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This year, we really want to branch out and be more adventurous with our shoots, especially with our engagement sessions. With bridal portraits, sometimes you have to be more safe because you don’t want to ruin the dress. With engagement sessions on the other hand, you can have some fun!1. Sassafras Mountain
Pros: FREE, No Hiking, Drive Accessible
Did you know that Sassafras Mountain is the highest point in South Carolina? Cool, right? How awesome would it be to take engagement pictures at the HIGHEST point in South Carolina?
For those of you who aren’t from the Upstate, Sassafras Mountain is in Pickens Country, close to the North Carolina border. From the top, you can see an incredible view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. What’s even better about Sassafras Mountain is their drive access. They have built a parking lot at the top. After you park your car, it’s a quick 300 feet walk.
2. Caesar’s Head State Park- Bald Rock
Pros: LOTS of Options, Great Trails
Caesars Head State Park is a hotspot destination for hikers, backpackers, and campers. It’s been a “must-go” for those looking to get outdoors for years. Hikers and people looking for a great photo op come from all around.
Unlike some of the other spots on our list, it’s going to take a bit of work to get there. It’s not a crazy hike, but you’re going to be feeling it by the end. We promise it’s worth the work.
3. Bald Rock
Pros: FREE, Fun Graffiti
Bald Rock is another amazing mountain photography location with easy access. In fact, you can drive right up to it. As your own your way to Caesar’s Head park (see above), Bald Rock offers a quick additional view.
While there are a lot of different viewpoints around the area, Bald Rock is the most popular.
While not everyone is a fan, some of the graffiti on the rock turns out great in photos (although, we don’t endorse graffiti).
4. Craggy Gardens – .5 mile easy hike to mountain views
Pros: VERY easy hike, GREAT colors
Craggy Gardens is one of the coolest spots on our list because it gets more visitors in the Spring than it does in the fall.
Sure, there are some trees that changes color in October, but that’s not why most people go. If you go in June (which is when we want to have an engagement session there), it’s the prime time for seeing the pink and purple Catawba rhododendrons. I’ve only seen pictures of this trail in June, but it looks unreal.
5. Paris Mountain State Park
Pros: Lakes, Colorful Trees, Waterfalls
What’s so amazing about Paris Mountain State Park is how close it is to Greenville. Paris Mountain State Park has an incredible history, and it’s a popular spot for hikers and mountain bikers. It’s not uncommon to see someone sprinting down the trails. Even if you’re not going extreme on the trails, it offers amazing views at the top for anyone. You can park and walk over to some great spots!
6. Table Rock Welcome Center
This is a picture Mitchel took on his drone, he was so excited.
Pros: Welcome Center for Changing, Tons of Locations for Pictures
This is one of Mitchel and I’s favorite hikes. We went out to Table Rock a couple of weeks ago, planning to do a short one-mile hike, and ended up on the wrong trail. Over 4 miles later, it was almost dark and we were exhausted.
Now, you don’t have to do the crazy hike we did for great pictures. As we were hiking the trail, we saw TONS of amazing spots for engagement pictures. We kept pointing them out, and people probably thought we were crazy.
Table Rock has an excellent welcome center with maps and guides for any questions.
7. Black Balsam Knob – easy .5 mile hike to mountain views
Pros: Easy Hike, 360 Degrees Views, Very Accessible, Close to Asheville (great for dates)
Black Balsam Knob is one of our dream locations for shooting an engagement session. This spot is in the Asheville area and is an easy hike.
What makes it so amazing is the 360-degree view. Regardless of which direction you look (or shoot), you have a breathtaking sight. Honestly, it’s a photographer’s dream spot. As far as the hike goes, it’s only a half-mile and it’s considered very easy.
8. Blue Ridge Parkway – Art Loeb Trail/Graveyard Fields
Pros: Variety of Trails/Views, Clear Mountain Views
The Art Loeb Trail has been named one of the top trails by several associations, most notably, by National Geographic Adventure. What’s incredible about this area is the different options. They have a ton of different trails and viewing spots.
For photography purposes, we don’t want to go after the 2-day trails, but they would be a fun adventure.
When you make it to the top, you have a picturesque view of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the surrounding area.
9. North Carolina- Chimney Rock- Lake Lure Flowering Bridge
Pros: DIRTY DANCING!, Bridge, Lake Views, Elevator
This is one of my personal fave, mostly because Dirty Dancing was filmed here (Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite movies of all time).
But aside from the film history, Chimney Rock and Lake Lure have a TON to offer for engagement sessions. One of the cools parts about Chimney Rock is the elevator. Yep, that’s right. You don’t have to walk all the way to the top.
Once you’ve made it to the top, you’ll be 2,200+ feet above sea level, and the photo opportunities are endless. The views make the perfect backdrop for an engagement session.
Best Mountain Spots for Engagement Sessions
Much like our goal of doing more destination travel wedding goal, we want to stretch ourselves. We are hoping we get to do a lot of fun engagement sessions this year.
While every engagement session has been amazing, we want to do something crazy and out-of-the-box. We know that most couples aren’t willing to trek up a mountain, but as you can see from our list, you don’t have to hike up a mountain to get those mountain views.
