The setting in and around the University of the South is just spectacular. There are photo ops at every building, lawn, and trail. One particularly beautiful spot on the Perimeter Trail is Morgan’s Steep.
I’m guessing most folks think about Morgan’s Steep as a great overlook with pretty sunsets – which is true enough. I like it for the rock formations just at the bottom of the stone steps leading down to the left of the overlook.
There is a gigantic rock overhang and several boulders to climb on. When both the photographer and the model are on the boulders, they are midway up the tree trunks of the trees on the slope below. This permits a nice backdrop of trees, limbs, and leaves.
If you want to get to Morgan’s Steep via the perimeter trail, then you can start anywhere – like the Sewanee Cross or Lake Cheston. But if you do hike there, you’ll be worn out and may not photograph well! Instead, I suggest parking at the small pullover on the curve where Laurel Drive meets Morgan’s Steep Road. The pullover is rough and rutty so come in an SUV or pickup truck. A car can park there but you might scrape the bottom.