On the Little River Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park going towards Cades Cove about 100 yards west of the intersection of the road from Townsend, TN., (known as the Townsend “Y”), take a left turn at the sign pointing to the Smoky Mountain Institute and you’ll enter the Tremont section of the park. Many people visiting the park miss this area completely since they are on their way to Cades Cove, one of the Park’s most popular spots. I think the Tremont area is one of the most beautiful areas of the park, and definitely should not be missed. If you want to escape the crowds in Cades Cove and other popular areas and treat yourself to a little solitude and great photography, this is the place!
On your left will be the Middle Prong of the Little River, and you’ll immediately see many opportunities for great photography. Stay on this road and after about 2 miles the road turn to gravel. This is where the best photography begins. Take your time once you reach the gravel road because there are many “photo ops” along the river. The best light is during the morning or evening “magic hours” or on an overcast, foggy, misty kind of day. Make sure you have a polarizing filter with you, it will be needed to control reflections and saturate colors in the foliage. The gravel road ends after 3 miles with a beautiful elevated view of the Middle Prong that you see below. This image was taken in October 2011.
You can see more images of the Middle Prong of the Little River in my Great Smoky Mountains Gallery here. If you have any questions about this website or my photography, please click here to email me.