Free Tip: My Top 3 Sunrise Photo Spots in Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Today, I thought I would go over my top three spots inside the Great Smoky Mountain National park to do sunrise photos. The spots are all places I have lugged my camera to. The park is the most popular in all of our national parks. (I think this is due in large part to the fact that it’s free to access and it’s so close to so many major cities)
There are so many places in the park to do photography, it's mind spinning. I'd like to break down for you, in simple terms, a few of the spots I have used that work out really well.
First up on the docket is Ocanaluftee Overlook, or Luftee overlook. This spot is on Newfound Gap road, just down stream a little from the Newfound Gap parking lot, headed toward Cherokee from Gatlinburg. The overlook spans the Ocanaluftee Valley and is a great spot to photograph the sunrises in the park. This is an easy access spot very near the Newfound Gap Overlook. It’s going to be less busy than the parking lot at the Newfound Gap, also a great spot. But I like this location due to it’s lack of people. I do tend to enjoy being more alone when I do my photography…at least when I am photographing. This is a classic spot inside the park which will include the dramatic clouds, the pine trees
If you want to google map it, you can find it here.
https://goo.gl/maps/oRLAVGZ5QssDM9CGA
Next up, perhaps my favorite, is the Jumpoff. You will access the Jumpoff overlook from Newfound Gap Parking lot and will take the Appalacian Trail toward Charlies Bunion. It's a little sneaky to find. This is a 6.5 mile round trip. There is a spot to stay over night if you are into backpacking and don’t want to walk the entire 3.25 miles in the morning. But man, it’s only 3.25 miles. You can do it.
Tip. There will be a sign as you are getting very close that notes the trail to the Jump Off. It is here, you will find the trail splits into three directions. You will take the middle trail, up the hill, over the logs and rocks toward the jump off. Follow the trail until you come to the edge of a small pine tree forest. WALK THRU the pine forest. It ends at the Jump Off, which will be on your right.
You can find it on google maps here
Last on my list for today is the Myrtle Point overlook. This is the end of the trail on Mount LeConte. You can take a trip up and stay at the LeConte Lodge or if you prefer a better price (free) stay at the covered shelter just behind the lodge. The myrtle point trail continues past the lodge about a mile and ends at a beautiful, Classic Smoky Mountain View. This is a special spot. It has, perhaps. the most spectacular views in all of the park. It does require work to get there. Trail round trip is about 14 miles round trip. It will take about 2.5 to 3 hours to get to the overlook. Joelle and I did it in a single morning/early afternoon. It’s a workout, for sure. Were I to want to attempt to get a great photo up there, both at Sunrise and Sunset, I would most certainly head up the night before and be sure to camp at the shelter. Myrtle point is approximately 7 tenths of a mile from the LeConte lodge. It is an awesome spot to get a stellar sunrise photo.
You can see it on google maps here.
https://goo.gl/maps/LqD99V8fM4LGspea7
So there are my 3 favorite photo spots for sunrises in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I hope you find these photography tips helpful as you try and plan your next photo adventure.
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Equipment List Camera Nikon D500 DSLR Camera https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7Q0J3Y Trail Lens Sigma 18-35 1.8 Art for Crop Sensor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUHDCG4 Portrait and Nature Macro Lens Sigma 70-200 2.8 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MKP6RGH ND Filter Breakthrough Photography 72mm X4 6-Stop ND Filter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00... ND Graduated Filters Cokin P Series (I am upgrading soon to larger sizes) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HMWKUBW Camera Backpack for Day work Lowepro Fastpack BP250 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U3TQR6O Tripods Travel Tripod TYCKA Rangers 56” Travel tripod https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01... For Heavy Duty Work Slik Heavy Duty Trigger Release Tripod Ball Head (You still need the tripod) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H46O4U LED Lights NEWER CN 216 LED https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00... NEWER CN 160 LED https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00... Battery Packs https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07... Microphones Lavalier https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00... Trail Mic Rode Video Micro https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015R0IQGW Hiking Osprey Aether AG 70 https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/... Hyke and Byke Yosemite https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CPDXJ7 Hyke and Byke Zion https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CPM57Q Nemo Tensor Sleeping Pad https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MTTJWBG Trekology Pillow https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MQJPVWD Helinox Ultralight Chair https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M07GTOE Camp Stove Backpack Style https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
