Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee · 2,550 ft
A one-way single-lane loop through old-growth hemlock and poplar with rhododendron tunnels, stream crossings and the Ephraim Bales and Alfred Reagan cabins. Flat overcast light works better than sun here because the canopy closes overhead and the creek stays in shadow.
Typical peak
Oct 18 – Oct 26
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Turn onto Historic Nature Trail at traffic light 8 in Gatlinburg, pass the Noah Ogle place, and follow the 5.5-mile one-way loop; no buses, trailers or RVs.
What turns here
- tulip poplar
- sugar maple
- sourwood
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 22Typical color progression for Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. No change from Sep 14 to Oct 1. First color from Oct 1 to Oct 10. Approaching peak from Oct 10 to Oct 18. Peak from Oct 18 to Oct 26. Past peak from Oct 26 to Nov 5. Bare from Nov 5 to Nov 19.
Color starts around Oct 1.
Light at peak
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail on October 22, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:20 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 103° | 7:46 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 35 min of low, warm light | 8:21 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:18 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 35 min before sunset | 6:15 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 257° | 6:50 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:16 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 4m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.