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Fall Color Reports

Other Reports

2022 FALL COLORS

November 7

Big Creek Trail (B To Low Gap Trail): Very little colorful foliage still on trees. A few red oak, sourwood and hickory have colorful leaves.

 

November 4

Little River Trail (B To Cucumber Gap Trail): Most of the colorful foliage has fallen. There are some beech, hickory, red oak, scarlet oak, and sourwood that still have colorful foliage (although past its peak).

Cucumber Gap Trail (B-E): Probably 85 to 90% of the colorful foliage has fallen.  There are some blackberry, dog hobble, greenbrier, hickory, red oak, scarlet oak, and sourwood that still have some decent colored foliage. Some of the remaining foliage’s colors are somewhat faded.

October 24

Crooked Arm Trail: Still a lot of nice foliage on the following trees: Beech, Hickory, Mountain Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak, Scarlett Oak, Sourwood, Sugar Maple, Tulip Poplar. Some of the Frazer Magnolias’ foliage is a bronze brown color.

 

October 17

Rabbit Creek Trail (From Abrams Creek to Hannah Mountain Trail): Brilliant foliage on some of the following trees: Beech, Blue Berry, Dogwood, Hickory, Mountain Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak, Sassafras, Scarlet Oak, Sourwood, Sugar Maple, Sweet Gum, Tulip Popular. The most brilliant foliage is mainly in the higher elevations of this trail.  In the lower elevations the foliage is more subdued and blander with a few trees scattered about with bright foliage.  Some of the Frazier Magnolia have nice foliage (golden bronze). For those who would like to get out on a trail to enjoy the foliage away from the more crowded trails this trail might be for you; however you will need to wade Abrams Creek.

 

October 10

Lead Cove Trail (B-E): Beech, Red Maple, Sourwood and Sugar Maple trees have colorful foliage. Frazer Magnolia and Mountain Maple trees have some color. The sun was on the other side of the mountain so it was difficult to determine what some of the trees were. There was substantial yellow foliage and some red and orange.

Bote Mountain (From Lead Cove Tr. to Finely Cane Tr.): Beech, Blue berry, Red Maple, Red Oak, Sassafras, Sourwood and Sugar Maple trees have brilliant foliage.  There is currently brilliant foliage at junction with Lead Cove Trail and for about a mile down the [Bote Mountain] trail. As viewed from the trail, there is some very colorful foliage on some of the mid-range ridges in the distance.  A few colorful Dogwoods. 

Finely Cane (B-E): Only foliage that I could see well enough to identify that had nice colors was the Beech and Sourwood tree. There was some yellow foliage high up some of the trees. The more colorful foliage was on the first mile of the trail from Laurel Creek Road.

From The Road: Foliage along Laurel Creek Road has changed rapidly and much of it is very colorful—lots of bright yellows and reds. Along Loop Road in Cades Cove the Dogwood, Sourwood and Virginia Creeper trees are very beautiful right now.

 

October 3

Rich Mountain Road (Ace Gap to Indian Grave Trail): Trees with changing foliage‑dogwood, red maple, sourwood.  

Indian Grave Trail (From Rich Mt. Rd. to Rich Mt. Trail): Trees with changing foliage—red maple, scarlet oak, sourwood, sugar maple. Sassafras leaves were seen on the ground but did not spot any trees with colorful foliage.

Rich Mountain Trail (B-E): Trees with changing foliage—greenbrier, hickory, mountain maple, red maple, sassafras, sourwood, sugar maple. NOTE—May have missed some of foliage and flowers because of fog in the higher elevations.

September 26

Trillium Gap Trail (Roaring Forks to Trillium Gap): Splotches of yellow and orange are beginning to appear on the surrounding ridges. Some of the Beech trees are already sporting bright yellow foliage; one sugar maple is showing beautiful fall colors. A few of the Witch Hobble plants’ foliage is beginning to turn colors.

 

September 19

Chestnut Top Trail (B to E): Some of the blueberry foliage and some of the Sourwood foliage are changing to red. A couple of Dogwoods are begining to change color.

Great Smokies

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The Great Smokies Welcome Center is located on U.S. 321 in Townsend, TN, 2 miles from the west entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can get information about things to see and do in and around the national park and shop from a wide selection of books, gifts, and other Smokies merchandise. Daily, weekly, and annual parking tags for the national park are also available.

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