Great Smoky Mountains National Park
All of the images on this page are photographs that I've taken in the Smoky Mountains - there is no artwork featured here.
They're the oldest mountains on Earth, formed some 900 million years ago when the continents of North America and Africa collided through the slow-motion work of plate tectonics. Ancient native Americans called the place Shaconage, "the land of blue smoke," in reference to the seemingly perpetual fog and mist that occur here. Some areas receive as much as 80 inches of rainfall a year, sustaining a temperate rainforest that sheds its moisture in a multitude of fresh-water streams. A huge portion of this mountainous country has been preserved as Great Smoky Mountains National Park since the 1930's. Within driving distance of three-fourths of the American population, this is the most visited park in the country. It's also my place of residence - I live just a couple of miles from the park's Tennessee border. Here's a small selection of some of my better photos from the park and the surrounding foothills.
Any images that are available for sale (as wall prints, or on other products such as card, puzzles, etc.) are identified as such and linked to my portfolio at Pixels.com. These shots are also featured in my two Appalachian photo books, now available at Blurb.
Early morning from the Cades Cove Overlook.
Available at pixels.com
A rare spring snowfall on the summit of Thunderhead Mountain.
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Early morning fog in Cades Cove.
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This solitary oak is an iconic feature in Cades Cove.
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Old-growth tulip polars along Cucumber Gap Trail in the Elkmont section of the park.
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Sunrise following a passing rainstorm near Newfound Gap - looking into North Carolina here.
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Mingo Falls near Cherokee, North Carolina.
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A seasonal cascade in the Elkmont section of the park.
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Early snowfall with autumn color still on the trees, Cades Cove.
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A very tame deer; they see people in the national park all the time, and aren't very skittish.
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Waterfall along the first bridge on the Chimney Tops Trail, one of the park's better hiking routes.
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