Best Smoky Mountains Photography Locations

Best Smoky Mountains Sunrise Photography

There’s nothing more beautiful than sunrise in The Smoky Mountains! Although many mornings are cloudy in the mountains, especially at higher elevations, it’s totally worth waking up early for some Smoky Mountain photography. As a bonus, you can see a great sunrise at these places in The Smoky Mountains:

Cades Cove

Mornings in Cades Cove are enchanting! This is probably my favorite place to photograph sunrise in The Smokies. If you get there early enough, it’s peaceful, quiet and uncrowded. You can almost hear the little children that used to live in The Cove running through the fields and playing in the sunshine. I often see animals out early in the morning too – deer frolicking in the fields, turkey trotting along the sides of the roads, and the elusive bear napping among the trees.

Oconaluftee Overlook

Oconaluftee Overlook may be one of the most overlooked (get it?) places to photograph a sunrise in The Smokies. However, if you time it just right, the sun is in a perfect position above the mountains and you can get some beautiful photos! To get to Oconaluftee Overlook, drive 441 like you’re going to Newfound Gap. Once you pass Newfound Gap, Oconaluftee Overlook is about 1/2 mile further on the right hand side.

Clingman’s Dome

Clingman’s Dome is probably my favorite place to photograph a sunrise in The Smokies! It also happens to be the furthest away, and the most difficult to get to, but TOTALLY worth the ride!! Take Newfound Gap Road out of Gatlinburg and follow the signs to Clingman’s Dome – it’s 20 miles of awesome twisty mountain roads that takes you to the BEST view in the park!

Best Smoky Mountains Sunset Photography

Sunset is a magical time of day in The Smokies. You’ve played hard all day in town, and now it’s time to wind down with some beautiful nature that these mountains have to offer. Whether you bring your camera along to photograph these gorgeous spots, or just sit and enjoy the view, these areas are not to be missed:

Morton Overlook

Morton Overlook is a favorite spot among photographers to shoot the sunset. Get there early to get parking – it’s a smallish pull-off parking area about 13 miles from Gatlinburg on 441. Morton Overlook is great to photograph any time of year, but bring a jacket (I always keep a spare hoodie in my car), as it can get chilly up at this elevation at times.

The Foothills Parkway

Now that “The Missing Link” section of The Foothills Parkway is built and opened, you can drive it for 33 miles of spectacular views from Wears Valley to Chilhowee! Many people who visit The Smokies either don’t know about this gorgeous drive yet or don’t bother to come out to Wears Valley where the closest entrance is, because it’s never crowded! The sunsets are spectacular from this “Prettiest Drive In America” and not to be missed! To get there take Wears Valley Road west off The Parkway in Pigeon Forge. You’ll see the sign for the entrance in Wears Valley. This image photographed with my Canon wide angle 17-40 f4 lens (buy used and SAVE!)

Best Places To Photograph Animals

At one point, Elk roamed the Appalachian Mountains in abundance. They were eliminated by the mid-1800s due to overhunting and loss of habitat. They were re-introduced to the area in the early 2000’s, and can now be seen in the Cataloochee area of the park. The best times to see and photograph the elk are early morning and late afternoon/evening, but bring a good telephoto lens because approaching elk can be dangerous! To get to Cataloochee, take I-40 east toward Asheville, NC. Take the exit at North Carolina exit #20. After 0.2 mile, turn right onto Cove Creek Road and follow the signs for 11 miles into Cataloochee Valley. The elk below were photographed with my Canon 5D Mark III (buy used and save!) and Canon 70-200 f2.8 Lens.

Cades Cove

Again, Cades Cove wins in this category. It’s a GREAT place to view deer, turkey, the horses from the stables and of course, bears! It seems that the bears are becoming braver and braver, and are being seen more and more often in The Smokies, and especially in Cades Cove. Go early in the day for best viewing, and for less crowds.

Keep your eyes peeled all along the roadways through The Smokies!! This adorable yearling bear was spotted munching some dinner along Newfound Gap Road while I was supposed to be headed up to Clingman’s Dome for sunset photos. Needless I never made it LOL!

As you can see, The Smoky Mountains is a great place to photograph, view animals and beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and relax! If you’re interested in looking at or purchasing more of my Smoky Mountain Images, you can find my gallery HERE.