I looked at all of my pictures and BGN pictures for Nebria. This one doesn't seem to have the red spots that N. pallipes have which makes it look more like the N. bellorum or N. lacustris. On the other hand the BGN link to the GSMNP said that at lower elevations N. pallipes is more likely. This creature was photographed about as close to sea level as you can get. It was just barely above the high tide line on a small beach along the Chesapeake Bay. There is usually a stream that flows from a hilly forested area about 30 feet away, but we have not had enough rain for it to actually connect with the bay (on the surface anyway). The stream is muddy, with maybe clay underwater but not stones. The beach has no stones either, but plenty of small pebbles, most under 1 cm.