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Fall Foliage

 

Hawksbill Mountain, fall foliage

Spectacular Fall Colors Come to the Blue Ridge Mountains

Skies bluer than sapphire.  Leaves like a blazing sunset, burnished gold and crimson, shimmering in the breeze.  The scent of wood smoke on the crisp autumn air.  Fall in the North Carolina mountains is an experience visitors return to again and again in order to enjoy the Blue Ridge Mountains fall foliage.

Hundreds of miles of scenic byways and back country roads wind through the region, with overlooks and turnouts that offer breath-taking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains decked out in their finest fall colors.

Along the way, farm stands offer apples just off the tree, fresh cider, and plump pumpkins as orange as the leaves overhead.  Corn mazes, hay rides, and fall festivals abound for the delight of “leaf peepers” and residents alike. The colors and beauty of fall foliage in the North Carolina mountains is unforgettable.

 Check Out These Links to the Best Color

Elevation and cooler nights dictate Nature’s timeline on when leaves begin to turn. Leaf colors emerge as green-colored cholorophyll begins to break down, revealing the underlying yellow, orange and red pigments covered by summer’s green. Fall color appears first in the reds of sourwoods, dogwoods and red maples. The yellow, orange and red of walnut, tulip poplar and other maples, beech and birch show up next. The season ends with the darker reds and browns of oaks. And the leaf show progresses from the High Country down the Parkway into the Balsams and the Nantahala mountains.

Check out these links to scout out the best shows through the peak weeks in October.

Watauga Online

RomanticAsheville.com

Explore Asheville Fall Forecast

 See the Fall Colors On the Road and On the Trail

Jackson Bear shadow
Fall phenomenon in Jackson County, the “shadow of the bear” appears in late October.   Photo by Jerry Jaynes.

View from your car or motorcycle, or get out in the woods for a close encounter! Blue Ridge Parkway fall foliage is one of the most popular experiences for visitors and residents alike that want to enjoy the incredible colors of autumn and beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Some of these sites are featured in spectacular photography on romanticasheville.com, shared with us by permission of Mark File.