Fall Colors On The Blue Ridge Parkway – When And Where
The ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall is one of the most beautiful times to tour the parkway due to the fall colors. Whether the drive is on the parkway in Virginia or in North Carolina it doesn’t matter, both areas in the fall offer a great showing of fall foliage. But there is some difference in the timing of peak colors due to the difference in elevation along the 469 mile long parkway. The highest elevation (over 4000 feet) will peak first with progression going down to the lower elevations a couple a weeks later. Peak colors will take place just days after the first frost in the different locations.
Virginia
Shenandoah National Park
In Virginia typical fall foliage peak colors can be from October 10-20 in the far western region of Virginia (the mountain region). The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests west of the Blue Ridge Parkway would be a good location and in the nearby town of Blacksburg.
In the Piedmont section of Virginia peak colors are typically October 15-25. The Shenandoah National Park would be a nice ride during this time period on Skyline Drive. The highest elevation on the parkway in Virginia is Hawksbill Mountain with an elevation of 4,050 feet. It’s located off Skyline Drive at milepost 45.6. Another area for a nice ride is from Waynesboro to Roanoke.
North Carolina
North Carolina has the highest elevations located anywhere on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A trip through the Great Smoky Mountains is where peak fall colors will happen first with elevations of 5000 feet or higher. The Blue Ridge parkway ends in Cherokee, NC. Cherokee is the southern entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The fall foliage show along the Blue Ridge Parkway will start in this area first where the highest elevations are. Typically peak colors in this are occur from October 4-10 due to the highest elevations (above 5,000 feet). Other areas above 5000 feet are located north of Asheville. Mount Mitchell, Craggy Gardens, Grandfather Mountain and Rough Ridge would be area to go to in the first weeks of October along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Blue Ridge Parkway
The mid elevations in the 3000-4000 feet range will typically peak October 15-24. A ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Asheville is a good choice these weeks. Boone, Blowing Rock, Sugar Mountain, Little Switzerland and the Pisgah National Forest would be some great areas for a trip to view peak fall colors.
In late October south of Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway is when fall foliage peak colors will typically occur in elevations of 2000 feet and less. The areas of Hendersonville, Brevard, Biltmore, Chimney Rock and Lake Lure would be the areas to view some great fall foliage colors in late October.
A ride south of Asheville toward Balsam would be a nice ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina to get that last chance to see some peak colors in late October.
Fall foliage weekly reports will start soon on Travel Blue Ridge Parkway in late September. Check back often!
Blue Ridge Parkway Fall Foliage
