Fall Foliage on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The fall foliage season is a beautiful show each year along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The fall foliage changes start in the higher elevations, typically about the first week of October, and will work its way down to the lower elevations in mid-November. Due to the varied elevations of the mountain ranges along the Blue Ridge Parkway, you can always find the best show of color somewhere in the fall months of October and November. The biggest factors involved in the changing colors of the foliage are elevation and the weather. The warmer the weather, the slower the progression but an early frost will speed up the color change as well as cold nighttime temperatures.

Elevation Levels Along The Blue Ridge Parkway Vary

Peak color happens in the highest elevations (over 4000ft) first and works down to the lower elevations. Color changes can start in late September and continue into early November, depending on the elevation and the weather. Elevation levels along the Blue Ridge Parkway vary. Since elevation is key to fall foliage development, knowing when and where to visit is important.

The first area along the Blue Ridge Parkway to show color is in North Carolina. These areas have the highest elevations. Grandfather Mountain is predicted to peak first because of its elevation of 5946 feet. Mount Mitchell and Craggy Gardens are included in the first-to-peak locations along the parkway. These highest elevations typically peak the first week of October. Rough Ridge will also be another location to have color by the first of October. Color then spreads and peaks into the mid-elevations, usually about the second and third weeks of October. The lower elevations normally peak in late October and early November. 

 

 

Elevations And Color Progression On The Parkway

With the many different levels of elevation along the Blue Ridge Parkway and surrounding areas, there is always a nice showing of color somewhere during the fall foliage months. On the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, leaves will start to change first near the end of September at these locations: Craggy Gardens, Graveyard Fields, Waterrock Knob, and Grandfather Mountain. Then colors start to work their way down to mid-elevations. Peak color is generally in mid to late October. Elevations along Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway range from 650 ft to over 6000 ft depending on the location.

Along the 469-mile length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the elevation ranges are vast. The lowest elevation at 650 feet on the parkway is in Virginia along the James River. This area is located at about Milepost 63.7 on the parkway in Virginia. The parkway’s highest elevation is in North Carolina south of Mt. Pisgah. It is at Richland Balsam with an elevation of 6,053 feet at about Milepost 431. This makes a ride on Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina a perfect place to view the fall foliage in the autumn. Somewhere along the Skyline and Parkway in October, there is always some colorful fall foliage to view.

The fall foliage show always starts in the highest elevations in the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia and continues to spread down through the lower elevations into early November. The North Carolina and Virginia mountain ranges along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive have a wide variety of elevations. These varying elevations spread out the fall foliage show over a 4-6 weeks period.

 

The key to the development of fall foliage depends on the weather.  One of the most important ingredients 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 prior to autumn. A dry summer is not good. Drought conditions stress the trees and leaves drop early. Next needed is a cool, dry and sunny autumn (warm sunny days and cool but frostless nights). Some years the colors are more vibrant than in other years. It all depends on the weather leading up to autumn and the weather during autumn.

 

 

Here is a map from the Virginia Department of Forestry for Typical Fall Foliage Dates In Virginia

 

 

Here is a 2022 Updated Map Showing Typical Fall Foliage Dates for the North Carolina Mountains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chart Showing Fall Foliage Coloration Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips On Viewing The Annual Fall Foliage Show Along The Parkway

• A great tip when planning a ride to the Blue Ridge Parkway or Skyline Drive during the fall foliage season is to not concentrate your trip to just one area. Plan to drive a few hours in one direction, going either north or south. This way you will travel through different elevations. As you wind around the mountains, you will be able to see east and west-facing mountains. This way you will get a better chance of seeing peak and near-peak colors.
• Colors start to change after the first frost in the highest elevations first. The highest elevations along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina are Grandfather Mountain, Craggy Gardens and Graveyard Fields.
• With so many different elevations along Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway almost anywhere you go during the middle to late October, you will see peak colors somewhere. 
• Skyline Drive is 105 miles long and located in Virginia. The elevations in this area are not as high as the elevations along the  Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long across Virginia and North Carolina. North Carolina mountain ranges have the highest elevations. Color changes will take place here first.
• Know the weather before you make any travel plans. If storms, rain or fog are in the forecast the colors will be muted in photos. Try to pick a clear sunny day to view the fall foliage. Pictures on clear sunny days will result in more colorful pictures.

 

Great areas to view the Blue Ridge Parkway fall foliage show are:

Shenandoah National Park

Hawksbill Mountain – elevation of 4,051 ft with the summit of Hawksbill Mountain the highest point in the Shenandoah National Park.

Humpback Mountain – elevation of 3,080 with a massive greenstone outcrop near the peak of Humpback Mountain.

Mabry Mill – a watermill located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 176.2 in

Floyd County, Virginia. It is a popular tourist attraction on the parkway because of the watermill and in the fall the setting is a great place to take pictures.

Old Rag Mountain – summit elevation of 3,291 feet (1,003 m), located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Madison County, Virginia.

Neighbor Mountain is a mountain in Page and Rappahannock Counties, Virginia, Neighbor Mountain summit is in Page County in the Shenandoah National Park. The elevation level is 2612 feet.

Pignut Mountain – in Rappahannock County, Virginia. The elevation is 2535 ft. The mountain is entirely undeveloped. There are no trails or roads leading up the mountain but overlooks have beautiful views of the mountain.

Knob Mountain – in Page County, Virginia.  The summit is located inside the Shenandoah National Park with an elevation of 2,671 ft. Jeremy’s Run Overlook on Skyline Drive is a great place to view Knob Mountain.

● Skyline Drive

A scenic 106-mile drive through the Shenandoah National Park with  75 overlooks that offer panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the rolling Virginia hills of the Piedmont region to the east. While driving along Skyline Drive it is quite common to see deer, black bears, wild turkeys, and other animals that call the Shenandoah National Park home.

● Great Smoky Mountains

Kuwohi – the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with an elevation of 6,643 feet.  The observation tower at Clingmans

Dome can have spectacular 360° views of the Great Smoky Mountains. On clear days views can reach over 100 miles, but most days the view is limited to about 20 miles due to air pollution, clouds, rain or fog.

Mt. LeConte – with an elevation of 6,593 feet. It is the third-highest summit in the Great Smoky Mountains. The three peaks of Mt. LeConte can be seen for miles around including Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Wears Valley, Tennessee.

● Asheville NC  area

Biltmore Estate, Winery, Gardens and Antler Village

● Boone and West Jefferson area

Grandfather Mountain – near Linville, North Carolina with an elevation of 5,946 feet. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes by the south side of Grandfather Mountain. Exit at Milepost 305 on the Blue Ridge Parkway to get to Grandfather Mountain.

Mt. Jefferson State Park – West Jefferson, NC in Ashe County. Mt Jefferson has an elevation of 4,660 ft.

● Blue Ridge Parkway

Normally about the very last of September or the first or second week of

In October the leaves start changing in the highest elevations (above 5000 feet). The second to third-week elevations above 4000 feet start the change. Mid-October the show is well underway and includes the 3000-4000 feet elevation areas. By late October and early November the lower elevations of 1300 feet are changing. By the second week in November, the peak season and the show is all but past for the mountain regions of North Carolina and Virginia.

The typical best times to plan a trip to view fall foliage on the Blue Ridge Parkway based on the past years would be:

● Western Virginia – Early to Mid October
● Central Virginia and Lower Mountain Elevations – Late October to Mid-November
● Western North Carolina Highest Elevations – Late September to Early October
● Western North Carolina – Mid-October
● Western to Central North Carolina – Mid-October to Late October

If planning a trip to view the Blue Ridge Parkway fall foliage here is a week-by-week guide:

October 3-10

North of Asheville 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 Mount Mitchell, Craggy Gardens, Grandfather Mountain and Rough Ridge.

October 8-18
Shenandoah National Park in the highest elevations, such as Hawksbill Mountain. Fall foliage color in North Carolina will then start to appear in elevations of about 4,000 feet in elevation. Areas include 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.

October 15-24
Humpback Mountain and Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park. In the surrounding mountains of Asheville, there is plenty of color in the 2,000-3,000 foot elevation range. A ride north or south on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville will be a beautiful trip 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 in the Linville Gorge would be a nice fall foliage driving trip up toward Blowing Rock and Boone.

October 20-30
Shenandoah National Park in the lower elevations like Neighbor Mountain and Knob Mountain. 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 fall foliage colors. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is also at peak leaf color during the latter part of October.

October 24-November 5
Central Virginia areas like Charlottesville and Roanoke are near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The color show nears its end in North Carolina in the Chimney Rock area with an elevation of 1,300 feet. Visit Chimney Rock and Lake Lure for a last look at the beautiful fall foliage season in the North Carolina mountains.

Take a look at some fall foliage along the Blue Ridge Parkway in October…

 

Fall Foliage along the Blue Ridge Parkway! It’s too pretty to miss this year or any year!