North Carolina Mountains Fall Foliage

North Carolina Mountains Fall Foliage 

The North Carolina mountains fall foliage season is a beautiful show each and every year. The fall leaf color changes start in the higher elevations of the Western North Carolina mountains about the first week of October. Color changes will work their way down to the lower elevations of the mountains toward mid-November. Due to the varied elevations of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains, you can always find the best show of color somewhere in the fall months of September, October and November. North Carolina has about 6-8 weeks of fall foliage to view! The biggest factors involved in the changing colors of the foliage are elevation and the weather. The warmer the weather the slower the progression of color. Cooler temperatures and an early frost will speed up the leaf color change show. 

 

To get a vibrant display of fall foliage cool temperatures are needed during September with sunny days and some rain. Too little rain and dry conditions make the trees drop their leaves too early before the colors appear. Too much rain and windy conditions will also have a detrimental effect on the fall foliage show. 

 

 

 

Fall Foliage Report 2024 And Weekly Updates:

 

10/6/2024:  Western North Carolina Autumn Travel Information

Fall foliage in NC this year is not a high priority due to the extensive destruction in multiple counties in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are places to visit to view fall foliage in the Blue Mountains of NC, but not many. The towns and businesses less affected by Helene are making public their desire for visitors to visit. Getting there may be a challenge. Anyone planning to travel in Western NC should first plan their route using DriveNC.gov.

Locations Not To Go For Tourist

The well-known areas that are so popular during the fall foliage season are almost all closed or not prepared for tourist. The entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC (and VA) is closed until further notice. All NC State Parks west of I77 are closed. This includes Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, and Chimney Rock. Locations to avoid traveling to are Boone, Lansing, Swannanoa, Linville, Asheville and Biltmore, Buncombe County, and Chimney Rock. These were some of the hardest hit by flooding.

Locations That Are Open And Welcome Business

Locations that have made the public aware that they are open for business include Sylva, Waynesville, Robbinsville, Brevard, Maggie Valley, Murphy, Dillsboro, Blowing Rock, Franklin, Cashiers, Highlands, Cherokee, and Bryson City. Keep in mind many lodgings/hotels/ motels/resorts are full due FEMA relocating people into other areas after suffering catastrophic loss. Some resorts are closed to the public because they are lodging the linesmen who are working on repairing the power grid.

If you wish to donate to help please do so. There are many reputable organizations, local churches, and agencies that are taking much-needed supplies and monetary donations.

9/29/2024: After the devastation to some areas of Western NC, there is good news to report. There are still places to visit to see the fall foliage in North Carolina for 2024. Areas not affected by Hurricane Helene include North Georgia, Western Virginia, and Eastern Tennessee. Due to the devastating destruction and damage to the infrastructure of the many regions in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the NCDOT and multiple agencies ask the public to avoid going to their locations. These Blue Ridge Mountains areas include Mitchell County, Chimney Rock, Ashe County, Asheville, Old Fort, Boone, Brevard, Transylvania County, Hendersonville, Cedar Mountain, Black Mountain, Madison County, and Marshall.

There are places to view the fall foliage this year that would welcome you. This year, the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia and Western Virginia would be areas to visit to view the fall foliage. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Townsend in TN are great places to view the fall foliage for 2024. Bryson City and Cherokee in NC did get some flooding but were not hit as hard as other locations in Western NC.

Western NC and Hurricane Helene

As of today, many towns and communities in Western NC lack phone/cell service, no power/electricity, and no water. There was widespread damage across Western NC from Old Fort, NC to the TN state line. The NCDOT Facebook and APP are good places to see just how many roads were damaged. The destruction is widespread and will take weeks if not months to repair. Interstate 40 near Old Fort was covered by a mudslide. Interstate 40 near the NC/TN state line was damaged with the eastbound pavement falling into the river below. This area of I40 is closed and will remain closed indefinitely.

In Westen NC some areas received over 24 inches of rain in a 3-day period. The flooding resulted in damaged roads, loss of bridges, uneven pavement, road breaches, downed trees, and obstructed roads. Multiple agencies warn that all roads in Western NC are closed.

Blue Ridge Mountains Helene Flooding Pictures

 

Fall Foliage 2024 Predictions:

What do the experts predict this year? This year may be a fall foliage below average year as compared to other past seasons. This past summer was hot, then dry, then way too much rain. The trees were already stressed before Hurricane Helene passed through. Helene did not bring a lot of wind but the enormous amount of rain resulted in massive flooding, mudslides, downed trees, and loss of leaves.

 

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BRP Road Alerts For 2024 Fall Foliage Season

The National Park Service BRP website warns of multiple road projects that are underway during the 2024 visitor season.  Please visit NPS BRP Alerts and Road Closure website for the lastest information.

 

Fall Foliage In North Carolina

 

 

 

 Weather And Elevation Is The Key

The key to the start of fall foliage color changes depends on the weather. One of the most important ingredients is cool air. Cool air is needed to promote the formation of colorful pigments. Also important is enough moisture in the weeks and months prior to autumn. A dry summer is not good. Drought conditions stress the trees and the leaves drop early. Next needed is the right weather conditions. A cool, dry, and sunny autumn with warm sunny days and cool but frostless nights. In some years the development of color is better than in other years. It all depends on the weather leading up to autumn and the weather during autumn.

Peak color happens in the highest elevations (over 5000ft) first and spreads down to the lower elevations as the weeks go by.  Color changes usually start in late September in areas that include Clingmans Dome, Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Waterrock Knob, and Graveyard Fields.  Color continues to develop and spread well into early November into the lower elevations such as Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. Sunny days and cool nights are ideal weather for the development of vibrant colors in the leaves. 

 

North Carolina Mountains Fall Foliage Guidelines and Tips For Viewing

The North Carolina mountains fall foliage show starts each year in the highest elevations of the North Carolina mountains. That will be in the mountains with elevations at and above 5000 feet. Color in the highest elevations usually appears in early October. Mid-level elevations are 3000-4000 feet and typically peak in mid-October. The lower elevations below 2000 feet will peak last near the end of October and into early November. The southern mountains in North Carolina are in the lower ranges-areas such as Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, and the Piedmont area of North Carolina.

 

Typical Peak Color Time Table

Here is a typical schedule for peak colors per elevation for the North Carolina Mountains Fall Foliage

• First week of October (about October 1-10) highest elevations of 4,500’ at peak
• Mid October (about October 10-16) mid-elevations of  4,500’ to 2,500’  at peak
• Last week of October (about October 16-31) in the Asheville area  lower elevations 2,500′ – 2,000’) 
• Late October and early November (about October 24- November 5) areas south of Asheville such as the Chimney Rock area with elevations at or below 1,500′ at peak

Typically the start of the North Carolina mountains fall foliage color change starts to take place in late September in the highest elevations of the NC mountains. Look for the color show to begin in the elevations above 5,000 ft such as  Clingmans Dome,  Mt. LeConte, Cataloochee, and Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains. Grandfather Mountain and the Boone area will start to show color in the highest elevations as well as Mount Mitchell, Craggy Gardens, and Rough Ridge along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

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The North Carolina Travel webcams page has some nice webcam links to Asheville, Biltmore, and Boone that show some pretty fall foliage views during the fall months.

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Where to go to view NC mountains fall foliage:

• Great Smoky Mountains
• Blue Ridge Mountains
• Grandfather Mountain
• Highlands and Cashiers area
• Asheville area
• Mt. Mitchell
• Boone, Blowing Rock and West Jefferson areas
• Blue Ridge Parkway
• Chimney Rock State Park

A typical North Carolina mountains fall foliage season

Normally about the very last of September or the first or second week of October, the leaves start changing in the highest elevations (above 5000 feet). Then the second to third-week elevations above 4000 feet start the change. In mid-October, the show is well underway and includes the 3000-4000 feet elevation areas. By late October and early November, the lower elevations of 1300 feet are changing. By the second week in November, the peak season and the show is all but past for the mountain regions of North Carolina but in the lower elevations across the Piedmont to the coast, the fall foliage show can last through last November.

NC Fall Foliage Map  Showing Typical Peak Times Updated for 2022

Great places to view North Carolina fall foliage would be:

Clingmans Dome off US 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains (between Cherokee and Gatlinburg) Elevation of 6,643 feet.

The Blue Ridge Parkway – where overlooks offer long-range panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains. Craggy Gardens at Milepost 365.

Mount Mitchell –  in Yancy County, NC. Has an elevation of 6,684 feet and is the highest point east of the Mississippi River.

Grandfather Mountain – near Linville, North Carolina. Has an elevation of 5,946 feet. Just south of Boone.

Asheville and Biltmore Estate – peak colors usually occur in the third and fourth week of October. The elevation in this area is 2000 to 3000 feet. Seeing Biltmore Estate during fall foliage season is a real treat.

Chimney Rock – Save this area for late October and early November to see peak fall foliage. The elevation in the area of 1000 – 2000 ft. But Chimney Rock has great long-range views including the beautiful Lake Lure.

 

Timing Is Everything! When To Plan Your Fall Foliage Viewing Trip

The typical best times to plan a trip to view North Carolina Mountains fall foliage by regions and based on the past years would be:

● Western North Carolina Highest Elevations – Late September to Early October
● Western North Carolina – Early to Mid October
● Western to Central North Carolina – Mid October to Late October
● Central North Carolina – Late October to Early November

If planning a trip to view the NC mountains to view fall foliage here is a general guide and timeline by week:

 

October 4-10

North of Asheville in the highest elevations above 5,000 feet is where the fall foliage show begins and is where the most color typically occurs. These areas include Mount Mitchell, Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather Mountain and Rough Ridge.

October 8-18

Fall foliage color will then start to appear in elevations greater than 4,000 feet. Areas include the Mount Pisgah, Black Balsam, Devil’s Courthouse, Waterrock Knob and Graveyard Field. Peak color also occurs in this time period for the Highlands area, including Whiteside Mountain and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

October 15-24
In the surrounding mountains of Asheville, there is plenty of color in the 3,000-4,000 foot elevation range. A ride north or south on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville will be a beautiful site this week. A ride through the Pisgah National Forest (Looking Glass Rock or Cradle of Forestry) normally is a great trip. North of Asheville Linville Gorge (Table Rock and Hawksbill Mountain) would be a nice fall foliage hiking trip.

October 20-30
The city of Asheville at the 2,000 feet elevation has the peak colors during this time period, as well as areas around Hendersonville and Brevard. DuPont State Forest or the NC Arboretum are great places to enjoy the fall foliage colors. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is also at peak leaf color during the latter part of October.

October 24-November 5
The fall foliage color show nears its end in the Chimney Rock area with an elevation of 1,300 feet. Visit Chimney Rock and Lake Lure for a last look at the beautiful fall foliage season in the North Carolina mountains for 2013. In late October and early November, the fall foliage show makes its way across the piedmont region such as  Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, and Raleigh, and then spreads to Eastern North Carolina. The North Carolina coast has few hardwood trees so there isn’t much color change in the coastal region of the state.

 

Why North Carolina is a great place to view fall foliage

North Carolina is lucky to have about 6-8 weeks in the autumn to undergo this fall foliage show. In the mountains of North Carolina, the annual fall foliage show starts in late September and spreads across the state into early November. If traveling in North Carolina in the fall there will always be an opportunity to view peak color somewhere in the state.

 

Fall colors video in the Asheville area…