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.

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

Latest 2013 Great Smoky Mountains Fall Leaf Color Peak and the Start and End of Fall Color

If you look carefully you will see it. It's happening all around Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and in a few places in Sevierville too. They won't be ready to be turned on for a while, but when they do, boy will they shine!

What am I talking about? The Christmas Winterfest in the Smokies lights of course and you know what it means when they start putting up the Christmas lights in the Smoky Mountains? Fall color is right around the corner!

So far we are having what many feel is one of the nicest later summers and early falls in decades and they few days of rain we have gotten are just what the trees and bushes need to show off the most brilliant fall colors possible.

Temperature highs are still in the mid to low 70's during the days and the upper 50's to 60's which are ideal with the bright sunny days. This current trend will allow leaves to produce the most sugar and staying power for the brightest reds and oranges.

Early predictions for fall color in 2013 are very good and seem to be getting better by the day. The temperature drops have been consistent and steady and huge swings upward which would stress the leaves more have just not happened yet.

This year's Smoky Mountain acorn mast crop is also fairly sub-par, especially in white oaks. Combine this with a very good apple crop and all indications are for a long and brilliant fall peak leaf season for 2013.

So what will be peak fall color for the Great Smoky Mountains this year? Going by the spring wild flowers, bird and insect movement and the elk rut which was about a week late, it looks as though depending on elevation peak will fall from the early part of the last week in October for the valleys and as early as the 2nd week of October from 3,000 to 4,500 feet, sooner for up to 6,000 feet. Above that there is not really any color as you are in more fir environment which stays green year round.

While with a very damp Spring and Summer is behind us, current long term predictions are for an average fall precipitation and potentially cooler than normal temperatures. My opinion is it is just too soon to call it.

Some minor leaf color changes can already be observed at 1,500 feet and higher, dogwoods and sourwoods getting a burgundy to flame red color in a few branches above 3,000 feet today and lighting of the deep greens can be observed on Cove Mountain in Wears Valley, Some spots on Bluff Mountain, Shields Mountain near Dollywood, Mount LeConte and just below the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

I just returned from the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way to Mount Mitchell and so far a few bushes in the highest elevations are showing of color but we are a week or more away from brilliant color covering large swathes on Grape Yard Ridge, Looking Glass and the Balsam Mountain area which looks even further away.

Cades Cove and Roaring Fork are also showing no lighting and real fall color yet however there are a few spots high up on Rich Mountain Road the unimproved road between Cades Cove Loop Road and Townsend Tennessee.

You are sure to find nice color from the 1st week in October, great colors the second week and breathtaking the 3 and 4th week. Expect some color to still be good through the first week in November in areas such as Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. If conditions continue, it is possible there can be great fall color in some place for 2013 as late as the second week in November. It has happened before and so far the conditions are good for long staying color.

Fall Color Peak in the Great Smoky Mountains: Where to Go and What to Do Part II

We are at best of peak leaf season right now in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Wears Valley and Cades Cove will be the best places to see the best fall colors for 2012 through this weekend. Starting next week the last round of fall color will start in the leaves as reds and maroons from the hardwoods start to pop.

The highest elevations from about 3,200 feet and above are pretty much done already. The fall color this year was good high up in the Smokies even though we have had very few cold days - at this point just 2 light dustings of snow along the ridgelines and the Blue Ridge Parkway at the highest point. Most days are still in the 70's.

The best color now is at the lowest elevations from around 800 feet to 2,500 - perfect for road trips in and around Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Cades Cove still has color on the valley floor and up the mountainside. The picture below is from Cades Cove this week and yesterday it was in the 70's!

Black Bear are very active right now in the park and surrounding areas and will continue to be until December as they are foraging for acorns to fatten up for their winter sleep. The Deer are getting more active in rut so you can see male deer called bucks sparring - best seen in Cades Cove around sunrise and dusk. The elk rut is winding down fast and will be done by next week.

Along with bright colored leaves, fall means fresh local apples in the Smokies and there as some great places close by to enjoy them. In Pigeon Forge, visit Applewood just off the parkway. Outside Gatlinburg there is Baxter's Orchard on 321. Continue down 321 into Cosby for my favorite place for apples, apple cider and what locals call the best apple pie: Carvers. Their restaurant is top rated too!

Fall color and comfortable weather is a great time to take one of the many zip-line tours in the area. There is a zip line in Dollywood, 2 in Pigeon Forge, 1 outside Gatlinburg and a new zip line in Wears Valley.

Speaking of Dollywood, now is a great time to visit the world class top rated theme park Dollywood where you can enjoy comfortable weather, the Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration taking place until October 29th. The Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration is the biggest Southern gospel festival in the Smokies with free concerts! Rent a cabin and you can buy the cheapest Dollywood tickets around.

Don't have a great place to stay and you want to see the best of the best fall color this weekend? There are only a few cabins left and if you act fast you can get 10% off any cabin rental for this weekend by using discount rental code TLMR10. Click here to search for a cabin to rent. (discount applies to new cabin rentals only)

Fall Color Peak in the Great Smoky Mountains: Where to Go and What to Do Part I

If you are looking for the best peak fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains, it just does not get better than this! The next 2 weeks will be the best time to come to the Smokies to leaf peep and even 3 weeks from now, you will still be able to find great fall foliage colors in the Smokies.

This year the weather has not allowed for a very productive berry and acorn crop so animals such as black bear, elk and deer can be easily seen in and around the Great Smoky Mountains national park foraging for food. This year's weather in the Smokies has also another bonus for people coming here on vacation - bright brilliant fall colors from the mountain peaks to the valleys that will stick around longer than usual.

An early spring made for great wildflowers and being dryer than normal for much of the year, there were very few rain-out days where you had to sit in your cabin rental or worse yet, hotel room. This fall has also been dry with few storms and just enough moisture to keep the leaves on the trees, so as the days get shorter and the temperature drops we can have the most vibrant colors.

Weather predictions call for continued mostly dry weather - great for leaf peeping to see the best colors from your car or by hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains national park with just enough moisture to keep the leaves with fall color on the trees longer than usual.

As of today, there is peak color along the top of the Great Smoky Mountains and all along the Blue Ridge Parkway that starts right at the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Just along Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg Tennessee to Cherokee North Carolina the approximately 33 mile drive is loaded with fall color and there is still some vibrant greens in the lower elevations.

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) has dozens of pullouts where you can safely enjoy and photograph the great fall colors in the mountains, streams and rivers and the waterfalls that are all right by the roadway.

Some of the best sweeping vistas of fall color can be found by Newfound Gap at the Tennessee-North Carolina border. The best fall color this morning was at 3,400 and above. While you are up top, be sure to take the 7-mile drive up Clingmans Dome Road to the second highest point east of the Mississippi. Bring a jacket or sweatshirt, as it can be at least 10 degrees color up top than what it is in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge.

Great fall color can also be found on the other major roads in and around the GSM national park, such as the Foothills Parkway East between I-40 and Cosby, State Road 321 between Cosby and Gatlinburg, the Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Wears Valley Road 321 between Pigeon Forge and Townsend running through Wears Valley, and the Foothills Parkway West from Walland to the parks Abrams Entrance.

Roads inside national park that have the best drives to see the fall colors besides Newfound Gap Road are Little River Road Between Gatlinburg and Townsend, Laurel Creek Road from Townsend to Cades Cove, The 11 mile Cades Cove Loop Road (the mountains are covered in color!) and the 2 exit roads from the Cove: Rich Mountain Road to Townsend and Parsons Branch Road to the Dragons Tail.

There is also a lesser used motor trail just behind the city of Gatlinburg off Cherokee Orchard Road. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail has fantastic color and stunning vistas showing off great fall color, lots of black bear activity, historic cabins, barns and buildings and access to many hiking trails of various difficulties. The most stunning hiking trail right now to see fall foliage is the Trillium Gap Hiking Trail to Brushy Mountain - a moderate 6 mile round trip to the most stunning year round views in the park.

Between Gatlinburg and Townsend, just off Little River Road is the Elkmont section of the park where you can also see plenty of fall colors and easy access to the Little River Hiking Trail, which is very gentle to walk trail right along a beautiful river with many waterfalls, huge boulders and beautiful views and again, great fall color!

Lastly, fall color means it is also elk rut season in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. In 2001 and 2002 a total of 52 elk were introduced back into the wilderness in a remote part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. The herd now numbers 140 and the fall colors are at their best this week in the Cataloochee Valley where many of the large male bull elk bellow and fight each other to gather of group of female elk cows to mate.

If you have not seen elk in rut, this is not something to be missed. Best viewed the first and last 2 hours of daylight. Be sure to maintain at least the legal distance of 150 feet from any elk - or bear for that matter.

The 10 mile drive into the Cataloochee Valley and the roads within the valley have great colors and some stunning long sweeping vistas. For the more rugged, you can drive a 20-mile dirt road from Cosby all the way into Cataloochee.

The best location to stay in the Smokies to see the best fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains is in the Gatlinburg - Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee. There is nothing better than to come back to a beautiful cabin and after a great dinner, slip into a hot tub or watch the flickering flames in the fireplace with someone special.

Fall Color Peak in the Great Smoky Mountains: Where to Go and What to Do Part II will have up to the minute fall color updates as well as more activities that make the Smokies Americas favorite vacation destination.

Fall at Its Finest: Great Leaves – Great Weather - in the Great Smoky Mountains!

With winter right around the corner, the Great Smoky Mountains could not be any nicer! Though the leaves are past peak color, there is still some fantastic color around the Tennessee Smokies however; it is just about all gone in North Carolina.

All of the pictures here in this article were taken in the last 24 hours around the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge area of the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains. As you can see, the colors are bright and vivid and lots of the leaves are still on the trees even though most elsewhere around the country they are down on the ground already.

Some of the best places to see the fall color are still around the Foothills Parkway, some sections of Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, much of Wears Valley, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville Tennessee.

Some of the darker hollows and very high elevations in the Smokies have lost their color, but in places such as the Dollywood Theme Park and around the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, some of the trees have not even peaked in fall colors yet.

To make a trip to Dollywood even better on its 25th anniversary, right now even though it is in the upper 60s right now in Dollywood, the Smoky Mountains Christmas celebration is going on at Dollywood and there are plenty of discount tickets to go around!

Winterfest with its millions of holiday lights all throughout Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville kicked off earlier this week. With all the lights and beautiful decorations around the Smokies it will be hard to not be in the holiday and Christmas mood, and the outlet malls in the Smoky Mountains are offering deals you can't pass up on the perfect Christmas gift.

Fall season also means apples and this has been a record-breaking year for the apple crop in the Great Smoky Mountains. The apple crop has been so good some farmer had to prop up their tree limbs in order to keep them from breaking under the weight of those delicious fall goodies! Applewood in Pigeon Forge and Carvers in Cosby are the best places to buy our local delicacy.

This apple season started about 2 weeks early this fall and there are still plenty left to harvest. Even though many plants bloomed early this year, the leaves on the tress are staying far longer than last year even though the weather has been usually warm and dry for fall, which is just fantastic to hike, bike, fish or motor your way around the Smokies.

So if you never came to the Smokies to enjoy the fall color, now is the time to come to the Great Smoky Mountains as the colors are great, the holiday decorations are awesome, the traffic is light and cabin rental rates are far lower than they were just a few days ago. There are still a few One Bedroom and Two Bedroom cabins left for Thanksgiving, but they are going fast so act now.

...and don't forget, if you rent a cabin you can get very discounted tickets for Dollywood which is just amazing this time of the year! So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of the great weather, low cabin rental prices and great fall color and reserve your dream cabin today!

November fall color report for the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Smokies

The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles of exciting and beautiful twists and turns and starts at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains national park near the Cherokee North Carolina entrance and is a popular attraction for people looking for beautiful fall colors little more than an hour away from Pigeon Forge.

Though the Blue Ridge Parkway is past peak in fall colors, there are still bright reds, deep maroons, yellows, greens, oranges and many shades of tans and browns.

The overlooks on the parkway are still pretty and the mountainsides across the road and the valleys are still showing bright colors and with the perfect blue skies we have had here in the Smoky Mountains the visibility has been very good. The temperatures on the higher elevations are cooler than the valleys but are still very comfortable.

As you can see by this picture taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday the leaves that have lost most of their color are still on the trees and have turned into deep reddish brown that are still pretty and can be found on the first 8 miles of the parkway.

The overlooks still look at out green valleys and there is plenty of yellow in various shades as you start to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

If you want excitement when driving this is a great road to tour on and as you go deeper into the parkway there is still great pockets of color to be found. Early morning or just before sunset are the best time to enjoy the colors and the traffic though normally light it is even lighter in the morning.

Drive carefully while you are enjoying the fall colors and if the weather cools down dramatically in the afternoon or you are venturing out first thing in the morning watch out for patches of ice that can form especially in the cooler shaded areas of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is also best to drive with your lights on in the tunnels even during daylight. The Blue Ridge Parkway has a maximum speed limit of 45 miles and hour but some areas you will have to slow down even further due to extreme curves and blind spots.

So why not explore the Smokies just an hour away from Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee?

November report on the best Smoky Mountains drive for fall color

Fall colors in the trees are at peak or past peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but there are places to go where you can see the best fall colors in the Smokies that have a ways to go before they too are gone.

The drive in Cades Cove as always is stunning and even though most of the leaves have fallen from the trees in the Cove, there are still lots of yellow, deep and bright red and burnt orange and tan along the mountain sides that are still visible and showy.

You will also catch great fall colors from yellows to light greens that are very intense along Laurel Creek Road the road that takes you from the Townsend Wye to the entrance of Cades Cove.

The best fall color on Laurel Creek Road can be found from starting at about 5 miles is as you ascend the road up to Incline Gap and Crib Gap. There is a pull off on the right hand side of Laurel Creek Road here, use it!

The best drive in and around the park to see fall colors right now is inside Cades Cove on Rich Mountain Road. The entrance to Rich Mountain Road is just a little past Hyatt Lane and across from the Missionary Baptist Church on the right hand side.

Since Rich Mountain is past Hyatt you can circle around the back of Cades Cove past Hyatt Lane, past the 2 beautiful overlooks, the Abram Falls parking area, the Cades Cove visitor center and then circle back on Hyatt Lane.

Rich Mountain Road is less than 7 miles long but can take and hour or more to drive. This road is not paved and does have a few ruts and protruding rocks so you must drive slowly - but it is well worth it since much of Rich Mountain Road is at peak color in the foliage right now so be sure to take your time and drive slowly looking all around.

Deer and black bear are often on this road and a great time to start this tour would be around 4 pm so you stand the best chance to see wildlife and have the best afternoon sun. You should also be out of the park and on the main road far before sunset.

As soon as you get on Rich Mountain Road you start to gradually climb and right away you will get to see great fall colors and now you are away from all of the Cades Cove traffic.

If you want to stop to take a picture, be sure to pull over to the side of the road so you can let someone pass you. There are 3 trailheads on this and plenty of places along the road where you can just wander off into the woods.

While the fall colors right now on the start of the drive are in clumps right now, everything will be in full flaming colors in only a few days.

About a 1/3 of the way in on Rich Mountain Road there is an opening on the canopy on the right and you see the spectacular view of the whole Cades Cove valley and the mountains that ring it in full fall colors in the picture below.

Keep your eyes open for the Indian Gap Trail Trailhead that comes before Cold Spring Gap less than 2.4 miles in. This trail still also has some nice color and even if you walk in 15 minutes or so you will enjoy it.

After you cross Cold Spring Gap and go further in you will see a quick overlook looking out to Townsend. The foliage is still thick so the view is not as nice as it will be when the leaves are down.

You have 2 more trailheads to pass before you leave the Great Smoky Mountains national park. The first will be Rich Mountain Loop Trail on the right hand side with very limited parking. This is a very long trail with some very nice overlooks and can take you all the way back into Cades Cove.

The next trailhead is for the Ace Gap Trail on the left hand side with ample parking right which is just before you exit the part.

Right now the first mile and a half on the Ace Gap trail has some great color, of course you can hike in further if you wish to. Right now this is one of the best fall color hikes in the park and if you have the time hike it!

Rich Mountain Road closes in winter and since it is in full peak colors for leaf season now is the time to take a drive on this scenic road in the Smokies.

Smokies Fall color report for Wears Valley and Cove Mountain

It is officially peak for the 2008 leaf season with stunning colors on Cove Mountain and all throughout Wears Valley in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains.

Cove Mountains id the focal point for the whole Wears Valley area and can be seen from areas such as Bluff Mountain and it part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

The colors on the trees and the bushes on and around Cove Mountain are at autumn peak right now and are stunning and can be seen for miles away given the perfect weather we have been having here in the Smokies and the perfect weather predicted for the next week.

Even though we are at peak fall colors today the vibrant intense colors on Cove Mountains and all around Wears Valley should last for at least another week to a week and a half before they peter out.

The most vibrant reds from the hardwoods such as Oak are just starting up so take a drive on Wears Valley Road (321) or better yet rent on of the cabins that are still available that look at this beautiful site and from the comfort of your own deck or hot tub, enjoy the falls colors.

In the Great Smoky Mountains National park you can hike up to Cove Mountain from a trail that starts behind the Sugarlands National Park headquarters, or from the Laurel Fall Trail on Little River Road or from the Little Greenbrier Trail in the Metcalf Bottoms area or from the Wears Valley entrance of the national park.

Wears Valley sits between Pigeon Forge and Townsend Tennessee and is one of the most picturesque areas of the Great Smoky Mountains where you can still see working, horses and cattle in fields and huge tracts of undeveloped land.

Bring you camera - you won't want to miss and any opportunity to capture this fall Smoky Mountains peak leaf season beauty!

Cabin Rental Specials for the Fall.

Fall Color report for Great Smoky Mountains: Roaring Fork section in Gatlinburg

Some of the best fall colors right now in the Great Smoky Mountains national park can be seen in the Roaring Fork section right outside the city of Gatlinburg Tennessee.

The Cherokee Orchard / Roaring Fork area of the GSMNP is known for its hiking trails, numerous historic buildings and the Roaring Fork Motor Drive. Right now it is also the best place to see fall colors in the Smokies without having to hike very far or if you want even leave your car.

The fall leaf colors just stared to pop out in the lower elevations here in Roaring Fork area and should have some stunning views into November.

As you enter Roaring Forge on Cherokee Orchard Road you will already see color before you even come up to one of the most photographed cabins in the Great Smoky Mountains national park the Noah Bud Ogle cabin pictured below.

If you want to see the Smokies in the wild and don't wish to have a strenuous hike, park your car here and purchase a pamphlet and take a self guided nature tour. It will be time well spent.

As you go further in on Cherokee Orchard Road you may have already pass by one of the active black bears on the left hand side. If the traffic starts to back up a ranger will waive you along.

If you wish to photograph a black bear keep far back and be sure to park in a pull off rather than stop in the road (you want get a ticket this way!). Be sure to watch out as other drivers may be so interested in the bear they won't see you.

The next trailhead you will pull up to is the Old Sugarlands Trail. You don't have to walk very far to see a beautiful stream with a log bridge and a little further down this wide old roadway that is now a trail the color will really burst forth.

Don't want to hike? Pass the next 2 parking areas and make a right and take the Roaring Fork Motor Trail Tour (guide book for sale right at the entrance). This road twist and turns its way up and at the first overlook make sure to get out of your car and take a look at the stunning views looking out at the Gatlinburg mountains which are bursting out in a pallet of pretty colors.

There is one more pull off with another stunning overlook and the parking area where you can take the short hike to Grotto Falls or a long hike all the way up to My Le Conte over 6,500 feet! Past here you will see more and more autumn color in the trees breaking through in yellows, oranges and now hot reds and peaches.

Going downhill you will see a parking area on the left with an old homestead on the right. Now need to describe the beauty of this cabin and farm buildings and the beautiful fall colors busting forth just look at the picture below.

Now that you have seen this stunning beauty you have 2 more homesteads areas and a mill to check out before you leave the park. Each is worth parking and taking in the fantastic fall colors and the beauty of the Smokies.

Roaring for is slow driving road, don't rush it so you want miss anything and for your own safety. It so a good idea to check out this section of the park with at least 1-1/2 hours before sunset as driving in here in the dark is not the best idea and beside - you will miss all the fall colors for leaf season!