Peak Fall Leaf Season in Cades Cove Part of the Great Smoky Mountains

There is no questioning that this weekend will be the peak leaf season for Cades Cove Tennessee, which is the most visited part of the most visited park in the United States: The Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Yesterday when driving around and hiking in Cades Cove you can clearly see that there are a few days to go before all the leaves colors into brilliant shades from the mountain peak to the valleys and even before getting to the valley, brilliant fall color can be seen on any road or trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Cades Cove Fall Peak Color

As you can see by the picture I just took in Cades Cove above, there is still plenty of green but also some very brilliant fall color!

We have not had any real precipitation for quite a while in the Smokies and the next 2 days we are guaranteed to get some. This should make what leaves are very green last longer on the trees and as long as the winds stay low, only blow of the poorer colored brown leaves so we can see the brighter fall colors in the trees even better.

Little River Road has some must see spots as soon as you leave the Gatlinburg Area on the way to see the fall color in Cades Cove. The fall color is at peak along the Laurel Falls Trail which is a very easy paved walkway up to a very pretty waterfall about 3 miles from the visitor center in the Sugarlands.

Just before the Laurel Falls parking area are 2 pull out parking areas with spectacular long range and short range views of the fall color. Be sure to get some pictures here!

When you leave Laurel Falls you go by Elkmont. While not quite yet peak in many areas of Elkmont, spots of the early fall color are already bare so while taking a few boulder shots here in the river would be nice, you do better to push on to Cades Cove where the color is much better.

Past the Metcalf Bottom Picnic area which will be on your right will be a parking area on the left for the waterfall area known as the Sinks. Unless there is no parking left, be sure to spot here and take a few pictures of the leaves and the waterfalls and boulders.

Watch for a rock wall on the left with parking about a 1/2 mile past the Sinks and you will be able to see Meigs Falls which I just took a video of yesterday. As you can see the yellows are getting brighter and so are the reds and oranges around it so by the weekend it will be stunning!

You may want to park along the Townsend Wye on the way to Cades Cove. This very photogenic spot will let you have some great pictures of fall color reflecting in the water along with rocks in the river and the rock wall.

As you continue toward Cades Cove you start to climb up to a Gap which has a pullout. The leaves are around here are just starting to hit peak fall color yesterday and should be great for the weekend.

Once you are in Cades Cove I would suggest taking the Loop Road around all 11 miles. Many of the cabins and churches are past peak, but just look up around the mountains and you will be able to see breathtaking fall color at its finest.

I would also suggest if your car can handle it to take Rich Mountain Road out of Cades Cove as you are then right in the best fall peak color of Cades Cove and can see great views when looking down into the valley.

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.