It’s not so much when to see fall color, but where. Varying mountain elevations mean foliage cascades from high to low during the span of more than a month. Go beyond the overlooks and you'll find color hidden along trail switchbacks, riverbanks and ridge-hugging roads. Come for the color, stay for the feeling.
Expect vibrant leaf color late September through late October in the High Country, starting atop Grandfather Mountain and flowing downhill each week to Boone, Blowing Rock and surrounding valleys like Wilkesboro.
Asheville’s fall color usually begins at Max Patch and Craggy Gardens in early October, peaks in Pisgah National Forest and Montreat mid-October, then dazzles downtown Asheville and DuPont State Forest late October into early November.
NC’s Smoky Mountains should first blaze at Kuwohi in late September. By mid-October, ridges near Waynesville, Maggie Valley and Waterrock Knob peak before coloring descends toward southwest NC valleys in early November.
Fall Color Tips
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Catch the Mountains Mid-Glow
Follow the falling leaves from high peaks to valley floors as color sweeps across the region. Pounding Mill Overlook just outside Brevard, in Pisgah National Forest, allows for stunning sunrise views of iconic mountain scenes including Mt. Pisgah, Black Mountain, Frying Pan Gap and Looking Glass Rock.
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All Aboard for Color
Fall color might keep its own schedule, but the train always runs on time. A ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad puts you right in the middle of some of the season’s best moments — no map or guesswork required. Just sit back, relax and watch the mountains do their thing.
Color-Filled Trip Ideas
Golden hour hits different in fall — especially when the whole forest joins in.
Discover the first fall colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains around the mile-high resort Village of Sugar Mountain, aptly named for the brilliant red sugar maple tree. With a 1,200-foot elevation difference in the village itself, Sugar Mountain has two to three weeks of fall color. Colors then extend in the surrounding lower valleys for an additional two weeks — so if the leaves are past peak in one area, just head down in elevation. Here’s the typical fall foliage forecast and timeline for the Sugar Mountain area:
With more than 200 tree species under the bluest of skies, North Carolina puts on a kaleidoscopic show in the fall. But our state’s exceptional color comes from more than maples and sourwoods. Experience the full glory in myriad ways from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Atlantic Ocean piers.
Each fall, a wave of brilliant color starts in the North Carolina mountains, rolls across the central, urban landscapes of our state and eventually washes out at the coast. If you time it right, you can surf its entire length. Leaf-peeping season usually starts mid-September in the mountains and can last into November on the coast.
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Leave No Trace
It’s up to each of us to do our part and join the movement to protect these spaces for generations. The 7 Outdoor NC Leave No Trace Principles provide a pathway for everyone to have amazing, responsible and safe outdoor adventures in North Carolina.
