Elkmont is a ghost town in Sevier County, Tennessee. It lies in or next to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 9.2 km (5.7 mi) SW of Gatlinburg. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Elkmont is a region situated in the upper Little River valley of the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Throughout its history, the valley has been home to a pioneer Appalachian community, a logging town, and a resort community. Today, Elkmont is home to a large campground, ranger station, and historic district maintained by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Little River Lumber Company established the town of Elkmont in 1908 as a base for its logging operations in the upper Little River and Jakes Creek areas. By 1910, the company began selling plots of land to hunting and fishing enthusiasts from Knoxville, who established the "Appalachian Club" just south of the logging town. In 1912, a resort hotel, the Wonderland Park Hotel, was constructed on a hill overlooking Elkmont. A group of Knoxville businessmen purchased the Wonderland in...From the Wikipedia article “Elkmont, Tennessee”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Elkmont the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:20 AM | 60° ENE | 8:54 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 119° ESE | 5:25 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:16 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Elkmont, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:41 PM – 4:21 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:59 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:59 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:55 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.38 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 68 | 71 | 81 | 80 | 87 | 101 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 92 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -3 | -1 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 42 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 23 | 12 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this ghost town
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Elkmont, closest first.
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Appalachian Clubhouse119 m · reservable
- Spence Cabin269 m · reservable
- Elkmont Campground600 m · reservable
- Elkmont Group Camp834 m · reservable
- Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Pavilion6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Elkmont?
What time is golden hour at Elkmont?
Where does the sun rise and set at Elkmont?
Can you see the Milky Way from Elkmont?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Elkmont?
How far is Elkmont from Gatlinburg?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.