We’ve finally made it to that anticipated time of year when the weather cools down and the fall foliage hits its climactic changes. Peak Leaf Peeping Season is in full effect. The Smoky Mountains are bursting into a sunset-inspired wonder of reds, oranges, and yellows. This year has given us an ideal amount of warm, wet spring months and sunny summer days, so as the nights bring colder weather, all things point to bright color changes for all of our leaf-peeping visitors.
Best Times to See Fall Colors
Click here for an interactive 2020 Foliage Map & Nationwide Peak Leaf Forecast.
Fall color changes begin as early as mid-September in the higher elevations and often maintain their beauty through mid-November. But PEAK fall foliage in the Smokies is expected in late October. The Smoky Mountains’ long colorful season exists because of the different weather patterns found in the region’s various altitudes. While things cool down much more quickly in the higher elevations like Clingman’s Dome, where the leaves begin to put on their show earlier in the year, whereas the Cades Cove area pulls out all its stops later in the season.
For a unique peek into fall in the Smoky Mountains, check out this video by our good friends at Visit My Smokies.
Planning Your Leaf Peeping Adventure
Fall is one of the park’s busiest times of the year, so we suggest planning ahead and expecting travel delays for a less stressful visit. Here are several family-friendly trails we recommend visiting to enjoy the changing fall colors.
- Laurel Falls Trail, which is a 2.3-mile round-trip hike that begins at a parking lot near the top of Fighting Creek Gap.
- Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Smokies, and it’s accessible via a ½-mile-long paved trail. It is a reasonably steep climb, but once at the top, you can expect a panoramic view, which extends nearly 100 miles in any direction on a clear day.
- Rich Mountain Loop Trail is located in Cades Cove and is only mildly challenging, so it should be acceptable for all family members. Because it is a very popular trail, you should park in the campground and make the short walk to the trailhead.
If a country drive is more your speed, enjoy the changing foliage from your car by cruising the Cades Cove Loop, the Foothills Parkway, or Balsam Mountain Road.
Leaf Peeping Cheat Sheet
Every tree species in the Smokies adapts its own changing color this time of year, so we’ve put together a peak leaf peeping season cheat sheet to help you identify what leaves belong to which trees, based on their fall color.
- American Beech: yellow
- Birch: bright yellow
- Black Cherry: yellow
- Black Maple: glowing yellow
- Dogwood: deep red
- Hickory: golden bronze
- Mountain Ash: yellow
- Oak: red, brown, or russet
- Red Maple: bright scarlet or orange
- Shining Sumac: red
- Sourwood: brick red
- Sugar Maple: orange-red
- Tulip Poplar: golden yellow
Leaf Peeping makes the perfect socially-distanced fall escape, so be prepared for the crowds and give yourself plenty of time to explore one of the most exquisite times of the year in the Great Smoky Mountains!
