A few tips for how to make your Blue Ridge Parkway Adventure Session extra fun, featuring Makayla & Stan’s Couple Portraits at Beacon Heights.

Makayla & Stan, like many other couples in Western North Carolina, are avid hikers & outdoor recreation lovers. We chose Beacon Heights for their Blue Ridge Parkway Adventure Session because of its accessibility & the views. The hike isn’t too far from the Blue Ridge Parkway, which makes it perfect for sunset sessions since you won’t have to hike in the dark for too long after the sun goes down.

Blue Ridge Parkway Adventure Session

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY ADVENTURE SESSION

The parkway is a road about 470 miles long that snakes through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina & Virginia. In my opinion, the most beautiful part of the parkway is in Western North Carolina. Specifically where it’s closest to Linville Gorge.

We started Makayla & Stan’s Blue Ridge Parkway Adventure Session right before sunset, along the main trail. The trail splits a couple times but you know you’re at the top when you can see a view to your right & another trail to the left. We chose to go on the trail to the left because the view was spectacular.

COUPLES PORTRAITS AT BEACON HEIGHTS

Makayla & Stan had a great time exploring the cliff side & enjoying each other’s company. It was so clear how much they love each other & how perfect having their Couples Portraits at the Blue Ridge Parkway was to showcase their relationship.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY ADVENTURE SESSION THE BEST

The Blue Ridge Parkway is an extremely popular road to travel & visit. The views are spectacular & there’s plenty of places to pull over to admire the mountains. The most accessible areas are the most popular & busy so I’ve put together some tips to have sessions at these locations without the crazy crowds. Here are the best tips to make your Blue Ridge Parkway Adventure Session enjoyable!

1. Plan a session on a weekday! The parkway is like a parking lot on the weekend in the fall. It’s not very enjoyable & the trails are crowded. But this is the best time of year to have a session. So the best way around this is to choose a day in the middle of the week when most people will not be on the trails.
2. Consider a sunrise session! Most people don’t want to wake up super early to hike up a mountain, but honestly it’s the best! & the lighting is perfect! There’s usually no one around & you’ll have the rest of the day to enjoy with your partner. I’ve found that couples really enjoy making a day-long date out of their photo session day! You can always get breakfast together after the session & then do some more exploring on the parkway in the afternoon.
3. Hire a photographer who is familiar with all the popular as well as off the beaten path locations. Sometimes it’s inevitable to avoid the crowds at the popular spots even at sunrise on a Wednesday (Mid October to be exact). I love hiking during my off days & strategically pick hikes to places not as popular so that I can location scout them for sessions!
4. Plan to arrive early. If you do show up to the location & see a bus load of people (this happened at a sunrise engagement shoot I recently did) but you’re early, then you’ll have time to drive somewhere less crowded. And you’ll still have plenty of time to hike up the mountain & watch the sunrise.

I’d love to help you plan your own Blue Ridge Parkway Adventure Photoshoot! Let’s get in touch!