At roughly 480 feet, Fontana is the tallest dam east of the Rocky Mountains, and the thick morning fog that greeted us created an atmospheric, almost otherworldly scene.
We walked across the dam through the mist, catching glimpses of the lake on the far side.
The Appalachian Trail continues from there into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but since dogs are prohibited on park trails, we turned around.
On the way back we paused at a picnic area with more open views of Fontana Lake.
Finally, we climbed to the overlook above the visitor center for a few final photos before moving on.
A short connector trail took us to the Horse Parking Area, where we joined the Left Loop.
The trail hugged the shoreline for more than eight miles, delivering steady views of the lake.
About a mile in we spotted an old chimney just off the path.
A couple of hours later a brief but intense five-minute downpour soaked us thoroughly; the sky cleared quickly afterward, and continued hiking helped us mostly dry out.
At the end of the Left Loop we branched onto the Overlook Loop and walked out to Cliff Overlook.
Here we ate lunch while taking in wide views of Fontana Lake and the distant Smoky Mountains.
We finished the loop, followed County Line Road back to the trailhead, and on the way home stopped once more in Andrews at Snowbird Mountains Brewing so Amaroq could enjoy another well-earned pup cup.
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