Great Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage
The annual Great Smoky Mountains fall foliage show starts in late September and spreads across the Great Smoky Mountains towards early November. While traveling in the Great Smoky Mountains in the autumn, there will always be an opportunity to view scenes of leaves changing colors somewhere. This area is fortunate to have about 6-8 weeks in the autumn to undergo this show of nature as the warm days of summer transition into the cold days of winter. Each year, the mountains put on a beautiful show of fall foliage. With all the different elevations in the various mountain regions of North Carolina and Tennessee, there are a lot of areas to travel to in October to view the beautiful autumn colors.
National Park Government Shutdown 2025 Info:
Updated on 10/11/2025:
The extension will now keep it open through Nov. 2, 2025.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will remain open despite the 2025 government shutdown. The park will remain fully operational starting on Oct. 4, 2025. This is possible through a collaborative funding effort between local and state partners. This is possible due to the cities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Pittman Center, along with Blount County, Cocke County, the State of Tennessee, Friends of the Smokies, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, and the State of North Carolina.
Fall Foliage Reports 2025
10/27/2025: Peak colors and beautiful fall foliage are still viewable in the lower elevations of the park. A ride in the Great Smoky Mountains this week will still offer some beautiful views. Especially at the overlooks that offer long-range views. The highest elevations have are way past peak. Trees at this elevation have dropped their leaves. There is still some color to see in the mid-elevations and the lower elevations. Places to see the last of the fall foliage include the areas of Oconaluftee, Cades Cove and Townsend. The Little River Gorge Rd. and Laurel Creek Rd. are still nice this late in October. Cades Cove and Cataloochee Valley still have lots of color. The NC side of the Smokies remains very colorful. There is still time this week to enjoy the fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains and nearby areas. The crowds may be a little off by now, but the GSMNP still has some pretty views of the fall foliage as November and the holiday season arrive soon! Dollywood Christmas festival starts Saturday, November 1st!
10/18/2025: There are reports of more color on the NC side of the Great Smoky Mountains than the TN side. The highest elevations are past peak with reports of leaves falling off the trees. The mid elevations of the Great Smokies are now rapidly developing. A ride along these roads is recommended: Foothills Parkway, Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441), Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Balsam Mountain Road, Cove Creek Road, Little River Gorge Road, and 321 between Pigeon Forge and Townsend. Keep in mind that the traffic can be very busy this time of year! There are reports of major traffic backups in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Wears Valley! Cades Cove and Cataloochee are reported as still being mostly green except for lots of gold at the tip of the surrounding mountain tops. There is a cold front that will pass through the region Saturday and Sunday. The front brings some rain and much cooler temperatures. The cold front will make it quite breezy, which may result in more trees dropping their leaves.
10/11/2025: Areas at fall foliage peak in the GSMNP include locations at or above 4500 ft. A ride on Foothills Parkway, Newfound Gap Rd, Balsam Mountain Rd, Cove Creek Rd, US 128 that follows Cheoah Lake, and US 129 from Deals Gap to Robbinsville by Lake Santeetlah inside Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest would all be great trips this time of year. Visit Kuwohi, Mount LeConte, Andrews Bald, Balsam Mountain and Alum Cave Bluffs. All these areas are above 4500 ft. From Cherokee, NC access the Blue Ridge Parkway from US 441 and head toward US 19 at Soco Rd. Save Roaring Fork Moror Nature Trail and Cades Cove till later in the month due to their lower elevations.
10/2/2025: Cherohala Skyway National Scenic Byway is reporting peak color in the highest elevations this weekend! Places to see peak fall foliage this weekend are: Big Junction, Santeetlah, Hooper Bald, Huckleberry, and Spirit Ridge. Both visitor centers are open. Cherohala Skyway starts in Tellico Plains, TN, and travels 43 miles east to end in Robbinsville, NC. Part of the skyway is known as Tail of the Dragon. This 11-mile stretch of US 129 has over 300 sharp curves and turns. The Tail of the Dragon section begins in Deals Gap at the Tennessee/North Carolina State Line and runs 11 miles through the rugged mountains of the Cherokee National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains. Have fun but be careful!
10/1/2025: The fall foliage season has arrived. Color is beginning to develop in the highest elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains. Cades Cove Road is closed currently. Remember, the visitor centers will probably be closed, as well as restrooms. Hiking trails should be open, but there will be limited staff in case of emergencies.
The highest elevations in the Smokies are beginning to develop color. There is a lot of red, orange and golden yellow from the dogwood, sugar maple and sourwood trees. Other fall foliage changes are starting to take place in the highest mountain elevations (those above 5000 feet). This means areas such as Kuwohi , Mount LeConte, Andrews Bald, Balsam Mountain, and Newfound Gap have all started to slowly show color. Roan Mountain is developing some nice color.
Places to travel in early October for viewing fall foliage include Foothills Parkway, Newfound Gap Road (US441), Balsam Mountain Road, Cove Creek Road, and Clingmans Dome Road. Peak color is expected October 11-18, 2025. But with all the different elevations in the Great Smokies, a trip during October will result in a nice trip this year. Even late October should have plenty of fall foliage in the lower elevations and surrounding areas like Cades Cove, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Bryson City, and Cherokee.
Some popular spots to view the fall foliage show in the Great Smoky Mountains are:
Cades Cove
Tremont
Foothills Parkway
Cataloochee Valley (elevation of 2680 ft)
Mt. LeConte (elevation of 6,593 feet and the third highest summit in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
Greenbrier
Alum Cave Bluffs
Chimney Tops
Andrews Bald (elevation of 5920 feet)
Clingmans Dome (elevation of 6,643 feet and the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
Newfound Gap Road (elevation of 5,048 feet)
Blue Ridge Parkway
Fall Foliage 2025 Predictions:
8/30/2025: North Carolina had plenty of rain this summer. This fall foliage season should be a good one. A wet summer, no drought conditions, no high wind or storms so far. The cool weather that moved in recently and the sunny days should be a nice setup for a great fall foliage season for 2025!
Please visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park website for ALERTS for information about areas that are closed.
Here is a link to Great Smoky Mountains Guide webcams. Webcams are a great way to check
the fall foliage progress!
Fall Foliage and Elevations In The Great Smoky Mountains
Peak colors appear first in the highest elevations (over 5500ft) and work down to the lower elevations. Color changes usually start in late September in the highest elevations and continue to spread color down into the lower elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains into early November. Peak color will be at different times depending on the weather and elevation.
Great Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage 2022
With all the different elevations in the Great Smoky Mountains, there will always be a colorful view somewhere during October and even into November. Enjoy the nearby towns too. Visit Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in TN; Cherokee and Bryson City in NC, just to name a few!
GSM Fall Color Reports and Weekly Updates for 2022
Fall Foliage In The Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage 2022
Weather is Key To Peak Color Timing
The key to the start of fall foliage color changes depends on the weather. The most important ingredient for fall foliage is cool air. Cool air is needed to promote the formation of colorful pigments. Also important is enough rain in the weeks and months before fall. A dry summer is not good. Next needed is a dry, cool, and sunny autumn (warm days and frostless nights). Frost will kill the leaves and make them die and fall off early.
Fall foliage starts in the highest elevations first and then progresses down to the lower elevations as October progresses. So peak color times happen in the highest elevations (over 5500ft) and work down to the lower elevations. Color changes can start in late September and continue into early November, depending on the elevation and the weather.
GSMNP Elevations
The highest elevations above 5000 feet peak first about the first week of October. These areas include Kuwohi, Mount LeConte, Newfound Gap, Andrews Bald, Alum Cave Bluffs, Chimney Tops, Ramsey Cascades and Balsam Mountain.
Elevations in the 4000-3000 ft range peak about the second week of October.
Elevations in the 3000-2000 ft range peak about mid to late October or even early November. These areas are Cataloochee Valley and Oconaluftee.
Elevations at 2000ft and lower peak about the third week in October.
Cades Cove has an elevation of 1716 ft and will be one of the last areas to show color and peak. The lower elevations of the GSM peak in late October or early November.
Fall in Cades Cove
But the Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers such a large area of land that there is always somewhere at peak or near peak. The GSMNP mountain ranges have elevations from just over 875 feet to 6,643 feet. So a trip to view the fall color show anytime in October will reward you with a spectacular show of color.
The Great Smoky Mountains and when the fall colors appear
Great Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage
The changes start at the higher elevations (above 5,000 ft.) about the first of October and will work its way down to the lower elevations in late October to early November. The best places to see color are Newfound Gap Road, Cades Cove Loop Road and Little River Road. Great hikes to see the show are Albright Grove and Sugarland Mountain Trail and Andrews Bald or Mt. LeConte at the highest elevations.
Due to the varied elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains, you can always find the best show of color somewhere in the fall months starting in late September, October and lasting through November. The biggest factors involved in the changing colors of the foliage are elevation and weather. The warmer the weather the slower the progression but colder temperatures will speed up the fall foliage show.
The typical best times to plan a trip to view Tennessee’s peak fall foliage would be:
● Northeastern Mountain Regions – First of October to mid-October
● Color Across Middle and Western Tennessee – Peaks from East to West Mid Mid-October to Late November
The typical best times to plan a trip to view the Great Smoky Mountains and North Carolina Mountains peak fall foliage would be:
● Western North Carolina Highest Elevations (above 5,000 ft) – Grandfather Mountain, Graveyard Fields, Mount Mitchell. Great Smoky Mountains National Park- Clingmans Dome, Mount LeConte, Andrews Bald. – Late September to First Week of October.
● Western North Carolina Elevations (4,000- 5,000 ft) Mount Pisgah, Devil’s Courthouse, North of Asheville and South of Asheville in Boone, Blowing Rock, Highlands, Mt. Jefferson. Great Smoky Mountains-Newfound Gap, Alum Cave Bluffs, Chimney Tops. About the Second Week of October.
● Western North Carolina ( 3,000-4,000 ft) – Asheville area North and South. Craggy Gardens, Beech Mountain, Boone, Blowing Rock. In the GSM go to Ramsey Cascades, Cataloochee Valley, and Gatlinburg. About the 2nd or 3rd week of October
● Western to Central North Carolina (2,000- 3,000 ft) – The city of Asheville, Biltmore Estate, Sylva, DuPont State Forest. In the GSM visit Oconaluftee, Cherokee, Cades Cove, and Townsend. Mid-October to late October
● Central North Carolina (1,000-2,000 ft)- Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, South Mountain State Park in late October to Early November
Here is a Map Showing Typical Fall Foliage Peak Colors Time Table in the Great Smoky Mountains
GSM Fall Foliage Map (from Visit My Smokies)
Here is a Map of North Carolina Showing Typical Fall Foliage Peak Colors Time Table
NC Fall Foliage Map (Conceived by Howard Neufeld and Michael Denslow,
Map Constructed by Michael Denslow)
Type of Tree Depends on Color Display!
The type of tree determines the color the leaves will turn during the fall foliage season. It is not just a random process. Different types of trees will turn a specific shade during autumn. All the different varieties of trees in the Great Smoky Mountains make all the different colors on display during the fall foliage season.
The leaves of these trees will turn a yellow or golden color:
Tulip Poplar, Birch, Black Cherry
The leaves of these trees will turn a red or maroon shade:
Dogwood, Sourwood, Shining Sumac
The leaves of these trees will turn an orange, brown or russet shade:
Hickory and Oak Trees
Different types of Maple trees have their own fall foliage shade:
Sugar Maple leaves turn an orange-red shade.
Black Maple leaves turn a glowing yellow shade.
Red Maple leaves turn a bright scarlet or orange shade.
Fall Foliage Coloration Guide Showing What Colors Develop From Different Trees
Fall Foliage Coloration Guide (image by WV Division of Forestry)
A General Guide to the Fall Foliage Season for the Great Smoky Mountains
When and Where
October 4-10
The highest elevations 5,000 to 6,000 feet and above in the Great Smoky Mountains, will start to show color first. North of Asheville in North Carolina 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 Clingmans Dome, Mt. LeConte, Newfound Gap, Andrews Bald, Balsam Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Beech Mountain, Craggy Gardens, Grandfather Mountain and Rough Ridge.
October 8-18
Fall foliage color will then start to appear in elevations that are 4,000 to 5000 feet. Areas including 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. Try Alum Cave Bluffs, Chimney Tops or Ramsey Cascades to see colors during these weeks.
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 about 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. Also, Boone, Blowing Rock, Stone Mountain Park, Cashiers and Hanging Rock.
October 20-30
In the GSM color will be good at Cataloochee Valley and Oconaluftee. Elevations of 2000 to 3000 feet are showing color by now. 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 color show nears its end in the Chimney Rock area with an elevation of 1,300 feet although Chimney Rock summit is at 2880 feet.. Visit Chimney Rock and Lake Lure for a last look at the beautiful fall foliage season in the North Carolina mountains. In the Great Smoky Mountains head to Cades Cove and Cherokee.
Links to Web Cams showing fall foliage:
Purchase Knob Webcam Link live view and Look Rock Webcam Link live view.
Enjoy!
More Resources For Fall Foliage Reports
Travel Blue Ridge Parkway – specific to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina as well as Skyline Drive in Virginia, Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
North Carolina Travel – fall foliage reports and updates specific to the North Carolina mountains including Asheville, Boone, Blowing Rock, Grandfather Mountain, Cashiers and Highlands and Chimney Rock
Photos from past fall foliage seasons in the Great Smoky Mountains.
