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Knoxville, TN / Knoxville, TN
6 Days/5 Nights
Level 2 - What's This?
Up To 0 Guests
Spring Wildflower Spectacle: Capture the Smokies’ legendary display of over 1,500 blooming plant species as the park bursts into a vibrant mosaic of color from March through June.
Abundant Wildlife Encounters: Photograph iconic Appalachian wildlife, including black bears, elk, and a wide variety of birds and amphibians, as they emerge with the season’s renewal.
Classic Smoky Mountain Landscapes: Frame dreamy compositions of misty mountain sunrises, cascading waterfalls, and ancient forests filled with hemlocks, maples, and mountain ash.
Custom Adventure Options: Choose between a standard or hiker-friendly itinerary—perfect for photographers who want either accessible shooting locations or a more active, trail-based experience.
Step into the Smoky Mountains for a truly wondrous display of life. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the borders of North Carolina and Tennessee in the southeastern United States, is renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the history of its Appalachian mountain culture.
For photographers, Great Smoky Mountains offers an array of opportunity. Abundant wildlife, like Black Bear, elk and an amazing amount of birds and amphibians are here for the taking. Views, vistas and trees seem to take center stage here, though. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to over 100 species of tree spread throughout five different forest types including Eastern Hemlock, Mountain Ash and various Maple Trees.
The Smokies area is an exceptional destination to experience the beauty, color, and rebirth of spring. When the last traces of winter melt away, the Park offers idyllic weather and beautiful greenery. Wildflowers are the star of the spring show here. As the Park is home to over 1,500 types of flowering plants (more than any other national park in the country), one can imagine the tapestry that is created across the rolling landscape in mid-to-late March, April, May, and even June.
Each year, autumnal winds bring cooler temperatures to the Great Smoky Mountains, creating its time to shine for photographers. Typically fall is viewed as the end of summer, when life tends to go dormant and die. Here, however, the mountainsides seem to burst into life, appearing as if they are painted with bright contrasting strokes of reds, oranges, yellows, pinks and greens.
Landscape photographers will relish in views of misty sunrises from grassy balds overlooking a sea of mountains. Ethereal waterfalls under brilliant leaf covered canopies provide for wonderful composition. There is bewilderment in the amazing variety of plant life in the Smokies. It is truly incredible, no matter what time of year one visits. The trees and plants found here are what granite domes and waterfalls are to Yosemite, or what geysers and wildlife to Yellowstone.
Please note: We are excited to offer both a standard and “hiker” version of this trip for photographers who like to get out and hike! Not sure which one suits you best? Give us a call at 928-478-1521
All listed meals and non-alcoholic beverages during the workshop
All transportation during the workshop
All lodging during the workshop
All permits and park fees
Professional photography guiding and instruction
Gratuity for service staff
Transportation to and from Knoxville, TN
Meals not listed as included on the itinerary
Lodging outside workshop dates
Alcoholic beverages
Souvenirs and personal items
Gratuity for photography guide(s). Please refer to our FAQ section for more details about gratuities
Trip Insurance & Medical Evacuation Insurance - see plans here.
Most meals included – (B,L,D) denotes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 1 (Travel Day)(D)
Arrive in Knoxville, TN tonight for an orientation and welcome dinner with the group.
Day 2 (B,L,D)
“Hiker” Itinerary: 5.5 mile round trip hike, 750 foot elevation gain
Our inn-based Great Smoky Mountains photography tour starts with a pre-dawn drive from Knoxville to the East side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our hike today takes us to one of Smoky Mountain National Park’s most spectacular waterfalls and compliments it with amazing high-country views. Along our hike we will pass through diverse old growth forests that are coming to life with the arrival of spring.
While on this hike we’ll have opportunities to see wildlife such as black bears, deer and elk. Our trail passes beneath Grotto Falls, which is the only waterfall in the Park that you can walk behind. After the falls, we’ll continue to the top of Brushy Mountain, where we’ll soak up views of Mount Guyot, Charlies Bunion, Mount Chapman, Mount Sequoyah and a lot more. Mount LeConte, where the lodge with the same name sits high on its mountain perch, will dominate our view south. This evening we will work on compositions from one of the high vantages in the park and then return to Gatlinburg in the evening.
Day 3 (B,L,D)
“Hiker” Itinerary: 5.4 miles, 1350 feet elevation gain
We’ll be once again up early to catch the sunrise on the Great Smoky Mountain divide. Our morning session will be from Newfound Gap. It was here that Roosevelt dedicated the Park with a speech in 1940. Today’s hike takes us along the famous Appalachian Trail to Charlies Bunion, one of the Park’s most celebrated rock formations. Fantastic views of the endless rolling ridges of the Smokies abound on today’s hike. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch with the incredible views as our backdrop before hiking back to the trailhead.
On our way to tonight’s lodging we’ll spend some time photographing Clingman’s Dome (the highest peak in the Park at 6,643 feet) and the Oconoluftee Valley, which is usually a great place to find and photograph elk.
Day 4 (B,L,D)
“Hiker” Itinerary: mileage 4-6 miles with 200 feet elevation gain
We’ll hit the trail early – our goal being the quiet, yet beautiful Cades Cove side of the park. We’ll spend the morning photographing the most iconic part of spring in the Smoky Mountains; the wildflowers. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to over 1,500 types of flowering plants, more than any other national park in the country. After shooting we’ll have a picnic breakfast in the Cades Cove picnic area. This area has excellent opportunities for wildlife, so we’ll keep an eye out for some of the Park’s many types of wildlife (black bear, deer, elk, turkeys, and more).
Today’s official hike is a forested creek-side hike to a stunning waterfall that is arguably the Smokies’ most scenic hike. We’ll keep an eye out for otters as we make our way along the creek, eventually arriving at the most voluminous waterfall in the Park. We’ll relax for a picnic lunch on a beach in clear view of the torrent of water spilling over a sandstone cliff. We’ll spend ample time photographing this waterfall and eventually hike back to the trailhead. A short shuttle
ride to our hotel, a tasty Southern dinner, and a cozy night’s sleep top off another rewarding day of Smoky Mountains exploration.
Day 5 (B,L,D)
“Hiker” Itinerary: 8 miles roundtrip, 150 foot elevation gain
Our photograph session this morning will be along a beautiful creek, surrounded by beautiful mist-clad mountains. We’ll spend the morning photographing waterfalls during our hike. Today’s hike is one of the most diverse and in many ways fulfilling as we dive into enjoying all the Smokies’ has to offer!
Our hike takes us past stunning cascades, through forests bursting with an incredible array of wildflowers, plant and animal life, and along charming mountain creeks. Tonight’s dinner – an outdoor evening picnic dinner prepared by your guide – is enjoyed in the stunning Cade’s Cove area after a refreshing shower and a bit of down time at our hotel. We’ll spend time photographing the Cade’s Cove area during dinner.
Day 6 (B)
The final morning of our Appalachian experience will bring us to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and to one of the more breathtaking vantage points in the park, where we’ll look to photograph the surrounding Smoky Mountains at dawn. After our shoot we’ll settle in for a short, yet scenic, ride back to Knoxville.
The ride will give us an opportunity to contemplate all of the natural beauty, phenomenal biodiversity, and fascinating history we’ve had the privilege to explore during our tour of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Be prepared to hike steep, often slippery trails with exposed roots to reach some of the most breathtaking viewpoints and prime photography locations. The paths can be challenging, with uneven footing and varied terrain, making sturdy footwear and good balance essential. This trip is ideal for those looking for a more physically demanding adventure.
In the spring, the weather can be unpredictable. Expect mild to cool temperatures, especially in the mornings and evenings, with the possibility of rain. Spring showers and melting snow can make trails slippery, so hikers should be prepared for wet or muddy conditions. The spring landscape adds to the beauty, but hikers should be ready for fluctuating weather, from crisp mornings to potentially warmer afternoons.
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.