Posted by Bill Chambers on July 20, 2006 at 10:53 AM
My wife and I are planning a trip to the TN/NC area in the fall. Haven't decided exactly where yet. That will depend in large part on what you guys will hopefully tell me. I'm hoping to capture primarily mountain streams and waterfalls, and hopefully some fall foliage to boot.
1st question - Is there generally a 'best time' for fall foliage, or does it vary greatly from year to year. This may sound like a stupid question, but remember, I live in FL, where there's no such thing as fall foliage.
2nd question - Can you guys throw out some recommendations for photo ops matching what I want to capture (streams, falls). If you would please tell me where it's located, name of the nearest town, etc. so I can start putting pins in the map so I can concentrate on the area of greatest density of good ops. It's gonna be a short trip (3-5 days) so I gotta maximize the short time I have. Of particular interest is the Brasstown Falls that Odell posted the other day, and the stream that Lori posted back on 7/10.
Thanks for any ideas and recommendations. When y'all decide to visit the swamps of NW FL I'll happily repay the favor.
I love NC in the fall! There are so many great locations it's hard to recommend which would be best. The Brevard, NC area is usually beautiful in the fall, and Transylvania Co. is the land of waterfalls. (You may want to check the internet for specifics. I know some trails are still closed from one of the hurricanes that came up this way...) Lookinglass falls is in the area, and right on the side of the road. Hard to photograph though, and usually full of tourists. Crabtree falls is a beautiful fall, it's on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Little Switzerland, NC. Check out www.ncwaterfalls.com for detail on lots of falls! Mid to late October is usually peak...my birthday is Oct. 18 and there is usually some good color around that time, varying of course with the elevations. And then there's the Great Smoky Mountains with numerous wonderful places for fall color....looks like you'll have to do some research to decide what area to concentrate on! Email us or post something here before you head up and maybe some of us can get together!
Bill,
I'm not from the area but I've found the book "The Smoky Mountains Photographer's Guide" by Bill Campbell and Nye Simmons. However, I'm sure you'll get lots of other ideas from this forum. These folks are a great help to us vistitors.
Mike - thanks for the tip about Nye's book. I checked with Barnes & Noble and it listed it as being out of print. Also, I believe I saw where Nye was going to be out of pocket for a couple of weeks. If anyone knows where I might can pick up a copy please let me know, otherwise I'll wait a couple of weeks and contact Nye.
I'm surprised it's out of print! I have a copy of it, it's helpful but all about the Great Smoky Mountains, no other places in NC. Kevin Adams has a good guidebook about waterfalls in western NC.
The falls have 3 different sections - all of them are pretty nice. Odell's shot was from the upper set of falls. Here is an image of the middle section:
Alice - thanks for the info about Nye's book - I'll look it up tonight. It would be great if some of us could manage to get together while I'm up there. As soon as we decide on when and where I'll post the info.
That would be great! Don't know when I'll have time, but will try! Pearson's Falls is a good one too, it's a very short walk and a beautiful fall, and very close to where I live!
Posted by Lori Kincaid on July 22, 2006 at 8:29 AM
Bill,
Th image I posted was of the Davidson river, north of Brevard. There are alot of waterfalls in the area, including Looking Glass that Alice mentioned and the waterfalls of Dupont State forest. Brevard is also pretty close to Whitewater Falls and about 40 miles from Cullasaja River Gorge (the waterfall byway) out of Highlands. There are plenty of camping options in this part of the state, or places to stay in Brevard, Highlands, Cashiers, etc. BTW, you're also pretty close to Brasstown Falls in this area, with Brevard being the furthest.
Peak color is unpredictable and varies by elevation. Generally mid-to-late October is best. My shot was taken on November 8, but fall was VERY late last year.
Discussion
10 replies1st question - Is there generally a 'best time' for fall foliage, or does it vary greatly from year to year. This may sound like a stupid question, but remember, I live in FL, where there's no such thing as fall foliage.
2nd question - Can you guys throw out some recommendations for photo ops matching what I want to capture (streams, falls). If you would please tell me where it's located, name of the nearest town, etc. so I can start putting pins in the map so I can concentrate on the area of greatest density of good ops. It's gonna be a short trip (3-5 days) so I gotta maximize the short time I have. Of particular interest is the Brasstown Falls that Odell posted the other day, and the stream that Lori posted back on 7/10.
Thanks for any ideas and recommendations. When y'all decide to visit the swamps of NW FL I'll happily repay the favor.
I'm not from the area but I've found the book "The Smoky Mountains Photographer's Guide" by Bill Campbell and Nye Simmons. However, I'm sure you'll get lots of other ideas from this forum. These folks are a great help to us vistitors.
Mike
http://www.smokiesstore.org/browse.cfm/4,548.html
It has Nye's book, and it looks like there are some other interesting books too!
Here is some info, as well as directions to Brasstown Falls in South Carolina:
http://www.sctrails.net/Trails/ALLTRAILS/waterfalls/Brasstown.html
The falls have 3 different sections - all of them are pretty nice. Odell's shot was from the upper set of falls. Here is an image of the middle section:
http://richardbernabe.com/brasstown_falls.htm
Give me a shout if youre passing through. Maybe I can meet you up at the falls.
Th image I posted was of the Davidson river, north of Brevard. There are alot of waterfalls in the area, including Looking Glass that Alice mentioned and the waterfalls of Dupont State forest. Brevard is also pretty close to Whitewater Falls and about 40 miles from Cullasaja River Gorge (the waterfall byway) out of Highlands. There are plenty of camping options in this part of the state, or places to stay in Brevard, Highlands, Cashiers, etc. BTW, you're also pretty close to Brasstown Falls in this area, with Brevard being the furthest.
Peak color is unpredictable and varies by elevation. Generally mid-to-late October is best. My shot was taken on November 8, but fall was VERY late last year.
Lori