How to Find Peak Fall Foliage in NC

Don't let high gas prices keep you from enjoying fall foliage in nc this year. With a little planning, web searching and a little help from the locals, you can find peak foliage without it costing you an arm and a leg.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Road Map of NC
• Camera
• Light jacket or sweater
• A keen eye

1. First things first, if you are trying to minimize your driving, first decide what mountain regions are closest to you and when you would like to travel. Leaves begin turning at the end of September and continue into November. Elevation typically determines timing with higher elevations reaching peak weeks before lower ones.

2. 
   Map courtesy of Google 2008.

   Focus on the western NC region. This is a large area encompassing areas just east of Murphy, NC at the western end of the state all the way to Boone near the middle of the state. Since leaves don't change all at the same time, having a large area to explore gives you plenty of time to find the peak foliage.

3. As mentioned, elevation is a key determinant of timing. The highest point in NC, Mt. Mitchell, begins her transformation the last week of Sept/first week of October, depending on weather. This is roughly the same time that color emerges in the Linville Gorge and Grandfather Mountain region near Boone. Color continues to blanket the mountains and move down the slopes to the foothills as the season progresses.

4. Check out a few websites with up-to-the-minute forecasts like the official site for North Carolina tourism, visitNC.com They have a great fall foliage page (see resources at the end of this article)and a map that is frequently updated as fall approaches. Pay special attention to the "Where to See Color" page. The weather channel will also frequently have driving maps as well as weather forecasts for the area. Cold nights hasten the arrival of color so watch for that too.

5. Convention and Visitor bureaus like the Asheville CVB and Maggie Valley Chamber are great places to find area specific information and get driving directions to off-the-beaten path areas. For finding honest, up-to-the-minute reports on color, however, user-generated content is best. People who are there know better than anyone what is going on and they aren't afraid to tell you when places are past peak. Just spend a little time Googling and you can uncover these blogs. You can als use CVB blogs as a jumping off point to get to individual blogs.

6. 
   Graveyard fields

   Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. At 45mph, you'll burn less fuel. This speed also allows you to see all the small patches of color you might miss along the way. Be alert for other leaf peepers who often take their eyes off the road while straining to glimpse some color. Graveyard Fields is a favorite photo location.

7. 
   Nov - Chimney Rock Park

   One of the cheapest and best ways to view foliage is on a hike. Visit area state parks where rangers can tell you about the area, explain how and why leaves change color and can be there should trouble arise.

8. Finally, be sure to stop and smell the cider along the way. There are plenty of arts and crafts and apple orchards to explore this time of year. Look for my other posts on these subjects.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch for "pocket color". Sometimes well before peak or even after peak, some areas due to sheltered climate or sudden change in elevation will have bursts of vibrant color when surrounding areas are still green or barren.
• Don't be discouraged by a little rain. On some drives you will literally be above the clouds and some of the best photos are of vibrant trees in the foreground with mist rising from the mountains below after a shower.
• Keep in mind that tourism is big business and the goal of CVBs and Visitor Centers is to get you to the area and get your head in a bed (to sleep there and spend money)so it is in their best interest to fudge a bit about the timing of "peak" to get you into town. It is better to rely on leaf peeper reports and local blogs.
• If you do decide to hike, don't hike alone and follow rules of the trail.
• Pay attention to your surroundings when taking photos. Plummeting off a waterfall or cliff is not the way to end your trip to the mountains.

Resources

• Hotels near Asheville
• Asheville Travel Blog by the Asheville CVB
• Maggie Valley Chamber GSM site
• NC Fall Color Report
• Suggested Driving Itineraries
• Blue Ridge Parkway Foliage
• Weather Channel Foliage Reports
• Other Articles by me

[Psalmist4M]

on 7/27/2008 One of my husband and my well kept secrets. We love going to Maggie Valley and Blue Ridge. Beautiful! Thanks for the article. christianwomenconnect.com