Last Weeks of Peak Color for 2013 in the Great Smoky Mountains and Where It is.

The word unusual is what best describes the peak autumn leaf color of 2013. Well pretty, late and long lasting work too. With all that said, I will even throw in unpredictable too.

I have been chasing fall color in the Smokies for 15 years now and so far the pattern has been very clear and predictable. This year's fall starting and peak color has lasted longer than usual in most locations, and most spots are later than usual and surprisingly much is out of synch making it more of a challenge.

The great news for everyone coming to the Great Smoky Mountains to appreciate the fall leaf colors is that the weather has been wonderful with virtually no rainy days and most of the time seasonably warm except when we got a light dusting of snow on the higher elevations along Newfound Gap, Clingmans Dome, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

All those sunny warm and dry days, has pushed the leaves to start changing color just a little latter than normal. It has also created more of an islands of color effect where spots of color appear caused by just a few trees close together change color more than large bands of color moving down the mountain at the same time.

Chimneys Overlook Fall Color
 

We have also seen where the fall color start and just stop as seen in the picture above taken at the Chimneys overlook 2 days ago where you can clearly see the tops of the ridge lost their leaves and was in peak last week, yet the lower part of the mountain that should be in peak right now is still in dark greens and yellows.

Normally when the top of this range is red, at least 300-400 feet below, the trees and bushes that change in the fall are very bright yellow and light green too. Clearly this is not the case.

Though peak color is at around 3,000 feet, a few spots such as along the Foothills Parkway Spur which more than 1,000 feet lower have dropped many leaves and have yet to peak color. The same can be seen in Cades Cove, Tremont, Greenbrier and Cataloochee.

Fall Color Middle Prong River Tremont
 

The picture above was taken yesterday at the Middle Prong River in Tremont where many trees have just turned yellow in the past 3 days. The bright reds and oranges are just around the corner.

The hiking trails in Tremont such as the West Prong Ridge Trail and the Lumber Ridge Trail are both very quiet and there is some fantastic color in spots that is only getting better by the day. Highly suggest both of these trails to see fall color and enjoy some tranquility.

The Middle Prong Trail in Tremont is much busier and has better color is spots. The 2 major waterfalls along the trail Lynn Camp Prong Falls and Indian Flat Falls have unusually light water flow, but are still very pretty.

Lynn Camp Prong Falls will be at peak color sometime late this week which may not last long. Indian Flats has mostly evergreens around it so anytime of the year is pretty.

Fall Sunrise in Cades Cove
 

Early mornings are beautiful in Cades Cove as pictured in sunrise this Sunday above. While peak color is working down the surrounding mountains ranges and should be still very bright and pretty into next week in parts, some of the color in the lower elevations never peaked and is surprisingly gone.

Don't get me wrong, with the help of some gentle moisture we could have an absolute riot of color still in Cades Cove as the trees with later colors to come out are still more than 80% green. At this rate we will have color into the second week in November.

Remember, Cades Cove does not open until sunrise to cars, but you are welcome to park At the orientation shelter by the entrance and walk in to watch the sunrise. Sunrise in Cades Cove is magical and before 9 am THIS LAST Sunday I saw bear, coyote, tons of deer and turkey.

The Cataloochee Valley about and 1-1/2 hours from Gatlinburg and its peak fall color is usually about 2 weeks ahead of Cades Cove due to the fact it is so much higher and generally colder as well.

Cataloochee Valley Fall Color
 

As you can see by the picture above taken 3 days ago, its fall leaf color is far from over along the peaks and down the mountainside.

Although the lower elevations along the valley floor are not very bright this year, just look in the distance and up the mountains and hill surrounding the valley and there is still plenty of great fall color to see.

Right now the best hiking trail to get the best fall leaf picture and enjoy stunning long range fall leaf season views is along the Cataloochee Divide Trail right at the park entrance.

Since the Cataloochee Divide Trail is not a loop, you can walk in a few minutes or hike in 10 miles or mile on this very easy trail. Take a break at the overlook with the large rock.

Down in the valley, Cataloochee is one of the best spots to see wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains other than Cades Cove. Of the more than 150 plus elk that live in the Smokies, more than 90 call Cataloochee home.

Elk Rut Cataloochee Valley
 

The elk rut, which is their mating season, is just about over. Some of the elk such as the one pictured above who obviously lost a battle with another elk over a potential mate must be glad their days of fighting will be over next week.

Unlike the peak fall color in Cataloochee the elks mating timetable seems to be right where it should be. You should be able to still get some great elk photos with fall color in the background for at least another week or so. Far later than normal!

So where is the best fall color right now in the Great Smoky Mountains that should also be very bright, colorful and beautiful this coming weekend? the Foothills Parkway West in the photo below from yesterday is the place to go!

Foothills Parkway West Fall Color
 

Not only will the 18 mile long scenic drive thrill you will great colors surrounding you on both side of the road, make use of the pullouts on both sides of the road. The northern pull outs look out past Walland, Maryville, Townsend, Alcoa and all the way out to Knoxville. Best night view in the Smokies.

On the Southern facing pull outs you are looking out at the Great Smoky Mountains national park and in some cases down into Happy Valley as well. In my opinion, some of the best views in the Great Smoky Mountains are right off this roadway and they are never more beautiful than during fall.

Sunrises and sunsets off of the Foothills Parkway West are fantastic. If I could choose just one time, it would be sunrise when the fog can fill the valleys below. Indescribable.

So what is the best part of the fall peak leaf season for 2013? The fact that since it is running so late and lasting so long, that so many more people can enjoy it than usually can.

Where it is usually impossible to take advantage of any special deals on good cabin rentals, because the season should be over, there are still some cabin rentals left at the lower November rates and you can use the coupon below for an additional 10% discount!

Last Minute Cabin Rental Discount
 

Winter Heritage Festival celebration of Cades Cove, Tremont and Townsend in full swing

Townsend Tennessee is the place to be this weekend of for historical, musical and education fun along with guided tours of Cades Cove, Elkmont and Tremont in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Experience the people of the Great Smoky Mountains national park, their music and all about their lives and have a great time doing it!

Listed below is the schedule for Saturday February 7th.

Programs at Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center

• 9:00 am -ll:00 am: "Growing Up in Cades Cove , With the Park" presented by Ruth Caughron Davis and Judy Myers Johns
• 1l:00 am -1l:30 am: "Growing Up" presented by questions and answers
• 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Dulcimer Music" presented by Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club
• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Hiking the AT" presented by Debbie Way and Pam Reddoch
• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: "North Carolina Smokies, the Other Side" presented by Allen Coggms
• 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm: "Peace of Ground" Video

Programs at Cades Cove (Meet at Primitive Baptist Church)

• 1:30 pm - 3:00pm: "Cemetery Stroll" with GSMNP Ranger Ann Schlichting

Programs at Cades Cove Heritage Tours

• 1:00 pm - 4:00pm: "Trip around the Loop with Special Guest, to be announced" Meet Cades Cove Heritage Tours at depot. Call (865) 448-8838 for reservations.

Programs at Hemlock Hall. Dancing Bear

• 9:00 am - 10:00 am: "Tuckaleechee Cove Archeology" presented by Dr. Boyce Driskell
• 10:00 am - 11:00 am: "Native American Flute Music" presented by Randy McGinnis
• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm: "Early History of Great Smoky Mountains National Park" presented by Steve Cotham

Programs at Little River Railroad Museum (All programs begin at the Museum)

• 10:00 am - l:00 pm: "Elkmont Tour" presented by Raymond Palmer
• 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: "Tremont Walking Tour" presented by Ron Briggs
• 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: "Townsend Walking Tour" presented by Don Headrick
• 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: "Whistle Over the Mountains" presented by Jim Thurston

Programs at Look Rock

• 4:00 pm - 5:30pm: "Photography from the Foothills Parkway" presented by Ann Froschauer. Meet at Look Rock Parking Area. (Inclement weather which is doubtful, meet at the gate at the Walland end of the Parkway)

Programs at Talley Ho Inn

• 8:00 am - 9:00 am: "Winter Stretch and Warm-up", Yoga/Pilates Class for all levels with Maria Talley.
• 10:00 am - ll:00 am: "Traditional Mountain Remedies" presented by Ila Hatter
• 1l:00 am - 12:00 pm: "Early Bird Gets the Worm" presented by Kim Hainge
• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Hills, Hollers, and Harmonies, Music of the Smoky Mountains" presented by GSMNP Ranger Lisa Free
• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: "Founding of a National Park" presented by Tom Harrington.
• 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: "This Land of Change" presented by Mike Meldrum
  
• 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: "Mountain Tunes and Tales" performed by, The Woodpickers

Programs at Wesley Woods

• l:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "History Hike in Capshaw Valley" with Bill Hayes. Meet at Tipton Lodge

Fall color report for late October 2008 in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Late October in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is peak for color in the higher attitudes in both Tennessee and North Carolina and the fall color in the leaves are working their way down from the mountain peaks slowly down to the valleys.

There a many reasons why the Great Smoky Mountains national park is so fantastic in the autumn to see the leaves change color in October and November. 2 reasons are that there are more than 100 species of trees in the park and that there is more than 4,000 feet in elevation range from the mountains tops the valleys.

The result of all of the species of different trees all in one place that change color sis that they will all change colors at different times, in different shades and with different intensities. Add into this great diversity of color and timing of the peak of each type of trees leaves and add in the major changes in elevation and you have a leaf season that starts in early October and you can find great color until mid or late November.

Cades Cove in the picture above taken yesterday is not even close to having peak beginning on the valley floor. The deer and coyote are sporting their winter coats and the bear are busy collecting acorns and eating as much as they can to take them through the winter.

The Great Smoky Mountains has many other sections in the park and we will take you through the best place to see the fall colors right now on the Smokies and where they will be.

Once of the best places to take a hike right now in the Great Smoky Mountains national park to see the fall colors is in the higher elevations by Cove Mountain, Wear Valley and Round Top trail that will take you all the way to the Townsend Wye, of course you don't have to hike in far to see great sights.

As you can see by the picture of the bright red leaves on the tree the colors are already stunning. There are also bright yellows and mixes of orange, light yellow and still plenty of deep green of trees which have not changed yet, rhododendron and some yellow pine.

Get off Little River Road at the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area and take the bridge over the river and keep going uphill until you reach the trailhead parking on either round top on the left or the Hiking Trail to Little Greenbrier on the right. Both trails will be great for weeks.

Another section of the national park close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge is Elkmont section pictured above where a lot of the logging operations took place prior to the formation of the national park.

Since the bottom of Elkmont is one of the lower elevations on the park you are just going to see the start of the color changes here right now. Elkmont has many great hiking trails and they will all take you to higher elevations where the color is better.

One of the nicest and easiest hiking trails to take in Elkmont to see the fall colors is along the Little River Trail. Here you will see the yellow and golden brown leaves already on the trail floor and floating on the river alongside the trail. Giant rock boulders in the river form many small waterfalls and the higher up you hike the better the color becomes.

This is a very easy smooth trail that was a railroad grade and logging road so it is very easy to hike. You do keep on climbing though the further you go in and if you take the Goshen Prong branch of the trail you will reach the peak of the park on the Appalachian Trail where you will find amazing fall colors.

Between Elkmont and Cades Cove just after the Townsend Wye you will find the turnoff to taker you to Tremont - another section of the park that used to have large logging operations.

In the lower elevations of Tremont you will also find most of the trees have not started to change colors but there are some very pretty patches of yellows and reds that are growing more intense by the day.

The gravel road in Tremont travels along the river. Get out on some of the pull outs and just soak in the beauty of this area.

The gravel ends up at a trailhead parking area. Even if you don't want to hike far, just go in 15 minutes and sit at the bench and take in one of the nicest waterfall cascades in the park. Again this is a relatively smooth trail that keeps climbing and the higher you go the better the color is.

Expect this trail to be great until mid to late November!