Fall colors at peak in the Sinks area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Fall colors here at the Smoky Mountains are just starting to peak in some areas and even though we had snow 2 days ago, yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with comfortable fall temperatures.

Many leaves have fallen early but that doesn't mean that you have missed the fall peak season for 2008. As a matter of fact the best and brightest colors are just starting to pop out all over the Smoky Mountains.

This fall report is for the Sinks area just off of Little River Road between Gatlinburg and Townsend Tennessee a short drive from Elkmont, Wears Valley and the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area.

The Meigs Creek Trailhead is at the Sinks parking area which is right by a bridge and is marked as a congested area by national park road signs and is located between Elkmont and the Townsend Wye.

The Sinks Waterfall is a popular place for people to come to year round to see the massive rocks, deep pools and the beautiful waterfall. Though people try to, this is not a place to swim due to very fast moving water and submerged rocks.

In the winter the sinks pools can freeze up and be careful if you are climbing on the rocks around the sinks when they are wet or icy as a slip can lead to a serious fall.

Sit here before hiking and take a few pictures of the falls and listen to the roar of the water. Look around and you will see most of the trees here have not even started to change colors or are just starting to lighten in color.

The Meigs Creek Trail is wide comfortable trail to hike on that only goes for about 3.5 miles. It passes through deep forests with beautiful huge trees, along a low ridge line, along the Meigs Creek and lower forests and back up another low ridge where it meets with other trails. The only warning is you will have to cross the Meigs Creek often and right now you can do so by walking on rocks and logs.

After you climb a very low hill, the beginning of the Meigs Creek Trail first travels in a lower elevation where you will see a few trees just starting to turn yellow. Expect to see plenty of birds and right now there a 2 bear very active in this area.

You will cross a small creek/wet area and start slowly ascending a series of switchbacks. Here on the switchbacks yellow and some colored leaves are all over the trail and forest floor and the large tress above and below the trail are just changing colors and will have weeks to go before they fall. Occasionally you will see a deer scampering up and down the hills side here.

After about 1/2 mile and a 500 foot elevation gain in on the Meigs Creek Trail you will come to a turn where in the trail and immediately the trail becomes dryer and warmer and within feet the color explodes!

Here is the best peak leaf color right now in this general area of the Smoky Mountains. Flaming reds, oranges, peaches and salmons are missed in with yellows and various shades of green. In the picture below taken on the trail yesterday you can see how deep blue and clear the sky was and how bright the colors in the leaves are.

Here on the ridge line you should keep walking and you will see plenty of yellow pine which will stay green up here year long. Look to the right and you will see mountain peaks all along side you.

These mountain peaks show how much longer the fall color will last. Look at the mountainside and right now you can see the dots of red and orange and yellow starting to turn against the deep dark green of the forest. This is why there is no best time to come see the fall colors in the Smoky Mountains as they last so long!

Take in the ridge line as you walk along it and be sure to look all around you are even along the trail floor small trees and bushes are bursting forth in a riot of color.

Eventually the ridge-line starts to gradually descend lower and lower and the colors slowly gives way to more green as the forest is just starting to gradually change color.

Lots of yellow leaves are on the forest floor here and you will start to have the Meigs Creek and tributaries more than 10 times before you reach the end of the trail.

If you brought along a camera take a picture of the leaves flowing on the top of the water showing of their colors and floating down the small waterfalls and around the rocks which you can use to cross the creek.

It's so quite here except for the sound of the water and the gentle sound of the leaves falling. This is a great spot to take a picnic lunch but be sure to pack up and take everything you brought into the woods back out with you.

Look in the trees, bushes and along the forest floor while you are hiking and you will see plenty of berries and nuts that will be a autumn feast to the large and small animals that live in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Alongside the trail and on the rocks and some of the logs you will see plenty of partridge berry plants (Rubiaceae Mitchella) in some areas. These small ground cover plants have deep green leaves and pretty bright red berries. If you are lucky and look hard enough you may still be able to find a few blooming as I did yesterday.

The hiking trail starts to now ascend and you will see some patches of fantastic fall color. The leaves of the ground are in a rainbow of glowing colors and you will hit patches of red and orange that would hurt your eyes if you stare at them!

You will also walk through a deep green tunnel of rhododendron bushes that will stay green year round. Many of the trees are still green here giving you an opportunity to see great fall colors for weeks to come.

Eventually the trail starts to ascend more steeply for a few hundred feet and you will come to the end of the trail where it meets 2 other trails. If you want to go further in and see more color at peak, go to the right and take the trail to Tremont.

This was not a hard hike and is right now one of the best places to see the fall colors.

If you could not make it this year, there is always next year to come stay in the Smokies and enjoy the best of the fall color.