Fall Photography in the Smokies and Blue Ridge Parkway Trip Journal

Introduction

We have always enjoyed the spending time in the Smoky Mountains. However, after spending the last two fall seasons focusing on learning the art of photography, we now have a new appreciation for its beauty. The majority of our time in the Smokies has been spent in two locations.

Blue Ridge Parkway
Great Smokey Mountain National Park

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a wonderful road to explore anytime of the year but it is certainly special during the fall. The parkway travels through the heart of the Appalachian Mountains and connects the Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The total length of the parkway is 469 miles and it will carry you through elevation changes that range from around 650 feet to over 6000 feet. These elevation changes provide unique opportunities for fall photography. Often you will find trees in peak color at one elevation and by moving down the road a few miles (and dropping in elevation) you may find trees that are still green.

Typically the trees will begin to show color at the highest elevations first. As the days pass, this color will work its way down to the lower elevations. There are two approaches you may wish to consider when photographing the parkway.One approach is to make multiple trips to the parkway over several weeks and focus on different elevations each time. For example during the first trip you may find peak colors at the 3000-5000 foot level but green trees below that level. On a second trip 4-5 days later you may find that the peak color has now moved down to the 2000-3000 foot level and the higher trees are now past peak.

Depending on the length of your trip you may consider a second approach. For this approach you can start your trip by spending a couple of days touring the Blue Ridge Parkway, move into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a few days and then return back to the Blue Ridge Parkway to finish your trip.

To help navigate the Blue Ridge Parkway mile markers have been installed along the roadside. The numbering of the miles begins on the north end of the parkway and they increase as you move further south. While there are some nice locations on the northern end of the parkway, most of this part of the parkway passes through rolling hills and farmland. We really enjoy the isolation of the mountains so we have spent most of our time on the southern end of the parkway.

The first must see location is the Mabry Mill and it is located near Milepost 176. This may be one of the most photographed locations on the parkway and therefore can get pretty crowded. If you wish to photograph the mill in the reflection of the pond you will need to arrive well before sunrise.

As you pass Milepost 180 begin looking to the left side of the road for the small Mayberry Trading Post sitting on the side road. The story is that Andy Griffith’s grandfather was a regular visitor to the store and this is the origin of the Mayberry name. If you enjoy history you should stop just to see the store and some of its old contents.

Near Milepost 189 is located Groundhog Mountain. The area features a small observation tower and an exhibit of many different styles of rail fences. The Puckett Cabin is located one mile further down the road near Milepost 191. This cabin was home to Aunt Orelena Puckett who delivered over 1000 babies (without losing a single patient) between 1890 and 1939. Sadly she had 24 children herself but none ever lived past three years old. The Blue Ridge Music Center is located near Milepost 213 and features a visitor center, gallery, outdoor concert area and gift shop. The center is designed to help preserve the area’s traditional music and is worth a visit.

When we visited the Brineger Cabin near Milepost 238, the sun was high overhead and the area was bathed in harsh sunlight and shadows. However, under the right lighting I would expect you would be able to find many nice images among the area’s buildings. Near Milepost 273 is located the Jesse Brown Cabin. The cabin was built around 1840 and was moved to this area in 1905. There is a wonderful large red maple tree located near the cabin. The Cool Springs Baptist is also located nearby and worth a visit.

The Moses Cone Memorial Park is located near Milepost 294. The 3600 acre park is home to the Cone Manor mansion. This mansion was built by Moses Cone who made his fortune as North Carolina’s “denim king”. Both the mansion and the park grounds make a nice location to spend a few hours. Stop at Rough Ridge located near Milepost 303 for the entrance to a wonderful hike. Leave the parking lot and cross the rock steps up to the Tanawha Trail intersection and turn left. This hike will take you through some great fall color and wonderful views across the valleys.

For a great sunset and sunrise location stop at Beacon Heights near Milepost 305. Once you have parked, cross the small road located at the back of the parking lot and enter the trail going into the woods. Turn right at the junction of the Tanawha and Mountains to the Sea Trail and start up the hill. After several hundred yards you will see a trail leaving the main Mountains to the Sea Trail on the left and ascending towards the top of the mountain. Near a bench the trail will fork. The left fork will take you to a rocky outcrop for sunrise and the right fork will take you to a sunset outcrop location.

If you exit the parkway at Milepost 305 and follow US 221 one mile south you will find the privately owned Grandfather Mountain Park. The park contains a nice wildlife habitat area and miles of hiking trails to explore. The popular Linville Falls is located near Milepost 316 and even when filled with people; it can still offer some nice photographic opportunities. There are many overviews to photograph the falls from and you can easily spend several hours exploring the area.

A wonderful hike is located near Milepost 339. After walking on the trail for a little more than one mile you will find the Crabtree Falls. There are great views from both sides of the bridge and when the colors are peaking the entire area seems to glow yellow.

The Mount Mitchell State Park located near Milepost 355 offers overnight camping, a restaurant and a road up to a summit observation deck. The area also offers multiple hiking trails and some great views.

The Craggy Gardens area located near Milepost 364 and 368 is famous for its rhododendron bushes which bloom during June. Even though the bushes will not be blooming during the fall, there are many nice trails and overviews that are worth exploring.

The amazing Biltmore Estate is located near Milepost 389. The huge estate was built by the Vanderbilt family and is wonderful to tour.

The North Carolina Arboretum located near Milepost 394 is a 434 acre public garden and is wonderful during the spring and summer. We have not been there during the fall yet but expect it may be worth a visit. The Pisgah Inn located near Milepost 409 offers some nice overviews in addition to meals.

A great location to visit just off the parkway is the Forest Discovery Center at the Cradle of Forestry. Exit the parkway at Milepost 412 and travel about four miles east on US 276 to find the center. The center offers a film of the history of the forestry school and trails that provides access to several original buildings, including vintage ranger cabins. After finishing at the Cradle of Forestry follow US 276 a little farther east to find the Sliding Rock area. During the summer the location is a favorite for swimming but during the fall you may find you have the area all to yourself. The Looking Glass Falls is located just a little farther down US 276 and can provide really nice opportunities, especially under an overcast sky.

Back on the parkway, we find that the Pounding Mill Overlook at Milepost 413 is one of the most impressive overlooks on the parkway. It is a great sunrise location and the valley will often fill with a sea of fog. Much of the time in order to get the best sunrise images you need to be at your location well before the sun actual rises. Begin shooting as soon as soon as you start to see the first hints of light. Even though your eyes may not be able to see much, the camera can capture this faint light beautifully.

The Graveyards Fields area located near Milepost 419 offers many nice hikes through some wonderful fall color and waterfalls. Spending a few hours in the area can often produce many photographic opportunities.

Blue Ridge Parkway Sunrise and Sunset Locations

One of the biggest draws for photographers on the southern park of the Blue Ridge Parkway are the great overlooks. These overlooks can be really productive during sunrises and sunsets. We have not been able to photograph all of these locations but here is a list of the better locations that we have discovered through various sources. Since the exact location of the sunrise and sunset varies throughout the year, some locations maybe better than others at specific times of the year.

Sunrise Locations:

Beacon Heights – Milepost 305 (see previous description)
Junction Ridge Overlook – Milepost 355
Pounding Mill Overlook – Milepost 413
East Fork Overlook – Milepost 418.8
Waterrock Knob – Milepost 451

Sunset Locations:

Beacon Heights – Milepost 305 (see previous description)
Herrin Knob Overlook – Milepost 424.4
Cowee Mountains Overlook – Milepost 430.7
Waterrock Knob – Milepost 451
Lickstone Ridge Overlook – Milepost 458.2

Newfound Gap Road - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a photographer’s paradise and can provide great opportunities in any season. However, we find fall in the Smokies is really special. There are several routes into the park and if you are arriving from the southern part of the Blue Ridge Parkway you will find yourself right at the southern entrance near Cherokee, North Carolina.

While there are some nice areas to explore on the southern side of the park we have found the north side of the park to be our most productive area. The Newfound Gap Road will carry you from the south side of the park to the north side of the park. The narrow and winding road is around 30 miles long and will take you past some classic smoky mountain overviews that can offer many wonderful photographic opportunities.

As you exit the Blue Ridge Parkway turn north onto the Newfound Gap Road and travel to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The visitor center is home to the Mountain Farm Museum and it preserves a nice example of a typical mountain farm. It is worth a stop and can offer many photographic possibilities. As you leave the visitor center set your car’s odometer to zero (if you are entering from the north side set your odometer to zero at the highway intersection by the Sugarland Vistor Center). Drive north on the Newfound Gap Road for approximately one half mile when you have finished visiting the Mountain Farm Museum. The Mingus Mill will be on your left and is a working mill that operates much of the year.

The Newfound Gap Road you will give you access to some great overlooks. As with the Blue Ridge Parkway, fall color will begin to peak at the highest elevations first and will then work its way down to lower elevations as the days pass.

As you travel up the road, stop at the various overlooks and explore them for compositions. Sunrise and sunset on the road can be special and while you can enjoy the views from many different overviews, these are the most popular with photographers.

Sunrise Locations:

Deep Creek Overlook (13.7 miles, 15.5 from north side)
Oconaluftee Valley Overlook (15.3 miles, 13.9 from north side)
Newfound Gap Overlook (16 miles, 13.2 from north side)
Clingmans Dome Overlook (exit near 16 miles)

Sunset Locations:

Clingmans Dome Overlook (exit near Newfound Gap Overlock)
Morton Overlook (16.7 miles, 12.5 from north side)

Near the Newfound Gap Overlook you will find the entrance to the Clingmans Dome Road. This road will carry you to the top of Clingmans Dome which offers great sunset views. Sunrise is also possible here but success can be difficult as it is often covered in morning fog.

Roaring Fork Road - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

The Roaring Fork area of the park is one of our favorite locations during the fall. It contains many great historic buildings and beautiful streams that provide endless photography opportunities. The road looping through the area is very narrow and winding so expect some slow driving.

During the fall this road can also get pretty crowded so we always try to be at the first cabin just as the sun is beginning to rise. If you can visit the Roaring Fork area on an overcast day you will likely be able to spend the entire morning photographing along the road. However, sunny mornings often make it hard for us to complete the loop before the sunlight gets too harsh for good images. You may need multiple mornings on the road to cover the entire area if you have only sunny mornings to work with.

To find the entrance to the Roaring Fork area, leave the park’s north entrance via the Newfound Gap Road and head into Gatlinburg. When you reach Light #8 turn right and reset your car’s odometer to zero. Around 2.6 miles from the light you will find the Noah “Bud” Ogle Farm. It is easy to spend several hours in this area and on some mornings we never make it any further around the road. While at the farm you may wish to walk around the area’s nature trail. As you walk towards the cabin from the parking lot look for the trail leading off to the right. If you follow this trail for about one half mile you will find an old tub mill beside a stream. Continuing along the trail past the mill will return you to the cabin.

Once you have finished visiting the farm return to the road and reset your car’s odometer to zero. After driving up the road for about one mile you will find the turn into the actual Roaring Fork drive. While there are several great locations and hikes along the drive but we typically head 3.8 miles to the Jim Bales cabin in order to try to beat the harsh light. If you park on the left side of the road there is a short path to the left that will carry you to an old cemetery. If you walk right across the road and bridge, you will find the Jim Bales cabin. The area has some great tree color and building to keep you busy for some time.

As you leave the Jim Bales cabin watch the stream that is flowing beside the road and look for compositions of moss covered rocks. There are several small pullouts along the road where you can park and explore the area. Two more cabin locations are found at mile 4.1 and 4.6. There is also a nice tub mill beside the road that offers really nice photographic opportunities. If the water levels are low enough you may be able to rock hop across the steam to compose nice images of the mill with the stream as your foreground.

Greenbrier Road - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

If you enjoy exploring rivers then proceed east from Gatlinburg on US Highway 321 for about five miles and turn right onto the Greenbrier Road. We have found the best time to visit the road was during the early morning or late afternoon. Simply drive or walk along the river and look for images that please you. As you travel up the road watch for a bridge and a road that exits to the left. We find the area around the bridge and the end of the left road to be very productive areas. Simply get out of your car and explore the river for many great images.

Gatlinburg Bypass Road - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

It is not uncommon for the Newfound Gap Road to be closed when snow or ice moves into the park at higher elevations. If this occurs you may consider exploring the overlooks on the Gatlinburg Bypass Road as they are often still open. As you approach Gatlinburg after exiting the park on the Newfound Gap Road, watch for the Gatlinburg Bypass Road to Pigeon Forge. This road will carry you up and around Gatlinburg and offers several overlook views back towards the park.

Little River Road - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

While we enjoy the area around Gatlinburg our favorite side of the park is near Townsend. It is a much quieter area and does not have near the vacation traffic that Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have. To reach the Townsend area of the park travel back south from Gatlinburg towards the Newfound Gap Road. Just before starting back up the mountain you will see the Little River Road exiting to the right. This road will carry you across the north side of the park and into the Townsend area.

As soon as you turn onto the Little River Road you will see the Sugarland Visitor Center on your right. The center is a good place to get information about the park and it also houses a small gift center. Before leaving the visitor center set your car’s odometer to zero. The first area of interest as you drive along the Little River Road is the Laurel Falls located at 3.4 miles. This falls is located at the end of a 1.3 mile paved pathway and is a very popular location. In order to obtain images without crowds of people, you may need to hike to the falls early in the morning. If you have the energy the view from the river below the walkway is great. Be careful climbing up and down as the slope can be very slippery.

Elkmont Road is found 4.3 miles from the Sugarland Visitor Center. This short road will carry you past more river scenes until you reach the old town site of Elkmont. This town site contains numerous old vacation homes that the park does not seem to know what to do with. This area was one of the last locations where people were allowed to live in the park. Depending on your photographic taste this area may or may not appeal to you. In any case it is interesting to see nature taking back the area.

At 9.5 miles you will see the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area on the right. Turn right; continue through the picnic area and out the backside. Once you leave the picnic area watch for a small road exiting to the right. Drive up this road for a little ways and you will find a small school house and cemetery that can offer many nice images. Once back on the Little River Road, the Sinks area at 11.1 miles from Sugarland Visitor Center can offer numerous opportunities. However, be careful as you explore this area as there have been many deaths here over the years. Near mile 12.1 you will find the Meigs Falls on the left side of the road. The falls sits well back from the road so a telephoto lens will greatly help.

Continue to watch the river for possible images as you drive along the road. Around 16 miles from the Sugarland Visitor Center you will arrive at a junction in the road. Turning right will carry you out of the park and into Townsend. Not only is Townsend much quieter than the Gatlinburg area but it is a very convenient location to spend the night and makes reaching Cades Cove for sunrise pretty easy.

Tremont Road - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

If you do not turn right at the junction but continue going straight you will head into the Cades Cove area. Shortly after passing the junction look for the Tremont Road exiting to the left. As with the Greenbrier Road discussed earlier, the Tremont Road follows the river and offers continuous photographic opportunities. Simply drive along the road and find an area that interests you. Often the level of the river will allow you to rock hop out into the middle of the river for unique images. We find parking at the end of the road and walking back down the river for a ways to be the most productive area.

Cades Cove - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Our favorite and most productive area of the park is Cades Cove. To reach Cades Cove leave Townsend and turn right at the Little River Road junction. Simply follow this road until it reaches the cove. The road into the cove does not open until sunrise but you should arrive at the gate at least 30 minutes before sunrise in order to get in line with the many other photographers that will be there.

If you are there between May and September the road will not open until 10am on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This allows hikers and bikers to enjoy the cove without any car traffic. We highly recommend you ride your bike in the cove during this time if you ever get a chance. It is a wonderful experience. Unless you love sitting in a parking lot, you should visit the cove at either sunrise or late in the afternoon. During the rest of the day it will likely take hours to creep through the cove due to the heavy traffic. We find this to be a miserable experience.

The road through Cades Cove makes a large one way loop around the outside of the cove that is around 11 miles long. There are two cross roads that can be used to shorten the drive and allow you to exit the loop without driving the entire 11 miles. Any time in the cove is very special but a morning when it is filled with fog is really special. The most challenging part of photographing in the cove is deciding where to go when the gate first opens in the morning. We would suggest that you spend an afternoon exploring the cove the day before your morning visit. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the cove and develop a plan for the next morning.

If you are primarily looking for wildlife images then your approach will be pretty simple, you should begin looking in the fields just inside the gate. Often you will find horses, turkeys, deer and other animals as soon as you enter the cove.

When looking for animals we simply drive around the loop and watch for them. Most of the time we will attempt to photograph from our car in order to not scare them off but often it will be necessary to get out a walk out to deer located in the fields.

Just stay far enough back not to change their behavior. If they are stopping and watching you then you are getting to close.

Typically when we arrive at the gate we will look out into the cove to see if there is any fog present. If fog is present then we will try to head towards the back of the cove as soon as the gate opens. If this is your first trip into the cove during foggy conditions and you are looking for landscape opportunities, we would suggest you drive as quickly as possible to the second cross road (Hyatt Lane) about 2.7 miles from the gate. The Hyatt Lane is a two way road so you can drive back and forth on the road as much as you like looking for subjects. The fog will often illuminate as the sun begins to rise and can make nice scenes turn into great scenes.

After spending some time on Hyatt Lane drive back onto the loop and continue around the cove. Near mile 3.4 and 3.8 you will find some nice overlooks of the Hyatt Lane area. Just keep in mind that the loop is a one way road and you cannot get back to Hyatt Lane without driving around the backside of the loop. When clouds are in the area these overlooks can be very productive as the light dances across the cove. If you are visiting for more than one day or have photographed Hyatt Lane already, you may consider exploring Sparks Lane as it also offers many great subjects. It will be the first cross road that you find after entering the gate.

One of the highlights of Cades Cove is the preserved buildings. Unless you have an overcast sky to work with, it is pretty hard to cover many of the building before the light gets to harsh for good images. The largest group of buildings is located at the Cades Cove Visitor Center and Cable Historic Area at the back of the cove. It is not too far from Hyatt Lane so if you are limited on time and have just finished shooting sunrise on Hyatt, you may wish to head there before the sun gets too harsh.

If you enjoy hiking and waterfalls you may consider visiting Abrams Falls. The trailhead can be found at the back of the cove and it is a five mile round trip. If you don’t have time or energy to hike this far then you may consider visiting the Elijah Oliver Place. There are two ways to reach the cabin but we enjoy starting at the Abrams Falls trailhead. As you leave the parking lot the trail will split and instead of going left to the falls simply turn right and follow the 0.5 mile trail to the cabin. We enjoy this approach to the cabin because it has a very remote feel and it is very easy to image how life must have been one hundred years ago.

Foothills Parkway - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

If you are in the Townsend area and are looking for a sunrise location other than Cades Cove you may wish to visit the west section of the Foothills Parkway. To find the parkway, travel towards Maryville from Townsend on Highway 321 (about 10 miles from the Smokies Park entrance). The start for the parkway will be on your left and after driving up the parkway around 1.3 miles you will see a large parking lot on your left. Often fog will fill in the valley below you and the early morning side lighting can create very nice images.

Cataloochee Valley - Great Smoky Mountain National Park

One area of the park that we enjoy visiting is the Cataloochee Valley. This is the area of the park where elk have been reintroduced and if for no other reason it is fun to see them. Some of the elk do wear radio collars (they are now starting to be removed)so this may affect your thoughts on photographing them. To have the best chance of seeing the elk you will need to be in the valley very early (sunrise) or very late in the afternoon. Typically the elk can be seen in the fields past the campgrounds and often rangers will be present overseeing the visitors.

If you have a limited amount of time to visit the Smokies Park this area may not be worth visiting since it is pretty remote and takes considerable effort and time to reach. With that said, it certainly is enjoyable to visit and has some nice buildings to photograph. To enter the valley you need to drive north of Ashville on I-20 and take exit 20. After exiting head south on US 276 and look for Cove Creek Road immediately after you turn. Follow this small and winding road for a little over seven miles until you reach a fork in the road. At times the road is paved and at time it turns to gravel. Turn left at the fork to head down into the Cataloochee Valley. There are some nice buildings along this road and often fog is present adding to the scenes. As always the challenge is to get as much photographing done before the sun rises to high and the light turns harsh.

If you have time for hiking, the trail to the Little Cataloochee Baptist Church is very enjoyable. To find the trailhead exit the valley on NC 284 and travel for 5.4 miles. You will have to walk on the trail for a little over two miles before you reach the church. You can continue traveling north on NC 284 to reach the north side of the Smokies Park if you wish. While the road is not difficult it is a fairly long and slow drive. If you wish to escape the park crowds and enjoy some quite time then this side of the park is certainly a place you should consider visiting.

Final Thoughts

We never get tired of visiting the Smokies but fall is especially wonderful. The wide range of possible images throughout the area is amazing. No matter whether you enjoy photographing animals or landscapes, the area offers it all. There are so many great areas to see in Smokies during the fall that it can be hard to decide where to start. Hopefully this guide will help you find some of the hot spots and increase your chances of success.

If you ever have any questions, suggestions on how to improve this guide or just wish to send us an email with a great photography spot, please contact us at ginnphotography@comcast.net.

Thank you and good shooting,

Jo and Phil