Great Smoky Mountains National Park Streams to Photograph

I'll be crossing the park (my first time since 1971) from Cherokee to

Gatlinburg on Saturday, June 9, 2007. I can no longer hike and carry camera

equipment very far due to health conditions. Can anyone tell me where to find

some small streams with lots of mossy rocks and varied light conditions to

photograph that are within a few hundred yards of the highway? Also, how are

the photos ops of sunrise and sunset in the area where the highway crosses the

Appalachian Trail? Thanks in advance for responses.

All along the road. There are many pull-out parking spots, some in close proximity to the river the road runs along side of. You should be able to find many nice spots within a few hundred yards of the road.

Decent sunrise opportunity on the Cherokee side of the Newfound Gap overlook, or go to the Clingman's Dome parking area.

For stream photography, try Greenbrier, Little River Road and especially the Roaring Fork motor nature trail.

The road between Sugerlands and Cades Cove runs next to a stream, with rocks, waterfalls and many pull-offs. "The Sinks", a deep pool and waterfall near the Townsend entrance is interesting, and has a parking lot nearby.

 

Rocks in the stream along the lower end of the "Roaring Forks" road are especially mossy. It is slow moving and probably doesn't flood much. Rocks are swept clean in most of the park proper.

Stop at the Chimney Rocks Picnic Area for the water. There's alot of fast moving water with large rocks right next to the picnic tables. Also try the Roaring Fork Motor Trail just outside of Gatlinburg. It's a one way loop road. The area is very easy to access. At several spots you can photograph the moving water, with moss, right from the roadway.

Sunrise is often nice from the lookout one parking lot south of the halfway point between Cherokee and Gatlinburg, I think the overlook is named Ocanaluftee Overlook, but I'm not sure.

Another vote for Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail. If you want the most accessible waterfalls, this is it.

Greenbriar and Roaring Fork. I used to live right on Roaring Fork and could actually fish right out my window. ("And that's important!"... From The Mud Shark Arpeggio ...Frank Zappa)

Also, a good sunrise can be had from the parking lot of Clingman's dome... or it might be sunset, or both, not sure about the sun's position this time of year. Good luck!

 

- Scott

Thanks so much to each of you. I'm really looking forward to seeing the park again this weekend. On the basis of what y'all have said, I'm going to change my plans and drive to Gatlinburg instead of to Cherokee. I'll do the Roaring Fork circle and then, if the conditions seem right, drive up to the Chimneys. Thanks again, everyone!

I was just up there Saturday, and I was surprised that the lack of rain hasn't really dented the water levels in many of the streams. Keep it in mind however that water levels are not what they usually are. The vistas are also really nasty right now with all the crud in the air, both from local sources, and those darned fires.

 

The cliche sunset spot is Morton Overlook, one or two stops after the tunnel, just before the TN/NC border.

 

There is a small waterfall (West Prong Falls, see my portfolio for recent pictures) on the second or third pulloff after the road to the Tremont when you are driving towards Cades Cove.

 

I would say it is getting crowded up there, but it isn't ugly yet. Also, avoid buying gas in Cherokee, it is .$20 more than in TN, so if you cross the mountains, buy gas before you leave.

Gregory Plumb's book says that the turnout for West Prong Falls is .2 miles past the Tremont intersection on Little River Road. His mileage figures are vert reliable, so that should help.

 

Meigs Falls is also visible from the road, at a distance, a short distance from The Sinks. It isn't hard to find, just look for a large stone bordered turnoff about 4.7 miles (again thank Mr. Plumb) from the intersection of the park entrance road from Townsend and Little River Road heading east towards Sugarlands.<div></div>

Meig's Falls is a unicorn of many of my local hiker friends, and myself. It is so close, yet there is no easy way (on the map) to get closer for a decent shot without wading through the very swift water. Supposedly there is an unsigned, unmarked, unmaintained, unmapped man-way (trail) to Meigs Falls from one of the other trails, but nobody I know has found it yet. I know some who have braved the river, but I haven't worked up the will to try it.<div></div>

By the way, I really needed my 8X ND filter this trip. It was the first time I've been in the park since the fall, and the wind storm that damaged the park really bad last fall seems to have left some gaps in otherwise dark areas.

These two maps should help you find the two falls I described above...

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=35.65365+-83.70947&ie=UTF8&ll=35.655692,-83.709469&spn=0.031592,0.078878&z=14&iwloc=addr&om=1

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=35.6691+-83.6752&ie=UTF8&ll=35.671103,-83.675222&spn=0.031586,0.078878&z=14&iwloc=addr&om=1

Really disappointed to see the level of waters in the streams on memorial day weekend. health of waterfalls are not also very good. I expected fog in the cades cove area in the morning which was also a flop.

Surprisingly cades cove gate was not opened till 7 a.m in the morning. Rangers told that was the usual time but which is also difficult to believe because for last 2 years i usually entered there atleast 10 min before sunrise ( 6:20 a.m). Anybody has any idea why?

Avishek Roy,

 

The NPS website says that the Cades Cove Rd is open from sunrise to sunset. Whether they actually follow that on busy weekends is a different story. It was probably just due to the holiday weekend messing up their duty schedule and whatnot.

 

You couldn't pay me to visit Cades Cove on a holiday weekend. ;)

Avishek Roy,

I was in Cades Cove about 10 days ago and I got some pretty good morning fog on two days. They delayed opening the road until 6:30 both days (lost a lot of good light because of it). Waterfalls are very low, but some of the streams still looked ok. Greenbrier and Roaring Fork gave the best opportunities.

The water levels are a little better after the recent rain, but still below normal. I was just in the park this morning, exploring Rich Mountain road off the Cades Cove loop. I just couldn't sit behind the vehicular deer photographers any more. ;)