Mingus Mill

There is no better time to visit the Great Smoky Mountains than at their peak of autumn colors in late October. The park, one of the few on the East Coast, comes alive with yellows and reds throughout its 522,419 acres of mountains, forests, rivers, and historical sites. Straddling the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains is the largest and one of the few eastern National Parks. It is the most visited park in the United States, officially dedicated by President Roosevelt in 1940. In 1983, the park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 1988, an International Biosphere Reserve.

This land has a long and storied history, from Native Americans to the early European settlers, involvement in the United States Civil War, and residents well into the 20th century. It is truly wonderful that the Park Service has preserved and maintains many of the historical structures. On a cold and rainy fall morning, I set up to capture a sunrise photograph. Clouds, fog, and rain prevented any grand landscapes, so I turned my attention to this historic grist mill.

Even with the rain, enough light started to shine through the clouds to illuminate the old mill building and the waterway. The leaves on the trees directly behind the mill began to glow a bright yellow, bringing the entire scene to life. This working grist mill from 1886 proved to be my most memorable photo of the trip.