Appalachians in July

[Darkroom317]

Hot and humid. May I suggest reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods for one perspective (perhaps skewed but funny) of those parks and the AT.

Sounds pretty much like here (Arkansas) at that time of the year.

[keithwms]

Unfortunately, I've signed up for Summer semester which starts on June 1 and ends around July 4. After that, I've got relatives coming down from Chicago. This is the only time I could go. All, I've got is a week.

Well don't frown! I don't mean to dissuade you... just dress accordingly and have a good time. It is a beautiful area and if you stop in to a bookstore you'll likely find plenty of visual material to motivate you. And yes, now that I see you are from Arkansas, you'll be totally fine! It'll be a good 10F cooler in the smokies... but for landscapes, haze can be a problem so consider IR film for b&w and polarizers otherwise.... and early morning shoots.

[Darkroom317]

I mainly wish I had more time to explore the area. Might head your way, as I really love Monticello.

[keithwms]

If you come over I can probably assemble some folks. We had a nice mini-APUG summit in Charlottesville last year and it'd be nice to do it again.

[Darkroom317]

I'll definitely think about it then. I've been trying to do that here but it hasn't worked out,

[photobum]

The Smoky's are beautiful but crowded in July. The roads are narrow, twisty and steep, sometimes all at once. Get stuck behind a land whale (motorhome) and you (I) could go nuts. But... Cades Cove is about the most beautiful place east of the Mississippi in the morning with the mist burning off. The loop auto road will fill with very slow moving cars pretty early too. The Cades Cove loop road is closed to cars two mornings a week. Check with the NPS. Ride the loop with a bike for the best photo's.

Fantastic photo op's available along Little River Road. Clingmans Dome at sunrise and sunset are a must. There's a campsite just outside the start of the Cades Cove loop. Camp there with a bike and your golden. If moteling it, Townsend is the closest to the Cove.

The best time crowd wise is late September just before leaf season or May/June.

[Marvin]

Mt. Mitchell highest point in the eastern US. Brevard NC for waterfalls in the Pisgah Forrest. Cades Cove is a nice area with old cabins and farmsteads. I don't think Biltmore allows cameras inside but you can shoot all you want on the grounds, winery, and garden. If you go to Mt. Mitchell or Clingmans Dome take a jacket it gets cool at 6000ft. The old farmstead at the visitor center is nice to photograph. They have demonstrations with period clothing showing farm life years ago.
Marvin

[Dreamcatcher1450]

I live in Franklin, NC. This is a beautiful area, lots of great waterfalls, mountain views and panoramas. The temp is always 10 degrees or so cooler than the lower altitudes. Come prepared with good hiking shoes and you'll have a blast.

[Dave Pritchard]

The air quality varies quite a bit in the Smokies. There are web sites with air quality information, and even forecasts. I would not try for great long-range landscapes there without considering the clarity of the air. Everything else will be great.

They are not called the Smokies because of the general haze in the air. That comes from coal-fired power generation in the Midwest. The name came from the low-lying fog and pine-tree mist which clings to some mountainsides.

That rock slide on I-40 is a problem. If you are going to the Smokies, that will probably keep you on the West side of the rock slide, so Asheville and most of North Carolina is going to be hard to get to.

[Darkroom317]

Thanks for all the answers

It looks like the majority of this trip is going to be on West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania