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Junaluska Dam Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 397 Google reviews · Running trail in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- 3.8 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Junaluska Dam Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Junaluska Dam Park
“Thankful they had public bathrooms on site and a clean trail the entire way.”
“Beautiful scenery, love the church bells every hour, great food, love the paddleboarding and kayaking with reasonable prices.”
“The Junaluska dam park is Very Beautiful place Lake Junaluska offers a wonderful and serene 3.”
Beautiful scenery, love the church bells every hour, great food, love the paddleboarding and kayaking with reasonable prices. I missing stars is due to the ridiculous rule to walk one way around the lake. That is asinine! What if a person can't walk the entire lake? What if you get too hot and need to turn back?
The Junaluska dam park is Very Beautiful place Lake Junaluska offers a wonderful and serene 3.8-mile walking trail that circles the lake. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful mountainous landscape that surrounds the lake as they take a leisurely stroll. Visitors can shorten the loop to 2.
What a gorgeous, spacious lake! I loved walking the entire perimeter. Thankful they had public bathrooms on site and a clean trail the entire way. Very well maintained. Stunning view of the mountains.
Found this dam quite by accident, as we were trying to turn around, however, it was nice to have a place to walk around for a few minutes and stretch, as well as get a few photos. Great place for selfies.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful scenery, love the church bells every hour, great food, love the paddleboarding and kayaking with reasonable prices.”
“They have public restrooms as well as vending machines also a coffee and ice cream shops all accessible from the walking trail.”
“The Junaluska dam park is Very Beautiful place Lake Junaluska offers a wonderful and serene 3.”
Plan your run at Junaluska Dam Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- Distance3.8 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadrestrooms — reported by runners
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–9:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–9:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 6:30 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–9:30 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–9:30 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–9:30 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–9:30 PM |
Running trails near Lake Junaluska
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Rose Walk
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Waynesville Greenway Park
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Kid-friendly park featuring a lake for kayaking, as well as benches by the river.
Vance Street Park
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Public park with a skate park, disc golf, riverside trail, playgrounds, and other athletic facilities.
Waynesville Recreation Park
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Sprawling park featuring playground structures, skate parks and tennis courts.
McCracken Corner Park
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