Path to Serenity is one of my Smoky Mountains photos taken along the trail to Spruce Flat Falls in the Tremont section of the National Park. Early to mid-May is the time the Mountain Laurel bloom at this altitude. The laurel is very similar to the rhododendren that are also prevelent in the Smokies. The…
This past week I took advantage of a lovely spring morning to walk to Bud Ogle Nature Trail before my day in the Gallery began. The Bud Ogle Farm is a popular tourist stop at the start of the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, one of the best Smoky Mountains drives. Most people explore Bud’s cabin…
Spruce Flat Falls is one of the hidden gems of the Smoky Mountains. The hike is about a mile each way, not too rugged but with a bit of a climb. The trail passes through a thicket of Mountain Laurel, which will be in bloom the first week or two in May. It’s also a…
If you do much hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you’ve certainly found yourself in the situation pictured above. Love them or hate them, footbridges are common along Smokies trails. Some are vertigo-inducing challenges, and others are tame alternatives to hopping rocks across the stream. Most of them are simple log bridges spanning…
Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera) is a delicate beauty that blooms in April in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As seen in the image below, the anthers are dark globes that float above the petals, giving the flower a delicate, jewel-like appearance. Star Chickweed is easily spotted along both the Chestnut Top Trail and the…
Fire Pink (Silene viginica) is definitely not pink, but very bright red. The word pink refers to its membership in the pink family, with notches in each of the five flower petals. This distinctive wildflower blooms in April and can usually be found along the Chestnut Top Trail near Townsend in the Great Smoky Mountains…
Just a hundred yards north of the Townsend Wye is a parking lot, and across the road is the start of the Chestnut Top Trail. In spring this is one of the premier Smoky Mountains wildflowers hikes, with opportunities for photos every few feet! The trail cuts into a steep embankment, climbing steadily for the first…
For ten months of the year the Cove Hardwoods Trail is a short unassuming excursion that is part of the Chimneys Picnic Area in the Smoky Mountains. But come April, this trail is transformed into a fairyland of wildflowers. You could hike this area every few days during wildflowers season and see something new each…
Porters Creek Trail is a delightful meander in the Greenbrier section of the Smoky Mountains. Head east out of Gatlinburg on Route 321, then after about 6 miles, the Greenbrier entrance will be on the right. Eventually the road will turn to gravel and you’ll pass the bridge to the Ramsay Cascades Trail. Continue straight…
One of my favorite Smoky Mountains hikes is in the Big Creek section of the National Park, located on the eastern side, with the easiest access being from Interstate 40. Take the Waterville exit (451), which is the last Tennessee exit going east. Proceed through a hydroelectric plant, crossing into North Carolina, through a four-way…
Midnight Hole is a petite waterfall with a twelve-foot deep emerald pool that gives the waterfall its name. Located in the Big Creek section of the Smoky Mountains, this is a popular swimming hole in the summer. This photo is often paired with Creekside Sweet Gum, making an attractive set of vertical pictures. It’s offered…
I live in Gatlinburg TN, on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Smokies are a very spiritual place, and I attempt to capture some of that spirit in each of my photographs.
If you are in Gatlinburg, please stop in at my gallery .
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