Since my old original post of a kayaking camping trip on Fontana Lake draws so many visitors to this site (about 10-20 per day), I figured I’d make a detailed post of recommendations and resources for planning a similar trip to this deceivingly remote piece of the majestic Great Smoky Mountains. I presume most of the visitors who stumble upon my post are trying to piece together info on the Fontana Lake region–a region that doesn’t have too many detailed information sources (at least not on the web). I spent weeks searching and piecing together info from the web. One website would have some great info, but leaves holes where I needed more info; another website would be relatively thin on the details, but provide the missing puzzle piece I was looking for! My hope is that I can give you, the trip planner, as many pieces of your puzzle as I can so you can have a great trip.
Today as I was telling some co-workers about my recent 
Just got in from Colorado yesterday morning…VERY morning. Redeye flight deluxe, complete with a layover and terminal change in Crap-lanta (Atlanta International Airport to the uninitiated). The trip was fun. The main purpose was to be the best man at my friend Ryan’s wedding. Of course, I don’t have any pics of that (yet)…but I did manage to get the good pics posted! The first morning I was in town, we headed up to the Indian Peaks Wilderness just south of the Rocky Mountain National Park and did some hiking. We set out for Lake Isabelle: a glacier-fed lake at the end of a 2 mile hike. Mid-June and it was still pretty thick with snow which made hiking a little bit difficult on a relatively easy (only 300′ net elevation gain over 2 miles) trail. To top it off, Ryan and I were snowed on at the end of the trail up at Lake Isabelle! All-in-all, an awesome hike. Take a look at the pictures below the fold to see for yourself…