Watauga Dam AT Crossing

The shot

Almost everybody who walks this trail takes the same picture. They stand on the upstream side of the dam, looking back over the lake, with the curve of the dam under their feet and the water stretching out behind them. Mountains on both sides. It’s the photograph people take and then don’t post for a month because they want to remember it themselves first.

The view is even better than the picture. We bring our own guests up here when we want them to understand what Watauga Lake actually is.

What the dam is

Watauga Dam is an earthen dam, 331 feet tall and 925 feet long, finished by the TVA in December 1948. It holds back the Watauga and Elk Rivers to form the 6,430-acre lake we live on. It is still in use, still generating power, and the Appalachian Trail crosses directly across its top as part of the Tennessee section between Damascus, Virginia and Erwin.

It is one of the more dramatic crossings on the entire 2,200-mile trail. We don’t say that lightly. The southern half of the AT has a lot of competition for “most dramatic crossing.” This one holds up.

Getting to the trailhead

Ten minutes from the door. Out the driveway, left on Highway 67, follow the lake about seven miles east, and turn into Shook Branch Recreation Area on your left. There’s a paved lot, restrooms when the recreation area is open, and a brown Forest Service sign on the road.

Day-use is $2 per vehicle from mid-May through mid-September. Free the rest of the year. America the Beautiful pass works.

The Appalachian Trail crosses Highway 67 right at the entrance to Shook Branch. White blazes on a wooden post. You want the blazes heading north (toward the dam), which will be on the left side of the highway as you face the lake.

The walk to the dam

The first two miles parallel the lake. You’re on the same trail as the easier Watauga Lake Trail hike for a while, flat, shaded, with the water on your right and the forest on your left. This stretch is gentle and the footing is easy.

Around mile two the trail bends inland and starts to climb. Not steep, just steady. You’re going up and over a small ridge before dropping down toward the dam. The climb is maybe 500 feet over the next mile and a half, on a switchbacked footpath of dirt and roots. Trail shoes are fine. Trekking poles aren’t necessary but they help on the descent.

At about mile three and a half the trail meets a paved road and turns to follow it. Don’t be surprised, this is normal AT, the trail uses roads where it has to. You’ll see white blazes painted on telephone poles and tree trunks along the road. Stay on the blazes.

A few minutes later, you’re on the dam.

The crossing

The dam top is a paved two-lane road with a sidewalk on the upstream side. Cars do use it, slowly, usually one every few minutes. There’s a low guardrail between the road and the downstream side, which is where the 331-foot drop is. Don’t lean over.

The walk across is just over a quarter of a mile. Most people stop multiple times. You will too.

Looking back, you see the lake. The whole upper basin from here, mountains on both sides, water that on a calm day reflects everything. Looking forward, you see the river valley far below, the spillway, the powerhouse, and the road snaking down to the river.

If you are afraid of heights, this matters. The drop is real and the guardrail is low. We’ve had guests turn around without crossing. That is fine. The view from the upstream side at the start of the dam is still excellent.

The way back

Same trail in reverse. The climb back over the ridge is the harder direction, and you’ll feel the elevation more on tired legs. Allow about the same time as the way out, maybe a little less.

If you have a second car, you can park one at Shook Branch and the other at the dam visitor area off Wilbur Dam Road, then hike one direction. Most guests just do the round trip.

What to expect

There’s no water on this trail. None. Bring everything you’ll drink.

The dam itself is fully exposed. In July and August the sun on the paved surface is brutal. Hats, sunscreen, water. Morning hikes are much better than midday.

In winter the trail itself is fine but the dam top can be icy where shadows fall. Watch your footing on the crossing.

Cell service is mostly absent on the lake stretch, comes back near the dam, drops again in the woods between. Tell someone where you’re going.

Black bears live in this forest. We’ve never had a guest see one on this trail but it’s possible. Don’t leave a pack unattended at the dam while you walk around.

Best time to go

Spring and fall are the windows. Late April and May the leaves are just coming in, the water is high, the lake is bright blue. October from the 10th through the 25th is peak fall color and the view from the dam over the lake with hills going red and gold is probably the single best view of the year around here.

Summer is fine but bring twice as much water as you think you’ll need and start early. Winter has its own appeal, the bare trees mean you can see the lake from the trail in stretches that are hidden in summer.

We tell guests morning, every season. Light is better, parking is open, and you’re back in time for lunch.

What to pair it with

This is the easy combo. Walk the dam in the morning, come back to Shook Branch, swim if it’s warm enough, eat lunch on the picnic tables. That’s the day. You’re done by 2 p.m. with energy left for the lake in the afternoon.

If you want a longer day, drive 20 minutes after the hike to Villa Nove Vineyards for a tasting on the way home. The whole loop from trailhead back to the property with food and wine stops is around six hours.

For guests who can’t manage the full eight miles, drive directly to the dam off Wilbur Dam Road, walk the crossing only, then come back through Hampton and stop at Shook Branch for the swim portion. Same view, much less walking.

Related

• The Watauga Lake Trail — same trailhead, flatter, shorter
• The Appalachian Trail at Watauga Lake — the broader story of the AT through here
• Pond Mountain — the other big-view hike in the area
• Cherokee National Forest — what surrounds the dam
• Shook Branch Recreation Area — where the day starts and probably ends
• Watauga Lake — the body of water you’ll be looking down on
• The property — ten minutes from the trailhead

Related on the lake

• Section hiker logistics for the Watauga Dam stretch of the AT
• Broader AT context at Watauga
• Dam history and TVA specs
• The shot from on top of the dam