Guide to Fall Foliage in the Smokies

One of the best (and busiest!) times to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is during the month of October - the peak season for fall foliage when the park comes alive with a blaze of brilliant red, orange and yellow leaves. Some of the best colors can be viewed along Newfound Gap Road, the 32-mile stretch of U.S. 441 that leisurely winds from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to Cherokee, North Carolina. Beautiful fall scenery abounds within the 4,000-acre Cades Cove valley, which features preserved pioneer homesteads, historical churches, an old mill, hiking trails and an abundance of wildlife. However, be aware that Newfound Gap Road and Cades Cove are also usually the most congested areas during this time of year.

Other prime leaf-peeping opportunities include Clingmans Dome Road, which winds up to 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the Smoky Mountains; the Blue Ridge Parkway, which stretches 469 miles, connecting Virginia's Shenandoah National Park with Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina; Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail; land the Foothills Parkway. Suggested hikes include the Appalachian Trail, Inspiration Point on Alum Cave Trail, Look Rock Tower, Oconaluftee River Trail and Sutton Ridge Overlook. Typically, fall colors in the Smokies usually reach their peak in the mid and lower elevations between mid-October and early November, during which visitors can view colorful trees such as hickory, red maple, scarlet oak, sugar maple and sweetgum.

For more information about fall foliage in the Great Smoky Mountains, visit the official Great Smoky Mountains National Park website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm.

With great weather, colorful foliage, a multitude of lively festivals and a diversity of accommodation choices, the Great Smoky Mountains provide the perfect fall vacation destination. The fall traveler can choose from either resorts, hotels and motels convenient to downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, or rustic cabins and chalets nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains. For instance, Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort offers great deals on spacious accommodations that provide easy access to Smoky Mountain area attractions, including Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Dollywood. For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com.

Fall Foliage Video