20 photography spots in the Smoky Mountains

The Smokies are one of the most-photographed parks in the country, and there are good reasons. Layered ridgelines, fog that drops below the peaks at dawn, and old-growth forest you can drive into. Here are twenty locations worth shooting, grouped by what you're after.

Sunrise

1. Clingmans Dome Tower — sunrise above the clouds when the temperature inversion hits right
2. Foothills Parkway Look Rock Tower — long ridgeline views, fewer cars at dawn
3. The Whispering Pines deck — east-facing, no driving required

Waterfalls

4. Laurel Falls — 80 feet, paved trail. Slow shutter for the silky look.
5. Grotto Falls — you can shoot from behind it
6. Abrams Falls — wide and powerful, the rocks at the base are the shot
7. Ramsey Cascades — 100 feet tall, but it's an 8-mile hike to get there

Overlooks

8. Newfound Gap — the most photographed overlook in the park
9. Morton Overlook — layered ridges in haze, classic Smokies look
10. Carlos Campbell Overlook — clouds move through fast here, good for time-lapse

Wildlife

11. Cades Cove — bears, deer, turkeys. Bring 200mm or longer.
12. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail — bears in summer, especially mid-morning

Historic and cultural

13. Cades Cove churches — 19th-century buildings, best in fog
14. Elkmont — abandoned resort cabins being taken back by the forest
15. Mingus Mill — working gristmill with a long water flume

Scenic drives

16. Little River Road — creek and forest compositions
17. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail — old-growth forest, cascades alongside the road
18. Cataloochee Valley — remote, with a resident elk herd

Night

19. Elkmont synchronous fireflies — late May to early June, lottery access
20. From the cabin deck — dark enough to see the Milky Way on a clear night

Gear

• Wide and telephoto lenses
• Tripod, polarizer, ND filter
• Spare batteries (cold mornings drain them fast)

Tag your shots #WhisperingPinesLodge if you post them. Pick your dates on the booking page.