October 31 – Happy Halloween

This is the time to take a hike or drive in the Great Smoky Mountains! Fall colors are gorgeous almost everywhere, from the lower elevations to nearly 6,000 feet. Little River Road, Newfound Gap Road, Tremont, and Cataloochee are especially colorful. Don’t wait! The autumn crowds have thinned a bit since last week, so this is prime time for spectacular fall color viewing (and weather) in the Smokies.

Ace Gap (B-E):  Some really nice colorful foliage. Many Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Scarlet Oak, Blueberry, Beech, Hickory, Sourwood, Umbrella Magnolia and Sassafras with nice bright foliage.

October 26

Fall colors are approaching peak at the middle elevations (2,500’ – 4,000’) of the Great Smoky Mountains. Spectacular autumn scenery awaits visitors for the next several days. Suggested drives include Newfound Gap Road, The Gatlinburg Bypass, Parson Branch Road, the Foothills Parkway (East and West), Lakeview Drive, and Little River Road. Next week will be a superb time to visit Look Rock Tower on Foothills Parkway west.

Though we are quickly approaching the end of October, the lower elevations of the park continue to offer vibrant hues with others remain mostly green. Look for colors to advance rapidly with a lowland peak through early November. Suggested hikes include Rich Mountain Loop, Deep Creek Trail, Thomas Divide Trail, Middle Prong Trail, Smokemont Loop Trail, and Little River Trail.

Traffic on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings will be extremely heavy on Newfound Gap Road and Cades Cove Loop. At these times motorists would be wise to seek other destinations such as Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Foothills Parkway East and West, Tremont Road, and the Deep Creek area. Or travel early in the day.

October 20

Fall colors are at peak at the highest elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains right now. Yellow birch, American beech, pin cherry, witch-hobble, and mountain maple are all showing excellent color. A few maples are showing brilliant reds. Yet most foliage is still green below elevations of 2,500 feet.

Good places to see fall color include Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Heintooga Ridge Road to Balsam Mountain Campground. Little River Road is also said to be showing some excellent early color. Suggested hikes: Thomas Divide Trail, the Appalachian Trail to Charlies Bunion, Sweat Heifer Trail, the spruce-fir self-guiding nature trail, Gregory Bald Trail, and Mt. Cammerer.

At the lower elevations, the cool nights are moving fall colors right along. Blackgum, dogwood, sumacs, and sourwood trees continue to show vivid reds. Golds are coming along on black walnut, birch, beech, and hickories. The peak of color at the lower elevations will likely be at the end of October and last into early November. Suggested hikes: Rich Mountain Loop, Chestnut Top Trail, Smokemont Loop, and Deep Creek Trail.

October 18

Fork Ridge (B-E) – Many brilliant leaves – Sourwood, Red Maple, Scarlet Oak, Beech, Sugar Maple, Blueberry and Witch Hobble.

Deep Creek (US 441 to Campsite #53) – Surrounding ridges have a number of trees with brilliant foliage.  Most of the trees close to the trail that have nice foliage are Beech trees.

US 441 (From the Chimney Tops Trail (First tunnel) to Newfound Gap and down N.C. side to the Deep Creek Trailhead).  This area’s foliage is at peak display if not slightly beyond peak.

Some of the ridges are covered with breathtakingly beautiful bright foliage.  Folks that would enjoy the nice displayed foliage probably should try to get up 441 before the rain hits Thursday, which will likely knock down much of the colorful leaves.  

The lower elevations have some nice foliage but not at peak for the most part – not as colorful as the higher elevations.

October 16

Fall colors are nearing peak in a few isolated areas of the Great Smoky Mountains right now. At the higher elevations, yellow birch, American beech, pin cherry, American mountain-ash, witch-hobble, and mountain maple are all showing good color. A few maples are displaying brilliant reds.

Good places to see fall color include Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Heintooga Ridge Road to Balsam Mountain Campground. Suggested hikes: Thomas Divide Trail, the Appalachian Trail to Charlies Bunion, Sweat Heifer Trail, the spruce-fir self-guiding nature trail, and Mt. Cammerer.

At the lower elevations, sunny days and cool nights are moving fall colors along at a quickening pace. Black gum, dogwood, sumacs, and sourwood trees continue to show vivid reds. Golds are coming along on black walnut, birch, beech, and hickories. A few scattered maples are beginning to show bright colors. The peak of color at the lower elevations is not likely to occur until early November, however, color is very good in some scattered locations such as the Foothills Parkway West and along Little River Road. Suggested hikes: Rich Mountain Loop, Chestnut Top Trail, Smokemont Loop, and Deep Creek Trail.

Traffic will be very heavy on Newfound Gap Road and Cades Cove Loop Road over the next week. Allow extra time for your travels, or visit less-busy areas of the park such as Deep Creek, Big Creek, Twentymile, Cosby, Greenbrier, Fontana, and the Foothills Parkway.

October 12

This year is proving to be a difficult one in which to predict the progress of falls colors. Late summer and early fall in the Smokies have been warm and dry. While the dry conditions are stressing the trees, it has been noted in the past that drought years have provided some of the brightest fall colors.

Currently, colors are on the late side. While the higher elevations are often at peak during the first couple weeks of October, they are off this year by about two weeks.

Along Little River Road, in Cataloochee Valley, and elsewhere at the lower elevations, early-changing species like black gum, sourwood, dogwood, sumac, black walnut, buckeye, poison ivy, and Virginia creeper are showing color.

This is a great time to take a drive on Clingmans Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or Balsam Mountain Road. A hike to Andrews Bald on Forney Ridge Trail or along the Appalachian Trail to Charlies Bunion would be time well spent.

Look for peak color at the lower and mid-elevations in early November. While the cool nighttime temperatures should hasten the color change significantly, it is difficult to predict the effects of the drought.

October 10

Lumber Ridge (B-E) – Sourwood, Red Maple, Blue Berry, Beech and Sassafras foliage is changing to the fall colors.  About 3 miles up the trail the Sourwood has brilliant foliage.

Meigs Mountain (From Lumber Ridge Trail to Curry Mountain Trail) – Sourwood, Red Maple, Tulip Poplar and Beech are changing to their fall wardrobe.

October 7

Gabes Mountain (B-E) and Maddron Bald (B to Gabes Mountain Trail) –  Some Red Maple, Sourwood, Frazer Magnolia and Beech foliage are changing to their fall colors.
Not a lot of change at this elevation.

August 8

Rabbit Creek (B to Hannah Mountain Trail) – Sourwood, Sassafras, Blueberry, and Blackberry are showing some bright red leaves.