Tranquility

Location: Tremont Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Photographer:
Seth Shaffer, Collegedale, TN
College/Technical School Division Freshman
Southern Adventist University

Photographer's statement:
These falls are in the GSMNP, and as such they are protected. We need to ensure that places like this are always available for future generations to view and enjoy. 

Greeter Falls

Location: Savage Gulf State Natural Area (part of South Cumberland State Park), Grundy County

Photographer:
J. Orrand, Smyrna, TN
Adult Amateur Division

Photographer's statement:
This has to be one of the best kept secrets of middle TN camping, as every time I visit this area it seems I’m the only one there.

Waterfalls on a Duck River Tributary

Location: Coffee County

Photographer:
Mary Toliver, Manchester, TN
Adult Amateur Division

Photographer's statement:
These falls are located on private property, about a ten-minute drive from my home. The owners are kind enough to share their beauty with local residents. I love to photograph family there and have done so many times. I have been there at times and seen trash that others have left behind. It is so important to teach this generation and future generations to respect nature, so that areas like these will remain beautiful.

Tom Dula's Spot on Doe Creek

Location: Near Pandora, Johnson County

Photographer:
Robert Benfield, Powell, TN
Adult Amateur Division

Photographer's statement:
Designated a Naturally Reproducing Trout Stream, Doe Creek is also known for the part it played in the legend of Tom Dula, made famous in the folk ballad Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley. The story is that Dula, having fled North Carolina after the murder of his girlfriend Laura Foster, had had new boots made in Tennessee. A posse caught up with him as he cooled his blistered feet in the spring-fed Doe Creek. 

Falls Branch Falls

Location: Cherohala Skyway, Cherokee National Park

Photographer:
Rebekah Champion, Lilburn, GA
Middle School Division
8th grade, Alton C. Crews Middle School

Rainbow Falls

Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Photographer:
J. Orrand, Smyrna, TN
Adult Amateur Division

Photographer's statement:
This area is preserved and should continue to be, as it is at the root of what Tennessee “is.” The park has rustic areas and natural beauty not found anywhere else in the country.

The Big Falls

Location: Burgess Falls State Park, Cookeville

Photographer:
Vickie Tafoya, Antioch, TN
Adult Amateur Division

Photographer's statement:
The Falling Water River played a central role in the nearby logging and farming community, powering a grist mill and sawmill at the turn of the 20th century. In the early 1920s, the City of Cookeville recognized the potential of the river for power production, and a dam below the Big Falls operated until 1944, when it was rendered obsolete by TVA.

The trail to the Big Falls is beautiful, but you might see litter along the way. We should be proud of our Tennessee State Parks and help to keep them clean.       

Savage Falls

Location: Savage Gulf State Natural Area, Grundy County, TN

Photographer:
Mary Toliver, Manchester, TN
Adult Amateur Division

Photographer's statement:
My husband and I have taken several hikes to Savage Falls. The hike there is easy and beautiful, with lots of wildflowers sprinkled about. Locations such as this one must be taken care of so that future generations can enjoy its beauty and tranquility.