Here are 5 of the biggest mistakes you can make when trying to leaf peep in the Smoky Mountains
Each fall, the Smoky Mountains explode in a kaleidoscope of color. When you live here, it’s a gradual process. It sneaks up on you. For months the mountains are a verdant green, and then you start to see spots of rusty reds and vibrant yellows. As you’re driving around running errands or commuting to work, you realize you’re surrounded by color. You know that you have accidentally gone leaf-peeping.
But if you want to see the real show, you’ve got to get up into the mountains on a sunny day, find a place where the colors seem to jut up against the blue sky and it seems like the colors might just all run together.
If you want to have a peak leaf-peeping experience, don’t make these mistakes:
1. Don’t forget to embrace the calm
Common complaints when visiting the Smokies include crowds, parking issues and detours. There will be more than a few tourists who visit just to see the spectacular views and fall decor. In addition to that, there have been areas affected by flooding that will either just reopened or reopening soon. Take your time. If necessary, get up early and enjoy a sunrise of color. But do remember to enjoy and be courteous and helpful to others. You are on vacation, after all.
2. Don’t go too early in the season
Sure, September is part of the fall if you go by a calendar or stick to the summer-ends-at-Labor-Day thing. But at this point, September in East Tennessee is essentially extended summer. Per our fall foliage map, the leaves had only begun to turn in a handful of Tennessee counties as of Oct. 1. If you do find yourselves in the mountains surrounded by green when you were expecting fall colors, get to a higher vantage point. The color starts to change in the high mountains earlier than it does at lower elevations.
3. Don’t cut it too close
While our predictions indicate the peak colors will be the week of Nov. 3 and will still linger the week of Nov. 10, it’s an inexact science. Leaf colors are affected by a variety of factors throughout the year. While you don’t want to be too early, you also don’t want to be too late. It’s disappointing to get to the mountains, expecting vibrant colors to find nothing but a variety of browns. My recommendation? Pick a sweet spot and then book time to get here a little before that.
Articles related Fall in the Smokies
- Here are the – 10 Ways To See the Smoky Mountains in the Fall
- Now You Can See an Interactive Tennessee Fall Foliage Map – For the best views
- Also read – 3 Things Not To Do in the Fall in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
- 8 Best Times To Visit the Smoky Mountains, Ranked – Is fall the best time to visit?
- The Best Mountain Parks Ranked: Anakeesta vs Gatlinburg SkyPark vs SkyLand Ranch vs Ober – See fall colors from one of the attractions
4. Don’t skip a car tour
Between Cades Cove and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, the Smokies offers at least a pair of scenic drives that offer the best leaf-peeping in the country. While Cades Cove is open year-round – unless closed for weather – the Motor Nature Trail closes at the end of November. Still, there should be plenty of time for fantastic leaf-peeping. Visit the GSMNP park website here for closure information before heading out.
Much of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina has now reopened after major storms. But if you want to drive the Blue Ridge in North Carolina, it’s probably best to visit the website here for updates.
If you want something a little off the beaten path, consider the Cherohala Skyway, which runs from Tellico Plains, Tennessee to Robbinsville, North Carolina. It does not cut through the Smokies, but it does connect the Cherokee and Nantahala national forests.
5. Don’t miss out on 441 (check the park website)
As good as those drives in the Smokies are, there is no better drive through the mountains than Newfound Gap Road, which is open year-round, weather permitting. Connecting Gatlinburg to Cherokee, North Carolina, the road features overlooks with some of the best views in the mountains. As a bonus, the Cherokee side of the National Park is the best place to see elk.
The road was reopened and then later closed in the wake of recent flooding, however it should reopen by the end of September 2025. So, always check road closings in the National Park before heading out.
The annual change to fall colors in the Smokies each year is one of the great natural wonders of the mountains. It is an awe-inspiring event that can turn each of us – and our cell phone cameras – into artists. While bigger things are happening in the mountains this fall than leaf peeping, there are still opportunities to get out and properly enjoy the natural beauty.
What is your favorite fall viewing area in the Smokies? Let us know in the comments!