There was WAY more to see in North Carolina.
I simply didn’t have enough time during the first adventure to visit all my desired photo locations on the Blue Ridge Parkway during the fall of 2021. So while I had all of the targets mapped in my brain, I decided to follow it up with another trip again this past fall.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the country's best locations when it comes to awe-inspiring autumn scenery.
I set my sites to explore further south along the Blue Ridge Parkway and as I investigated further, I couldn’t resist a loop that contained various waterfalls, so I added that to my desired route.
This time, I chose to visit two weeks later in hope of different fall foliage compared to the previous year. While I did find some jackpots, I also learned of a recent windstorm that took out some peak foliage In certain regions. It didn’t matter though—there were still tons of opportunities.
Here are some of my preliminary favorites from my photo excursion this past fall in North Carolina. I hope you enjoy.
Let’s start with this random location that I stumbled across along the way. I just loved how this stream swerved through this magical autumn scene.
These leaves were nowhere close to my feet. I stood on a bridge looking down at a pond that caught all kinds of colorful leaves. I took dozens of pictures, but like how the leaves were composed in this one.
This is certainly one of the best waterfalls I’ve ever seen, Callasaja Falls. The autumn foliage added to the magic of this incredible cascading waterfall. I was there early in the morning and was able to soak this in all by myself.
Of course a primary target was to capture the layers of ridges as the sun rose in the distance. I climbed super fast to catch the sunrise just in time.
Everything seemed that this photo should not and could not happen that day. I found myself near English Falls, a lesser known and harder to reach waterfall along the Parkway. I was alone in the middle of the day and the harsh sunlight was looming. Suddenly a soon-to-be-friend got out of his pickup and we could tell that we were both considering the hike down to see if we could find it. Without delay, we made introductions and we were off to find it. After some quality effort, we found it and I got to work taking pictures. The fall foliage was even better than I expected. I had every reason not to visit this place, but I’m sure glad I did.
This is Dry Falls, one of the most popular waterfalls in the area. It’s quite an experience walking completely underneath it without getting wet. Hence the name.
I was determined to find a scene like this. I drove miles and miles always keeping a careful eye on composing a winding road through beautiful foliage. I was elated when I found this scene during the morning light which cooperated quite nicely.
This is the poster people see in their minds after they visit the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s simplicity is strking—a beautiful layering of mountain ridges feathering out into the distance as far as the eye can see.
This is Soco Falls, located in the waterfall loop off the parkway. I enjoyed the dual cascades and the surrounding elements.
Like everyone else who visits, I became obsessed with the trees and foliage. I underestimated how difficult it would be to find a tree composition with great shape and color, but I finally found this along the road where I could park and spend some time experimenting with various angles.
Want to see more pictures from the Blue Ridge Parkway?
