Although my base camp was in Waynesville, I had enough points to stay 1 free night closer to SC to do sunrise at Pretty Place Chapel, SC. This location also put me very close to Dupont State Forest, so this was a win-win. I had seen this place through other professional photographers work and it looked like a cool place to witness sunrise. Sadly, it has gone viral on TikTok and now it's obnoxiously filled with people. Many don't care if you are trying to take photos either. I typically can't stand when people are in my photos, but I knew what I was getting into.
I arrived at 6:30 am, with sunrise being around 7:40. The temperature was a brisk 37 degrees. I obviously took the entrance photo upon leaving, but the drive in is about 5 miles on a windy road. There were already a lot of cars there when I arrived at the chapel. Again, I went in with the mindset about crowds, so I wasn't terribly disappointed and just tried to enjoy a beautiful sunrise. These images are a mix of my camera and phone camera, as I technically gave up using a tripod and found it easier to use my phone and move around.
Pretty Place Entrance 2 - Galaxy S22 Ultra Pretty Place Sunrise Pre Dawn - Galaxy S22 Ultra Pretty Place Sunrise 1 - Galaxy S22 Ultra Pretty Place Sunrise 2 - Galaxy S22 Ultra