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. And then, 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 get in the way
This one is specific to this leaf-peeping season in particular. A couple of weeks ago, the region suffered catastrophic flooding in the wake of the remnants of Hurricane Helene. There are some places like Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Bryson City where life is either back to normal or close to it. But there are many places, especially in Northeast Tennessee and Western North Carolina, where relief, rescue and recovery efforts continue. There are places where recovery will be years away. Don’t let your desire to see the majesty of the mountains get in the way of people salvaging their homes and lives.
2. Don’t go too early if planning for the future
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 2024 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.
4. Don’t skip a car tour
Between Cades Cove and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, the Smokies offer 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. Normally, the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina should be included on this list, but it was heavily affected by the hurricane. If you want to drive the Blue Ridge in North Carolina, it’s probably best to wait until next year. 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
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 has been opened in the wake of the flooding, but it’s probably a good idea to 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.
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