Clouds form in the treetops on the base of Craggy Pinnacle after a late summer storm, while tenacious traces of golden light bathe the valley at times. Shot from the visitor center parking area.
The visitor center sits among the Great Craggy Mountains, sometimes simply called the Craggies. This mountain range is a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and are located in Northern Buncombe County, 14 miles northeast of Asheville.
Here, the Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the crest for most of the way between Asheville and Mount Mitchell. In mid June the Craggy area is covered with Catawba rhododendron, but this time of year the prevailing color is supplied by Mountain Ashe, as you see here.