Great smoky mountain

We were just on WNC side near Cherokee 10/17 to 10/22.

Colors are late this year due to warmer fall and lots of rain.

On the road across Newfound Gap, pretty much all the leaves are gone above 5K feet due to high winds 2 weeks ago. At 3-4K feet up and down the mountain, the colors are great. The valleys down around 2.5K feet are still mostly green. Grass is still green everywhere - they had not had a frost yet.

The Blue Ridge Parkway around Cherokee was by far the most color we saw.

I suspect you will nail it perfectly the weekend of 11/1. There's always color somewhere during this season, you just have to find the right elevation.

Thanks Appl....
These are nice. Informations
Gaetan

It's pretty much right at peak this weekend, so next week will be late for the max color. Next week's weather is supposed to be GREAT! Highs and lows in Gatlinburg are to be (highs and lows) 82 and 56 on Monday, 78 and 55 on Tuesday, 72 and 54 on Wednesday with a 40% chance of rain, 67 and 49 on Thursday with 50% chance of rain, and Friday is 59 and 39.

If you are in the mountains above Gatlinburg, it will be about 10 degrees cooler, but this is wonderful fall weather.

It should be a wonderful time to visit.


I would continue down I-81 until it ends, then hit I-40. Spend a day or two there are GSMNP. You can travel on down I-40W to I-75S, then to I-59S to I-65 to Pensacola. I don't know where you are heading in FL, but this will take you about 8 hours from the Gatlinburg area.

We plan on driving to the Park over the week-end. Fall Color Report - October 21, 2014 from the Parks website.

I was just there last week. You'll be on the very end of color above 3000 feet or so... I live an hour from there, and at 1500ft, we haven't hit the peak yet, probably a week away.

So, you'll be able to find color, it just won't be at high elevations.

I think it might be a great, less busy time to visit GSMNP. It might be on the tail end of the leaves or they might be gone at higher elevations and it could be anywhere from nice and warm to light snow again at higher elevations.