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Swollen Creeks

Swollen Creeks
Swollen Smoky Mountains Creek
Swollen Smoky Mountains Creek © William Britten use with permission only

The Smoky Mountains area had a heavy rain earlier this week, so I was out poking around the next morning to see how full the creeks were. The photo above was taken just inside the Greenbrier entrance to the Park, at the place where families and children love to wade on hot summer days. Not today!  The Little Pigeon River was riled up and in no mood to stop and play. This is about the same location where I stopped to take a shot of the snowy creek last month.

Passing storm fronts will often slam into the north side of the Smoky Mountains, especially the 6500 foot high Mt. LeConte, and stall out for a while, dumping lots of rainfall as the storm works its way around the mountains. And the huge massif of LeConte can shed this water amazingly fast, leading to a sudden rise in the water levels of local creeks.

The video below is a composite of three short dramatic creek shots. The first two are in the Greenbrier area of the Smokies, and the last was shot in the Chimneys Picnic Area on the road to Newfound Gap.

Below is another panorama photo of a Smoky Mountains creek swollen after a storm. This is the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River swooshing down through the Chimneys Picnic Area, which is a favorite location for kayakers when the water is high.

Little Pigeon River Panorama
Little Pigeon River Panorama © William Britten use with permission only

If the creeks don’t rise too high, please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountains Photographs at the William Britten Gallery in Gatlinburg, out on Glades Rd. in the Morning Mist Village.

2 Responses to Swollen Creeks

  1. I love this post. Just listening the water rushing over the rocks is very calming to me, even though it is fast, swollen and unruly. Still beautiful. It is making me excited for our visit. BTW- I am the gal who asked for advice for the Smokey Mountain area and we found a place in Townsend at amotel River Stone lodge or something like that. Thank you for the advice.

    I can’t wait to go.

    Danielle

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