Fall Color and Foliage Guide for 2026

Tens of thousands of people visit the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Georgia each year to see the beautiful fall colors and foliage. The Blue Ridge Mountains offer one of the most colorful and longest-running fall color seasons in the world.

One of the many reasons for this is the varied elevations of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which show prime fall colors for over a month. Fall colors begin at the highest elevations in early October and work their way down to the lower elevations until early November.

Updated: 7/24/2026 - Updated for the 2026 Fall Color Season.

2026 Fall Color Forecast for the Blue Ridge Mountains

One of the most common questions we get asked in our Facebook Group this time of year is: When is the best time to visit to see the fall colors?

Fall color varies from year to year, elevation to elevation, and even by the direction the mountainside is facing. To complicate matters, the intensity of the color is determined by several very complex factors, including the type of plant, the amount of rainfall, and temperatures.

Leaves change color at higher elevations first, and the color change works its way down in elevation.

Here is our current prediction for peak 2026 Fall Foliage for the Blue Ridge Mountains:

September 25 - October 1

At the highest elevations, at and above 6,000 feet, spotty and muted colors will appear. The views from these locations will be mostly green because the areas viewed from here are at lower elevations.  

Areas that turn early in this date and elevation range include primarily Graveyard Fields and Rough Ridge, both located off The Blue Ridge Parkway.

Graveyard Fields is consistently one of the first areas in the entire Blue Ridge Mountains range to show fall colors. Graveyard Fields is also incredibly vibrant because of the type of foliage that grows there. You'll often see lots of vivid reds and oranges during peak.

October 1 - 9

Peak time for elevations from 4,000 - 5,000 feet. This includes the higher sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway and many of the higher-elevation areas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Also included is Linn Cove Viaduct, which is gorgeous in the fall.

October 9 - 16

Peak time for elevations from 4,000 - 5,000 feet. This would include almost all Blue Ridge Parkway locations and most of the higher elevation areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well.

Also included is Linn Cove Viaduct, which is gorgeous in the Fall.

October 16 - 23

Peak time for elevations from 2,000 - 3,000 feet. This includes the cities and towns of Asheville NC, Brevard NC, Burnsville NC, Hendersonville NC, Saluda NC, the Roanoke VA area, and many others.

Also included are the lower sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Places of interest include DuPont State Forest, Biltmore Estate, and the Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway.

October 23 - 30

Peak time for elevations from 2,000 feet - 3,000 feet. This would include: The cities of Asheville NC,  Brevard NC, Bryson City NC, Burnsville NC, Cherokee, Hendersonville NC, and many others.  

Places of interest include Dupont State Forest and Biltmore Estate, Russell Brasstown Scenic Byway, and Cades Cove.  

October 30 - November 6

Peak time for the remaining lower elevations, generally below 2,000 feet. This includes Cherokee NC, Bryson City NC, Gatlinburg TN , Pigeon Forge TN, Chimney Rock State Park, Lake Lure NC, Cades Cove, Helen GA, Ellijay GA, Blue Ridge GA, and other remaining lower-elevation areas of North Georgia.

Please remember, these timeframes are estimates based on prior years and current weather and soil conditions. Actual peak times may vary some from this forecast.

More Fall Guides

Here are all of our fall color guides, from scenic drives, to destinations, to waterfalls and more!

What makes us an authority on Fall Colors?

Maybe you're wondering what makes us an authority? Well, we live here, and specifically in Waynesville NC. We've been doing this forecast for 10 years, and we're out in the fall colors each year updating our followers and this guide on color status and taking photos. We have a history of over 15 years of photos to know when various areas change colors.

As Fall 2026 approaches, we'll be out and about taking photos and reporting on current conditions and updating you in real time. If the color season changes, we'll update our forecast and let you know.

We also stay in touch with regional experts to get the latest information on current conditions and fall predictions.  

You'll find our dates and photos to be some of the most accurate available, and we always provide frequent updates WITH photos.

Fall Videos

Here are some of our latest Fall videos from our YouTube channel:

Fall Elk Rut Season

One highlight of Fall for us is Elk Rut Season, where Bulls put on a show, and often battle with other bulls over female Elk and territory. The "show" includes bugling, sparring with other elk, and herding their "harems" or groups of cows.

Elk Rut Season begins in mid-September and ends in mid to late October. See our Elk Guide for all the details, including photos and videos!

Fall Foliage Maps

The following maps will help you determine the best Fall Foliage times for various areas in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Western North Carolina Fall Foliage Map 2026

The following Fall Color Map is for Western North Carolina, and provided by the Biology Department at Appalachian State University:

Virginia 2026 Fall Foliage Map

The following Virginia Fall Foliage Map is from Virginia Department of Forestry:

Virginia Peak Periods:

• October 10 - 20 (Left Side of Map)
• October 15 - 25 (Center of Map)
• October 20-31 (Right Side of Map)

Tips for Fall Foliage Viewing and Photography:

1. Book reservations early. Hotels, Motels and Bed & Breakfasts will be filling up fast.
2. Be patient. There are lots of people here during the fall, and having a little patience will go a long way to making your visit far more enjoyable.
3. Bring your camera or phone. You never know when the perfect photo opportunity will present itself; be prepared.
4. Be prepared for weather changes. Weather in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains changes quickly, so don't be upset if you can't get any photos because of fog or rain. Just hang out for a bit and be patient. Chances are it will blow by and the sun may even come out. We've found that some of our best photos are just after a storm. Oh, and if you're coming in late October/early November, you might just get some snow too!  
5. Download maps or directions before leaving. Cell service is limited in many areas.
6. Stay on the roads. We see lots of people stuck trying to venture down some narrow mountain road, or trying to drive through grass they think is dry in order to get that "unique" photo. Stay on public, paved or maintained roads regardless of the type of vehicle you drive.”
7. Polarized sun glasses and a polarizing filter for your camera enhance fall colors and reduce glare.
8. Travel on the Parkway. If you are traveling the parkway, read over our Parkway Travel Tips.
9. Wear layers of clothing or bring a few extra jackets or sweaters. Temperatures here in the Blue Ridge can vary based on weather and altitude. Try to avoid cotton for under-layers and use "stay-dry" products with little to no cotton.
10. Mornings and evenings are the best times for photos. Midday sunlight is often too harsh. The benefit of getting out early or very late is that you'll avoid most of the crowd too and get great photos too!
11. Avoid thick clouds and fog in your photographs. If the sky is very cloudy and/or foggy, try to keep the fog and clouds out of your photos. The white of the clouds and fog is overwhelming and will just make your photo look smaller. As an example, see the waterfall photo below. Graveyard fields was completely clouded over that day, so when I framed the picture, I kept the sky out as much as possible.
12. Make sure you have plenty of gas. Some areas, especially on the parkway and in the national parks, are a long way from the nearest gas station.

• Visit Apple Orchards - Apple Orchards in the Blue Ridge make for a fun family adventure, especially in the fall. Activities include hayrides, playing games, picking your own apples, enjoying hot and fresh baked apple products, hot cider, and more! Learn more: Best Apple Orchards in Western North Carolina.
• Go Hiking! Check out our Blue Ridge family favorite hiking trails, and our favorite trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are tons of other trails too.
• Visit some Waterfalls - Waterfalls and fall colors make a great combination.
• See the Elk - Be sure and visit Cataloochee Valley, which is not only beautiful in the Fall, but full of Elk as well.
• Visit Maggie Valley NC and Waynesville, NC - Next to both the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it's the perfect mountain small town in Western NC.
• Visit small towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains, they are beautiful and so much fun.
• 25 Best Places to see Fall Colors! - See our guide to the very best places to see gorgeous Fall Colors.

Fall Colors Photo Gallery

Just a few of our favorite Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountain Fall photos we've taken over the years.