Cherokee Rising

Great Smoky Mountains North Carolina Scenic Landscape

Daylight breaks over the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on an early spring morning as the warm sunrise light spills into the scene highlighting the distant ridges and fresh green foliage just outside of Cherokee, North Carolina and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

I never get tired of mornings like this, when strikingly beautiful scenes emerge along with the morning sun across the landscape of the mountains at a time when most of the world is still asleep in the valleys below. The sense of peace and solitude to be alone up there with only your thoughts as the morning unfolds in front of you can be deeply satisfying, and watching the blue hour fade away into the famous golden hour in a show that sometimes feels like you're the only one watching is always an incredible experience that's worth remembering. The sense of well-being felt in moments like this, and the chance to capture a bit of that feeling for others to enjoy as well, is something I strive for as a landscape photographer. I hope you enjoy this view and feel a bit of the magic that I did capturing it.

Tags: great smoky mountains, cherokee, gatlinburg, sunrise, spring, springtime, landscape photography, scenic, tennessee, north carolina, tn, nc