![Photograph of a section of the 'Road to Nowhere.' Image from Flickr user Smoky Dan.](/sites/default/files/Road_to_Nowhere_Flickr_3572752041_edfc887775.jpg)
Begun in the 1940s, this road, called Lakeview Drive, extended about six miles by 1969 but was stalled by environmental issues. Although Congressman Charles Taylor and Senator Jesse Helms obtained $16 million in federal funding for the North Shore Road Project in October 2000, the road was never completed, partly because of the projected costs of construction. It remains a sensitive issue for area residents, who continue to view the "Road to Nowhere" as a broken promise.
Despite the difficult social and political issues surrounding the road, it offers some of the least-crowded views of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Beginning about three miles outside of Bryson City, the drive provides views of Fontana Lake and the Tuckasegee River as well as encounters with woodlands and many small streams. Several hiking trails, like the approximately 44-mile Lakeshore Trail, lead from the road to some of the highlights of the park, including its highest peak, Clingman's Dome, reached by Noland Creek Trail.