Fontana Guides is fully insured, licensed, and operates under a special Commercial Use Authorization from the U.S. National Park Service.

All of our boat captains hold a United States Coast Guard License as a Master of Inland Waters, 25 Gross Tons.

All of our guides/captains are Wilderness First Aid/ CPR & AED certified and trained by the American Red Cross.

We offer the opportunity of taking home the best memories of your adventures with us. Thanks to GoPro our guides always have a camera on hand at all times. At no additional charge, we will upload HD photos of your experience to our Facebook page for you to download, tag, and share with your friends!

North Carolina requires anyone younger than 13 to wear an appropriate life vest when on a recreational vessel that is underway.

Availability for our Fall Foliage Cruises goes quick. Give us a call or drop us an email today to request rates and availability.

Our Fall Foliage Cruises are a great way to experience the annual show of fall leaf colors here in the Great Smoky Mountains. There is no better way to see the beauty than from the water. Experience the breathtaking colors as they reflect off the surface of Fontana Lake. This cruise is identical to our Daytime & Sunset Cruises on Fontana Lake, except that the time frame for viewing fall colors is Late September through Early November.

​

We usually experience a Fall leaf season of several weeks as the colors travel down the mountains from high elevation to low. The fall color display around Fontana Lake typically reaches peak color between mid October through early November. However, please keep in mind that the timing of the fall color change depends upon so many variables that the exact dates of “peak” season can be nearly impossible to predict each year.

The diversity of our trees found here in Western North Carolina is what makes our fall colors so special. There is over 100 species of native trees that live in the Great Smoky Mountains. Colorful trees such as sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple, and hickories contribute to one of the most spectacular displays of fall colors found anywhere. Expect to see vibrant displays of purple, red, yellow, and orange as the leaves break down during peak season.

Fall is both a beautiful and busy time in the Great Smoky Mountains. The annual show of fall colors attracts huge numbers of tourists to the area. Many of the popular fall color viewing areas experience some of the longest traffic delays and largest crowds of the year. Do yourself a favor and book a private Fall Foliage Cruise on Fontana Lake with us. You will be completely secluded and will enjoy the fall colors as they reflect off the surface of pristine Fontana Lake in a private and relaxing setting.

Anytime you are on Fontana lake there is always a chance of viewing wildlife, but Fall in particular gives you the best opportunity for viewing black bears and other  species of wildlife around the lake. We see more black bears in the Fall than any other time of year as they are busy stocking up on calories for the upcoming Winter. You may get lucky enough to see one along the banks or even luckier to see one swimming across Fontana Lake.