Grotto Falls
Great Smoky Mountain National Park,
Tennessee
Grotto Falls
(04/16/2005, 30 mm, f/25, 2 sec, ISO 100)
Description
This waterfall located on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a popular
destination and notable mostly because one can walk behind the waterfall.
Kids love it because of that.
It is a nice waterfall but nothing spectacular, having a small watershed and
only a 25' drop. The waterfall ratings are average as a result.
It is a good hike for the family if you want something easier than a stroll
but not so hard that your wife swears off hiking with you.
As a bonus there is a picturesque cascade just before you reach the main
falls. I'm calling it Lower Grotto Falls and I've posted a picture of it
to the left.
Getting There
The hiking trail is located on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail just out
of Gatlinburg, TN. Parking is 1.5 miles past the first trailhead for
Baskins Falls (more detailed directions here)
or 1.7 miles past the official beginning of the motor nature trail.
Hike Details
The hike is on the Trillium Gap Trail. Official park information lists
the hike at 2.6 miles roundtrip while my topographic software shows 2.8 miles.
Anyway, it's not a bad hike with a total elevation gain around 600 feet.
To see more detail on the hike, check out the
Grotto Falls hike
topo.
Photo Tips
A
polarizing filter will definitely help here
and a neutral density filter would be a nice addition as well to help slow the
shutter speed. Water flow is not high so I recommend a small aperture
setting (high f-stop) and slow film speed to assist with obtaining a long
shutter speed.
Having said that, a
tripod is a must for a decent picture of the
falls. The picture above had
a 2 second exposure and I would have preferred about a 6-10 second exposure.
From a composition standpoint, the left or left-center worked best for me.
Be patient and wait for people to get out of the picture. Rocks are about
the only foreground option.
You will be close to the falls so a wide angle zoom or standard lens should take care of most
potential compositions.
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By Randy Gardner, All content Copyright© 2006-2016, All rights reserved.
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