NC Mountain Fall Leaf Color for 10/22/14

   

Asheville and the Mid-elevations:  This is the week to head for the hills! Despit some leaf loss from rains and heavy winds, the green leaves hung on and are ready to start turning this week, continuing through the end of the month. Elevations of 3,000 - 4,000 are showing excellent color.  10/22/14  ...read more and see INCREDIBLE photos

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park:  Waves of color can now be seen throughout the Park. Storms downed most of the leaves at higher elevations but now that the autumn weather has arrived colors are developing quickly everywhere in the Park. At middle elevations at 3500 feet color is fully developed. In the next week or so as 30-40% of lower elevation trees are just starting to turn and another 30-40% have well developed color.  Sourwood, red maple, sugar maple and blueberry have vivid red foliage. Other foliage is pale yellow. It is estimated that we’re at least a week away from full color development around the valley floor in Cade's Cove. The Smokies are also still approaching their peak, so head on over to Cherokee and take the road up to Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap. You’ll pass through green forests at the bottom, good color at mid-elevations, and then forests past their peak above 3,500’.  10/22/14 ...read the full report and see photos  

Southwest Mountains in the Nantahala and Cashiers / Highlands areas:  As in other mountain areas colors are best around 4,000 feet with lower elevation beginning sweeps of colors and the highest elevation loosing their leaves and lower just beginning to turn from green to yellows, oranges and reds. 10/22/14

 
The High Country:  Most of the leaves in the highest elevations have fallen. At 4500 feet and below color is sweeping through and can be viewed from many overlooks along the Parkway or along the Parkway trails. Blowing Rock/Boone areas are just past peak with the best colors below 3,000 feet. 10/22/14 ....see photos and read more from the biology department at Appalachian State University 
 

Where to find color this weekend:  The "middle" mountains surrounding Asheville, Hendersonville and brevard are full of color - check out the nearby parks such as Dupont State Forest and, of course, The Biltmore Estate. Travel the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville south.  10/22/14

 

NC Fall Leaf Color Report for The Great Smoky Mountains

October 23, 2013  -  The Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Colors are wonderful in many areas at elevations above 4,000 feet. In the park's lower elevations, a lot of trees are still green, but there are some reds of dogwood and sourwood, and yellows of tulip poplar and birch. Fall wildflowers are still very pretty along park roadways. Check out the park's webcams to see how fall colors are progressing: Purchase Knob (high elevation) Look Rock (middle elevation).

Colors are looking good in many mid-elevations areas. Some lower elevation locations, especially on the North Carolina side, are glorious now too. On the Tennessee side of the park, there's still plenty of green, but colors are developing quickly. For fall photos and updates from the park, visit the official GSMNP facebook page.   Read the full report

EVERYONE loves fall color - even Smokey!

The Park has set up two webcams (best viewed during daylight hours) for you to watch the daily progress of fall color and get local climate conditions. The higher elevation at Purchase Knob can be viewed HERE.  The middle elevation is at Look Rock viewed HERE.Get additional fall leaf color updates throughout the Western North Carolina Mountains HERE. 

 The photos posted are from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Facebook Page. See more HERE.

NC Leaf Report: September 27

It's officially fall and time to follow the progress of the incredible NC mountains leaf color. There are already noticeable changes in a variety of areas while green still dominates at 80% - 90%. in most lower elevations.

According to Howie Neufeld, Ph.D., Professor of Plant Physiology at Appalachian State University, "If I had to make a guess right now, I would predict a slightly earlier peak to the fall foliage colors this year in the mountains, with perhaps the weekend of October 7-9 being the peak in the Boone/Grandfather area, and maybe the next weekend further south around Asheville. In the Highlands/Cashiers area, you can often expect colors to peak at around the same time as in Boone, or just slightly afterwards. In the Smokies, colors will peak in early October at the higher elevations, and then work their way downslope, with a delay of about 5 days for every 1,000’ drop in elevation."

Newfound Gap Photo courtesy of NPS

The official website for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park provides updates along with photos of the color progress in a variety of Park areas. " Fall Color Report, September 26, 2011 - There is just a hint of color in the earliest changing trees at this time. A few sourwoods, dogwoods, maples, and birches are showing a little color along roadways, but the mountains are still predominantly green at all elevations. Fall wildflowers such as cardinal flower, black-eyed Susan... read more...

The leaf reports will help you determine where to go in the NC Mountains whether you are already in the mountains or just planning your trip. Western North Carolina has one of the longest leaf seasons in the country thanks to varying elevations and climate conditions.

Color, Color Everywhere as Fall leaf Peak Spreads throughout the Mountains

Color is believed to be peaking in the Boone NC Area and throughout the North Carolina  "high Country". The major change from last weekend to this one has been the continued coloration by the maples and the beginning of coloration by the red, scarlet, pin and black oaks

Between Asheville NC and Highlands colors arrived early this year at the higher elevations and may peak at about the same time as in Boone, which is somewhat unusual. At lower elevations, colors should peak this week and be good through the next 2 weekends,  including the Lake Lure/Chimney Rock.

In the Great Smoky Mountain National Park colors are slightly past peak in the highest elevations (above 4,000') of the park. Colors are near peak in many mid-elevation areas of the park, however, this year there are still a number of green leaves mixed in with fully-colored and falling leaves at mid-elevation.

At low elevation, pockets of vivid color have developed, with a number trees still with green leaves. Many of the trees along the roadsides such as Little River Road are at peak, while the mountainsides above the road are still rather green. Leaf colors on the North Carolina side of the park are further along than those on the Tennessee side.

Video by The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, ExploreAsheville.com

Fall Color Update: Color "Explodes" in the NC Mountains

Fall Leaf Report for WNC Mountains: All along the Blue Ridge Parkway, between Boone and Linville, the trees are nearing their peak color. This week through the coming weekend, the northern section of the mountains should be incredibly vibrant.

Farther south, colors are slightly behind the Boone area. The sourwoods and dogwoods are well along, while the maples are just starting to show color. The oaks haven’t really kicked in yet. In the Highlands area, the colors have really blossomed the last few days (just like in Boone) and they say the peak will be this week through the weekend.

If the colors around the Boone/Grandfather Mountain area are any sign, we may have an excellent fall color display this year, from Asheville down to Murphy and Robbinsville. Remember, for the majority of our mountains, intense color is expected in the coming weeks.

Smoky Mountains Park Fall Color Report:  Colors are approaching peak in many high elevation (above 4,000') areas of the park. Leaves are especially colorful between Alum Cave and the Luftee Overlook along Newfound Gap Road and along the Clingmans Dome Road. However it will be a few more days - at least - before leaves reach their full colors at mid elevation. At low elevation, colors are beginning to develop, but leaves are still predominantly green. There are however, some scattered trees that are vividly colored in the foothills. 

Fall Leaf Report Weekly Update

Leaf color is currently about the same stage  as last week, probably a result of recent  to warm temperatures and the rains. There is some leaf color showing, mostly above 3,500 ft. elevation. Around Boone, yellows and oranges are slowly revealing themselves against a still mostly green background. At Grandfather Mountain color is beginning to appear nicely at the higher elevations. From Asheville down to Robbinsville, colors are also in a holding pattern, but should start becoming more prominent next weekend through the next two weekends. At this time  a good fall color show  in the mountains.is still being predicted.

Get links for Fall 2011 Leaf Report HERE

Color still Showy in Asheville

Leaves in the higher elevations are gone until spring, but if you missed the "peak" there are still a few places to enjoy Mother Nature's colors. Asheville appears to be your best bet for mountain fall colors. The higher elevations along the Blue Ridge Parkway are past their peak, but down around the city, they are still quite showy. In the Asheville area, the oaks and hickories are peaking, with their yellows, reds and browns, along with red sourwoods, the occasional late maple, and deeply red black gums. In  the Cashiers-Highlands area, the leaves are pretty far-gone, particularly around Highlands. However, lower down, and in sheltered areas like the Tuckasegee Gorge between Cullowhee & Glenville, there are still scattered lovely trees - esp. hickories, russet-red oaks, scattered colorful maples, and sourwoods. In summary, there is will still be some good color this coming week, but not for much longer. So take a drive in the southern mountains this week, and soak in the last of the fall color for this season!