Highway 154 Natural Bridge - 1

Highway 154 Natural Bridge Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps State Park Tennessee Located in Tennessee's Pickett State Park, the roadside Highway 154 Natural Bridge is a beautiful sandstone arch, and at 86 ft long by 24 ft high it makes for an impressive sight!. By now on our journey to nearby Twin Arches, the sun was high in the sky, and dry smell of heated sand and pine permeated the air, one of my favorite scents in the world. We made our way to the base of the arch, being that it had been 6 or 7 years since my last visit I had forgot the decent was really sketchy, specially for a roadside natural attraction. Nevertheless, once at the base we spent some quality time with this beauty, this being one of my favorite perspectives of it!

Pickett Lake Natural Bridge - 1

Pickett Lake Natural Bridge Pickett Lake Thompson Creek Pickett CCC Memorial State Park Pickett County Tennessee

Twin Arches - North Arch - 1

Twin Arches North Arch Twin Arches State Natural Area Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area Tennessee One of my favorite places to visit in the Big South Fork area is Twin Arches in Twin Arches State Natural Area in Tennessee. It had been nearly 5 years since I was last at the the arches and I had been dying to get back here for some time since my style of photography had changed and I had never really been satisfied with my old photographs of these impressive natural formations. With a forecast of full on sun I decided to take our group there to visit. Part of the reason I had not been there for so long is because of their location from where I usually stay. No matter what it's at the least 5 hours out of your day if you stay the Cumberland Falls Area. At 1.4 miles the trail is a moderate hike with quite a few stairs. The first arch you approach is the North Arch featured, here. With a span of 92 feet it's one of the longest in the eastern US. I'll have to admit, it was really fun to watch 3 fellas who are more into photographing waterfalls completely become immersed in photographing this arch and it's nearby brother. After all, they're up there as the coolest rock formations I've seen the eastern US.

Twin Arches - South Arch - 1

Twin Arches South Arch Twin Arches State Natural Area Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area Tennessee Of the two arches in the Twin Arches State Natural Area in Tennessee the South Arch is my favorite of the two. Whether on purpose or inadvertently, the park system really set this trail up right where you see the impressive North Arch, then to see the South Arch you have to walk another 400 ft or so around the bend and boom there it is! With a clearance of 70 ft high and a span of 75 ft that's amazing in itself but the deck of the arch is 103 ft making for a massive and awe inspiring sight! To me the impressiveness of the scene doesn't really settle in until you walk to the south end of the arch. That's where the size of what is in front of you really settles in, and that's where this shot was from. I was really glad to take some friends to this place. It's always fun to watch people react to something the same way you did when you first laid eyes on it. Summing it all up into one word. Wow.

Twin Arches - South Arch - 2

Twin Arches South Arch Twin Arches State Natural Area Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area Tennessee The South Arch of Twin Arches in the Twin Arches State Natural Area in Tennessee is one of my favorite arches, and for many reasons. When you approach it from the North Arch comprehending its size is misleading, but once you walk beyond it and look back at it (in the direction of the North Arch) you truly understand what you are looking at. It is massive. With a clearance of 70 ft high, a span of 75 ft, the deck of the arch is nearly 30 ft thick, one can't help to just stand there in awe. Another thing I love about this place is how many places there is to shoot. If there's ever been a made for camera arch, this one is it. Oh, and there's a place called the South Arch Tunnel too. For this shot I'm standing in it. I really doesn't get much more awesome than this when it come to natural formations and it was nice just to sit down among those roots on the left, feel the breeze pass by and just soak it all in!

Needle Arch - 1

Needle Arch Big South National River And Recreation Area Tennessee I just got in this evening from a wonderful trip to Pickett State Park in Tennessee with my fiancee and good friends Vi And Dean Hopkins! Located very near the Kentucky boarder and also against the western boundary of the the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, we had rented a cabin there for the weekend, the biggest and one of the best state park cabins I've ever stayed in! Sunday morning Dean and I decided to make the hike to Slave Falls and Needle Arch in the Big South Fork. I had never been to the arch before and after only learning of it's existence only recently I had to go see this beauty! Though a gorgeous day, it was brutally cold especially in the hemlock groves and in the bottoms, but being bundled up in layers we were both plenty warm. In fact we were sweating under all that clothing. After swinging by Slave Falls we arrived at the arch, wow! Located along a short cliff line, at 35 feet long and 13 feet tall it is one of the more beautiful arches I've ever seen! Though compositions were limited, it is easily in the top 10 most photogenic arches I've photographed and an all time favorite!