Connect With Us
Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Instagram

Photo Essay: Spring Flora & Fauna

A salamander playing hide-and-go-seek in the mossy forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A salamander playing hide-and-go-seek in the mossy forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Courtesy: Dawnfire Photography

New green, new cheeps and peeps—spring is here and our contributing photographers deliver the beauty.

A male ruby-throated hummingbird watches over his feeder territory in Northeast Tennessee. Despite their small size, they will ferociously guard their food source, chasing off any intruders.
A male ruby-throated hummingbird watches over his feeder territory in Northeast Tennessee. Despite their small size, they will ferociously guard their food source, chasing off any intruders. Courtesy: Ryan Rice
A Bradford pear tree offers full spring bloom along the trail at Laurel Run Park in Church Hill, Tennessee.
A Bradford pear tree offers full spring bloom along the trail at Laurel Run Park in Church Hill, Tennessee. Courtesy: Joshua Moore
A white-tailed deer fawn hides in the grass of Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia as it waits for its mother to return to feed it.
A white-tailed deer fawn hides in the grass of Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia as it waits for its mother to return to feed it. Pat and Chuck Blackley
While momma black bear forages below, her cubs play in the branches of a tulip poplar tree about 50-feet from a residential backyard deck in Asheville, North Carolina. From the photographer: “I tell people I am on the bear highway. As a lazy wildlife photographer, I don’t have to go any further than my back deck to photograph animals.”
While momma black bear forages below, her cubs play in the branches of a tulip poplar tree about 50-feet from a residential backyard deck in Asheville, North Carolina. From the photographer: “I tell people I am on the bear highway. As a lazy wildlife photographer, I don’t have to go any further than my back deck to photograph animals.” Neil Jacobs
Peach trees are in full bloom on a late March afternoon at Hyders Farm, located near Landrum, South Carolina. The mountain in the distance is 3,240-foot Hogback Mountain, the southeastern-most protrusion of the Blue Ridge Escarpment.
Peach trees are in full bloom on a late March afternoon at Hyders Farm, located near Landrum, South Carolina. The mountain in the distance is 3,240-foot Hogback Mountain, the southeastern-most protrusion of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Robert Stephens
In early March, daffodils begin blooming throughout Cades Cove as Great Smoky Mountains National Park bids adieu to winter and welcomes spring.
In early March, daffodils begin blooming throughout Cades Cove as Great Smoky Mountains National Park bids adieu to winter and welcomes spring. J. Scott Graham
These goslings were photographed at Pandapas Pond, just outside of Blacksburg, Virginia. From the photographer: “I had taken my granddaughter there to walk the path around the pond. The parents were out in the water with the rest of the little ones, but these two stayed just long enough for me to get a couple of shots before scurrying into the water to join their family.”
These goslings were photographed at Pandapas Pond, just outside of Blacksburg, Virginia. From the photographer: “I had taken my granddaughter there to walk the path around the pond. The parents were out in the water with the rest of the little ones, but these two stayed just long enough for me to get a couple of shots before scurrying into the water to join their family.” Laurinda Bowling
Cades Cove is certainly not known for its tree frog population, but don’t tell this little guy. Cloaked in green and resting on a green leaf with a green background this tree frog fit perfectly in its spring-green setting.
Cades Cove is certainly not known for its tree frog population, but don’t tell this little guy. Cloaked in green and resting on a green leaf with a green background this tree frog fit perfectly in its spring-green setting. Bill Lea
A red fox kit gets a morning bath outside the barn its family used as a den in Northeast Tennessee.
A red fox kit gets a morning bath outside the barn its family used as a den in Northeast Tennessee. Ryan Rice
Growing in a patch on the banks of Dunloup Creek in the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, this crested dwarf iris is a harbinger of spring. From the photographer: “I look for them every year as a prime example of the delicate and colorful beauty of spring wildflowers.”
Growing in a patch on the banks of Dunloup Creek in the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, this crested dwarf iris is a harbinger of spring. From the photographer: “I look for them every year as a prime example of the delicate and colorful beauty of spring wildflowers.” Ed Rehbein

The story above first appeared in our March / April 2022 issue.

You Might Also Like:

2027 Best of the Mountains Awards

2026 Best of the Mountains Awards

Submit your nominations for the finest in the Blue Ridge today!
Roanoke, Virginia, USA downtown skyline at dawn

2026 Happiest Mountain Towns

Ten years after this poll’s inaugural launch, we once again turned to our knowledgeable readers for their picks. The results? A brand-new collection of 71 exceptional Blue Ridge communities that excel at bringing big smiles to the faces of both residents and visitors.
Kayaks on Toccoa River Below the Falls

7 Fabulous Float-to-Stays

Paddling trips on scenic rivers to great mountain towns make for perfect summer getaways.
Blooming rosebay rhododendrons frame a lovely, fast-moving cascade along the Oconaluftee River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina. Photo by Robert Stephens

Currents & Cascades: A Photo Essay

Our contributing photographers followed the flow of summer.
Sunrise Landscape Great Smoky Mountains National Park Gatlinburg TN and Oconaluftee Valley Cherokee NC

Summer Fun in the Smokies

Our longtime contributing editor knows Great Smoky Mountains National Park like the back of her hand. Drawing inspiration from countless visits over the years, she shares some of her favorite spots to explore during the warm months, plus insider tips for spotting wildlife, discovering waterfalls, finding the best family-friendly experiences in the park—and more!
Mural at the George Buckley Community Center in Marmet, starting point of the Miners’ March.

Courage in the Hollers

More than a century after the 1921 West Virginia Miners’ March that ended with the Battle of Blair Mountain, the story is being told in new and unforgettable ways.
©Steven Reinhold

Fueling Adventure

Lee “Natty” Trebotich transforms wild plants and outdoor know-how into unique experiences worth savoring.
Grandmaw’s Pepperoni Roll

Mountaineers Are Always Free!

The Mountain State’s signature snack—just the way Grandmaw made it.
Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA, - May 15, 2021: Reenactment at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park of the Siege of Fort Watauga in 1776.

Revolutionary Roundup

On July 4, 1776, a new nation was born. In honor of this historic day, we explore the forts, battlefields, museums, trails, and more that trace the Patriots’ journey to freedom in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
2025 Festivals and Events

2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion.

Current Issue

CALENDAR OF EVENTS