Peak Leaf Color Season Dates In Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains for 2012

Autumn in the Smokies is breathtaking at peak leaf season and it look like our predictions for 2012 fall peak color were right on target and better yet, the weather has so far been conducive to more great color which should be around into November!

Where should you go to see the best fall color right now? Right now, the fall color views are from the very highest elevations in the Great Smoky Mountains. For example , there is still color which can best be seen along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Foothills Parkway near Cosby and the Parkway near Walland and Townsend, and of course, all along Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg and Cherokee.

Just look at the picture of the fall color on Newfound Gap Road above taken yesterday at the Carlos Campbell overlook about 4 miles from the city limits of Gatlinburg Tennessee.

As you can see, there are still plenty of light greens and yellows higher up Mount Le Conte and out into the Greenbrier and Sugarlands valley so there will be plenty of color for weeks to come.

The drive is still nice along the highest parts of Newfound Gap Road US 441 where you can look down to the great color unfolding beneath you. You should be able to enjoy this spectacular view of the peak fall foliage in the Great Smoky Mountains national park for at least the next 2 weeks.

The best time to photograph the great fall color high up in either the Great Smoky Mountains national park or along the Blue Ridge Parkway with its entrance that is near the brand new Oconaluftee Visitor Center is the first hour and a half after sunrise and before sunset.

Another great place to catch sunrises and sunsets where you can look down on great peak fall color right now is along Clingmans Dome Road and especially at Clingmans Dome itself. The cloud formations along can be breathtaking, throw in some great Smokies fall foliage with bright color and perfect lighting and you have the picture of a lifetime.

Fall Peak Color in Cades Cove

Considered one of the most picturesque places in the Southeastern United States, Cades Cove is an incredibly popular placer to drive, hike or bike the 11 miles to see fantastic fall color. It is also a great place to see our famous black bear, white tail deer, turkey and a host of other wildlife.

Since Cades Cove ranges in elevation from around 1,400 feet on the valley floor to the more than 5,000 feet on some of the peaks that look down into the valley, the peak time to see fall color this year in Cades Code started more than a week ago and there will be very good color visible for the entire month of October.

Give yourself plenty of time to drive around Cades Cove during peak leaf season. The drive that normally takes an hour or 2 can now take 3 to 4 hours. Want to avoid the leaf peepers during peak season in Cades Cove? Come first thing in the morning on weekdays. Best bear sightings at that time too.

If you are looking to photograph great color in Cades Cove around the historical log cabins that dot the valley floor, the best color will start be around next weekend and may hold out for the rest of the month.

As you can see by the picture taken last night near Forge Creek Road in Cades Cove, only the early color changing trees have leaves in full color near the cabins.

Peak Leaf Season in Wears Valley
and The Brothers Cove Mountain Resort

Wears Valley is an area of the Smokies that borders the national park on the Tennessee side and is between both Pigeon Forge and Townsend TN, which is close to Cades Cove.

Both Wears Valley and Cades Cove are very similar concerning geography and when the leaf season falls at peak. The difference is Wears Valley is outside the national park so there are shops, restaurants and of course great cabins for rent in the Wears Valley area.

The most exclusive location in the Wears Valley area is the Brothers Cove resort. This secluded mountainside community looks out at Bluff Mountain, which is not yet at peak and runs from about 700 feet in elevation all the way up to 1,700 plus feet. Color is not in yet and the peak will be around 28th of October.

We will survey next the ridgeline communities such as Chalet Village, Ski Mountain and Ober Gatlinburg in Gatlinburg and Shields Mountain outside Pigeon Forge.

More About Peak Leaf Season in the Great Smoky Mountains:

• Peak Leaf Color Season Dates In Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains for 2012
• Peak Leaf Season Dates For Fall of 2012
• Smoky Mountains Fall Color Season: Where and When To See the Best Leaves In 2010