2013 Fall Peak Color In The Great Smoky Mountains Has Started!

After losing more than 2 weeks of being able to have full access to everything in the Great Smoky Mountains due to the government shutdown, everything turned around just in a nick of time to be able to catch to beginning of the 2013 fall peak color in the Smokies.

Even with the prospect of a government closure that kept people out of our beloved national park, it did not stop the leaf peepers from coming to the Smoky Mountains and who could blame them?

As a matter of fact it appears that what few regulars who come every autumn to the Smokies to see the leaves change each year that didn't show up were replaced by many new fist time leaf peepers. You just needed to drive through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tennessee to see how busy we were.

With the very wet spring, summer and early fall in North Carolina and now the mild temperatures with mostly sunny days, the fall peak leaf season is generally running a few days late in most areas and the same for Tennessee.

Normally you would expect to see a lot of bright reds at the highest elevations along with some deep maroons of early hardwoods starting to show for days now. Instead, yellows and oranges are still the dominant changing colors and the cooler weather that started last night is just starting to bring out the flame reds.

The Blue Ridge Parkways no has some areas of full peak and the light greens and yellows are as low as the Chimneys Overlook on Newfound Gap Road with full color stating on the Alum Cave Hiking Trail parking.

The vista at both Newfound Gap and the Oconaluftee Overlook just a little south of the Gap on the North Carolina Side is really starting to look beautiful. Further south at the swinging bridges overlooks you can see we have another week to be in real peak.

Fall Color at the Swinging Bridges

By the time you work just another 1,000 feet down in elevation along Newfound Gap Road, you are still predominantly dark and light green.

Little River Road, Lakeshore Road, the Foothills Parkway East and west all still mostly green and when you look up at the peaks in the distance the oranges and reds are getting more prevalent on the ridges every day.

For the most part, Cades Cove does not really have great color yet and the best way to enjoy it is long range looking from Rich Mountain across the valley. The hike to Gregory Bald is fantastic right now and will be for another week up top.

Looking Down at Cades Cove from Rich Mountain

Cherokee Orchard Road behind downtown Gatlinburg and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail have some nice color, but again this is really getting better by the day and will start peaking by the weekend. Be sure to past Grotto Falls and up to Brushy Mountain and the visibility has been good and the vista fantastic.

Cosby, Big Creek, Deep Creek and Elkmont all have spectacular color in spots as you hike up higher and best yet, the weather is amazing for hiking and though it is fairly crowed in the park, many trails are not overrun especially during the week.

The river in Greenbrier is just beautiful and has about 2 weeks of color left in spots. Do not miss out on Ramsey Cascades or the Pinnacles. Though the cascades water flow is light right now, the changing color in the forest is worth and the view from the Pinnacles today was breathtaking.

Greenbrier Tennessee - Pigeon River
 

Bluff Mountain, Ski Mountain and chalet Village all have some color coming in with a ways to go and Brothers Cove which is all decorated for fall looks like it will have some real vibrant color this year.

Be sure to take some pictures on the overlooks on the Gatlinburg Bypass which is a week to peak. The Spur leaves may drop before they hit peak as some have done in other places. If the leaves start falling here, be sure to check out Tremont which should be in peak at that time.

Fall Color in Cataloochee

The fall color will be peaking this week in Cataloochee and the elk are still putting on a show and rutting. Color will last into next weekend.

All said we will have good color this year and so far with real staying power. We may be a few days later than expected due to so many sunny days but then again, those were fabulous days to be outside enjoying the beautiful fall weather in the Smokies.

Related Fall Color Reports for 2013

• Fall 2013 Leaf Season Color for Great Smoky Mountains
• 2013 Fall Peak Color Smoky Mountains National Park
• 2013 Smoky Mountains Leaf Color Peak, Start and End

Fireflies, spring wildflowers, and other Great Smoky Mountains goings on for June.

The 2 major peak months for people to take vacations in the Great Smoky Mountains are July and October. However, June has become more and more popular every year as people have discovered that besides the great late spring early summer weather, there are less crowds, lots to do and nature shows us some spectacular events taking places in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains national park during June (pictured below) is filled with plenty of deer, wild turkey and black bear foraging around with a backdrop of mountains and a foreground of lush green fields with wildflowers still blooming. Drive, bike or hike this 11 mile outdoor cultural museum and nature preserve.

Spring wildflowers and flowering bushes can found throughout various elevations during June even though the season started in April and in many places peaked in May. Mountain laurel are still blooming throughout the park and the 2 native species of Rhododendron and now blooming as well.

To celebrate the great weather, find food and interesting culture found in the Smokies, there are plenty of events going on during spring such as the Cosby In Park Celebration, the Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass Festival in downtown Sevierville, the Smoky Mountain Pottery Festival in Townsend, Dollywood's KidsFest taking place at Dollywood, and 2 true miracles of nature: the synchronous fireflies and peak flowering of hybrid azalea bushes on Gregory Bald overlooking Cades Cove.

One of the most amazing sights the Smokies has to offer tales pace in the Elkmont section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park just outside of Gatlinburg.

During the 2nd and 3rd weeks of June, one of our fireflies performs a natural light show second to none in Elkmont. These fireflies flash on and off in a pattern which allows them to synchronize with thousands of other lightning bugs in sight. The flashing goes on and on and then all at once – darkness, then it starts all over again.

Since the discovery of this phenomenon only a few short years ago, the firefly show in Elkmont has become incredibly popular. So popular in fact, the Elkmont section of the GSMNP closes to motor vehicles. To get there you must take a trolley from the Sugarlands visitor center to Elkmont from June 4th to the 12th.

The Trolleys to the Elkmont firefly show cost $1 per person round trip and start departing at 7 pm. The parking lot and the trolleys fill up fast so it is wise to get there early. No pets allowed and everything you take on the trolley must fit on your lap.

While the synchronous fireflies, which are lightning bugs that all flash and go dark simultaneously can be enjoyable by anyone with little effort, the 11 mile road trip hike up to Gregory Bald to see the heath bald consisting of hundreds of flame azaleas naturally hybridized in a rainbow of colors with stunning 360 degree views of the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina requires considerably more effort and should only be tackled by those in good shape.

If an 11-mile hike is too much for you, but you still want to see great views and flame azalea bushes from a bald, Andrews Bald with its trail-head at the Clingmans Dome parking area is much more reasonable at less than 4 miles round trip.

Whether you choose to take a trolley into Elkmont to the spectacular fireflies of the Smokies, or sit in a mountain stream or river to cool off, or take an extreme hike the mountain peak where you will find the flaming azaleas blooming at Gregory Bald, you are sure to a have a great time in the Great Smoky Mountains during June.

Related Smokies Blog Stories:
Rare Synchronizing Fireflies Find Confirmed In Brothers Cove Resort in Wears Valley.

Fireflies synchronized light show season starts in Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Synchronous fireflies and admirers about to invade the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Cabins for rent where you can see the synchronized fireflies in the Smoky Mountains

Smoky Mountains firefly show in Elkmont near Gatlinburg

Elkmont Section of national park yearly visit by synchronized fireflies

Synchronized Fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains