grew around Ritter Lumber in the early 1900s; the company brought jobs, a school and a movie theater, then left and removed its railroad after the timber was cut. Residents returned to farming and tourism before the wartime dam flooded communities and NC 288, the only road out of the area. A 2025 section hike visited the Calhoun House and detoured to Nelms Cemetery. Allow time for this history if it is part of why you are going; the cemetery is a detour, not an automatic stop on every straight-through itinerary.

All backcountry camping in the park requires a permit and advance reservations, and overnight stays are limited to designated campsites and shelters. Build your daily mileage around campsites you can reserve. Pets are prohibited on park trails. Confirm current access, campsite information and route conditions with the park before leaving; this long corridor's old inventory line does not confirm today's conditions.