Linville Gorge has long held a special place in the Badger’s heart as one of the wildest and most dramatic landscapes in the Southern Appalachians.

This week, I was honored when my photograph, “A Hawksbill Dream,” earned a full-page feature in Smoky Mountain Living magazine’s June/July 2026 issue.

The image captures a serene sunrise moment: daisies catching the golden light in the foreground while thick fog fills the deep Linville River chasm below, with Hawksbill Mountain glowing against the sky. It’s the kind of scene that rewards patience and a willingness to navigate steep, unforgiving terrain like that below Wiseman’s View. I will always remember steadying my tripod cliffside to get this shot while onlookers on the overlook far above yelled, “Sir, are you all right down there?”

The accompanying article beautifully details the gorge’s rich history from its Cherokee name ‘Ee-see-oh’ (“River of Many Cliffs”) to its designation as a federal wilderness area. It also notes the challenges many face accessing its remote beauty, which is why I’m especially grateful that my photography can bring these views to a wider audience.

This feature continues a rewarding ‘Act III’ chapter as writer Marla Hardee Milling chronicles Badger’s transition from a long legal career to exploring and documenting the natural wonders of our region.

Special thanks to the Smoky Mountain Living team. The issue is available now on magazine racks in our region and online at smliv.com. The article itself can be found online at https://www.smliv.com/outdoors/linville-gorge

Photos by Thomas Mabry ©️honeybadgerimages 2026

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Many of the HoneyBadgerImages are on display at instagram.com/honeybadgerimages.

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