Roadside Attractions in Bryson City

1 place worth pulling over for in Bryson City, North Carolina, with what each one actually is, what it costs and how long to give it.

Lakeview Drive (The Road to Nowhere)

Bryson City, North Carolina

This scenic six-mile drive winding deep into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ends abruptly at the mouth of a dark, eerie tunnel. Born out of an unfulfilled 1940s promise by the federal government to replace a highway flooded by the creation of Fontana Lake, it stands as a poignant monument to displaced families who were cut off from their ancestral lands. Today, visitors can drive to the end, walk through the 1,200-foot tunnel, and explore the quiet hiking trails that stretch beyond.

Planning the stop

It's free to visit. Hours and admission come from each attraction's own page, along with parking and directions.

Also worth a stop in North Carolina

World's Largest Chest of Drawers

High Point, North Carolina

Built in the 1920s to champion High Point's status as the "Home Furnishings Capital of the World," this whimsical 36-foot-tall dresser is a quintessential slice of American roadside kitsch. The building-sized structure was remodeled in 1999 to look like a classic Goddard-style block-front chest, complete with two giant socks dangling from a drawer as a nod to the local hosiery industry. It stands as a towering, delightfully bizarre monument to the city's manufacturing history.

Cryptozoology & Paranormal Museum

Littleton, North Carolina

Housed in a historic storefront, this museum is a treasure trove of the bizarre, dedicated to cryptids, ghosts, UFOs, and local hauntings. Founded by a former journalist, the museum features plaster footprint casts of Bigfoot, reputedly haunted dolls, and artifacts from paranormal investigations. It is a delightfully eerie stop where the owner is often on hand to share chilling stories about North Carolina's own supernatural mysteries.

Mystery Hill

Blowing Rock, NC

This classic roadside attraction features a gravitational anomaly room where water flows uphill and physics seems to defy gravity. Visitors can also explore historic museums, blow giant bubbles, and experience hands-on science exhibits. It is a delightfully quirky slice of vintage Americana that has entertained families since 1948.

More towns in North Carolina

Bear Creek (1)·Blowing Rock (1)·Calabash (1)·Charlotte (1)·High Point (1)·Littleton (1)·Prospect Hill (1)·Siler City (1)·Tarboro (1)·Wilson (1)