The 300-mile trail, named after the visionary behind the famous Appalachian Trail, traveled along the shoulder of U.S. 129 in the Fontana area for a short distance — namely between Deal’s Gap and Twentymile ranger station, where the trail then took off into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The section of road-walking is being replaced by a new route through Fontana Village Resort property.
“This is the culmination of a nine-year effort to find a permanent solution to the hazard presented by a road walk along Route 129,” said Project Leader Dick Evans. The new trail configuration will follow the route of some other existing trails in the area, plus a newly constructed section that should be completed by summer.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..