Smokies questions

Hi, everyone. I'm going to be in the Smokies April 18-26. This will be my first spring visit to GSMNP; I've been there once before (2004), but that was in the fall. Any suggestions on places I should specifically check out? Any general recommendations or suggestions?

Thanks in advance. I found myself in the Piedmont region for a few days at the end of March last year and you folks were a huge help in recommending some wonderfully productive locations there for landscapes and wildflowers.

Kerry,

I was up there last summer and had a grand time. I had not been back since I was a kid. The one thing we didn't have time to do since it was "our" vacation was the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It is in TN. I am curious about that trail. I hear good things about that.

I also want to return to hike up to Mt LeConte since there are some great views. You can get a lot of good "early morning" pictures from the main road and the overlooks. Bring a jacket!

If you like waterfalls, you can also head over to the DuPont national forest. Chimney Rock is pretty neat too. Both Triple Falls @ DuPont National Forest and Chimney Rock were sites were involved with the filming of the "Last of the Mohicans". We watched it when we got back and thought it was neat.

Looking Glass Falls is in the Pisgah National Forest. Great place but in summer time, just a public swimmig pool. I had no photo opportunities due to that. Might be better for you since water will still be pretty cold.

I am ready to go back. Now that I have a Camry and got rid of the gas hog, road trip here I come.

Keep us posted, and most importantly, have fun!

Ed

If it's wildflowers you are looking for consider these areas:

Greenbrier / Porter Creek Trail. Greenbrier is about 6 miles east of Gatlinburg off HWY 321. The road into Greenbrier travels along some great sections of The Little Pigeon River. There is a large variety of wildflowers both along side the road and along Porters Creek Trail.

The Nature Trail at the Chimeys Picnic Area. As soon as you pull in look for parking on the right for the nature trail. The trail is one of the best locations for flowers. There are quite a few photographic opportunities throughout the picnic area, more flowers and a nice section of river.

and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. I saw on your website that you've been there in the fall, but it's worth another trip for the wildflowers in the spring. Look for dwarf iris along the nature trail at the Bud Ogle cabin.

Last year several varieties of trillium and fringed phalecia carpeted the ground along a mile stretch of 441 near the chimneys picnic area. I guess it depends on the weather as to what blooms where and when, but I think you will find something extraordinary in at least one of these locations. You can also keep an eye on the wildflower thread here as your trip approaches to see what others are reporting to have found in the area.

Good Luck,
Eric

Kerry, great recommendations from Eric. In addition along the Greenbrier road there are a number of spots where the Showy Orchis bloom. You might be a little late but they may still be around.

Thanks for the replies so far, everyone...I really appreciate it. I've printed all your notes for reference. If anyone has any further suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks.

Kerry, get Kevin Adams' book Hiking GSMNP. There are SO many choices. A very short (1 mile) and possibly crowded, but excellent April wildflower, hike is Chestnut Top Wildflower trail.

Kerry,

I'm a Knoxville and GSMNP native. I'd do Porter's Creek and Roaring Fork as suggested above for wildflowers, Tremont, and the Whiteoak Sink. The "Sink" is not marked, but in spring you can just follow the blue-haired ladies in if you can keep up with them

I also have a guide to the Sink. If you want it, send me your e-mail and it's several hundred kilobytes because of the pictures.

Cheers,

Steve

Scott--thanks. I've placed the book in my Amazon shopping cart.

Steve, I'd love to see that Whiteoak Sink guide (I've never even heard of Whiteoak Sink); you don't have any e-mail icon attached to your name here on NPN, so I'm hoping you'll see this and e-mail me at kerry at lightscapesphotography.com (replacing "at" with the @ symbol of course--just trying to avoid bot spamming). Thanks very much.

Kerry,

You need my friends Nye Simmons and Bill Campbell's book "Photographers Guide to the Smokies". It's worth every penny!

Jerry

Jerry:

Thanks for the recommendation! I've got a copy on order...should have it within a week.

Looks like you've gotten some great advice, Kerry. The only thing I'd add is if you're planning to go to Cades Cove do it during the week at dawn if you want to avoid the crowds and the frustrating stop-and-go traffic. The gate is opened at sunrise and there's often some nice fog in the Cove on April mornings. I'll be there teaching a workshop out of the Tremont Institute the weekend of April 18th. I hope to see you around!
Lori

Lori

Lori, It is likely that my wife and I will be in the park that weekend as well. We plan to stay at a campground in Maggie Valley from Wednesday evening through Sunday morning. We plan to visit the park as well as some sections of the Parkway. If I'm in the park that weekend I'll look you up.

Lori, thanks for the advice. I hit Cades Cove first thing in the morning (i.e. before the gates opened) last time I was there (Oct. '04) and there was already a long line waiting to get in...so the traffic was a mess until we got to the visitor's center. Hopefully this time will be different as I do want to sneak in there at least one morning...

Bill, Yes, do look me up! I'll be with the large group of photographers either up on the Foothills Parkway, wandering around Tremont, or at Cades Cove early Sunday a.m.

Kerry, the line to get in the Cove isn't nearly as bad in the spring as it is in the fall, especially if you go during the week instead of on a weekend.

Lori

Lori--thanks...that's good to know...and, don't worry, there's no chance of my heading into the Cove on a weekend. I'll keep an eye out for you that weekend; I'm planning to hit the Foothills Parkway one morning and I will probably be in Tremont at least once over the weekend as well. BTW, I believe Danny Burk will be in and around Tremont the entire weekend as well.

Thanks to you, and everyone else, for all the help!

I've also printed out all your great suggestions. I'm headed up there mid April. I hope to be camping at Cades Cove, unless there's a better suggestion. I hope to see some you there.

Jerry/Kerry, I recently got Nye and Bill's book, probably just a few days after my first post on this thread. It is a super book. I ordered it over the phone from the park bookstore.

Scott, I got a copy too--mine showed up about 10 days ago (I purchased it on-line from The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation). It does look very good; it's coming with me when I head to the Smokies (I leave two weeks from Friday).

I will tell you from personal experience that LORI KINCAID is a great instructor! I have had the pleasure of being with her at several photo workshops at Tremont (www.gsmit.org) and will be there again April 18-21. As a side note, check out Lori's place MAX PATCH for some awesome views and she has started her own photography workshops. She knows so much about wild flowers and herbal "stuff" that it's fun to just hang out with her.
AND NO--I am not related and I was not paid to say all that nice stuff!

Wow Cindy, thanks for the very kind words! It's good to see you here at NPN. Are you going to be at Tremont this year?

Lori

yep! Can't wait!