Fall Color Report

2026 Updates

For the 15th year in a row, WataugaOnline.com is teaming up with Dr. Howard Neufeld, Professor of Plant Eco-physiology at Appalachian State University, better known as The Fall Color Guy to provide information as the colors start changing. For reports from previous years click here.

Dr. Neufeld shared some thoughts just before previous fall seasons that are still relevant for this or any fall season:

As for wet weather, there have been some publications on the impacts of weather on fall color (especially timing, not so much quality). Precipitation has only minor effects on timing in the fall. Temperature is more important. So, at this point, I don’t see anything to make me think that fall colors will be adversely affected, either in timing or quality.

What happens in mid- to late August and in September, temperature-wise, will be more important, especially for quality (notably the intensity of the red colors)”.

People think fall colors are good when they last a long time, and have plenty of brilliant reds interspersed with the oranges and yellows. So, the quality will depend on how much “redness” we have this fall.

Trees tend to make more red colors (anthocyanins) in the fall when it’s cool and sunny, and if we have a slight but not severe drought.

Sunny days means more photosynthesis, and more sugars produced in the leaves, and sugars induce anthocyanin production.

A slight drought impairs uptake of nitrogen (we think) and some experiments suggest that plants low on N make more anthocyanins.

Usually, fall colors peak around Oct 11-14 in the Boone area; sooner by a few days up to a week at higher elevations, later at lower ones. Nice colors can stick around for a week or more, although the peak usually comes and goes in just a few days, weather permitting (no high winds for example)”.

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Fall Color Report for October 4, 2026

Dr. Neufeld writes: “Today we drove down to Linville and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway, heading north. I wanted to scout out how the colors were along the BRP, given all the postings I’m seeing from others who have been out recently.”

“I’m happy to report that trees are coloring up rapidly now. The landscape is still mostly green but now there is a lot of yellowing by the tulip poplars and birches. In previous years, the tulip poplars were more stressed and dropped their leaves early before turning color. But this year, they are putting on quite the show. Colors have progressed to the point that I recommend coming up any time now to see them, even though we are still ahead of peak color.”

“Given the weather reports and rapidity of foliage coloring, I would say that the next two weekends (Oct 9-11 and Oct 16-18) will be great for fall color viewing, with the second one being closer to peak color.” Neufeld says that prediction covers the Linville Falls to Doughton Park stretch of the Parkway, Highlands, and other mid-level locations. His Drives and Hikes page at fallcolorguy.org lists places to see fall color and when.

“If we get a heat wave in the next week or so, it could slow down color development. But right now, the trees are coloring up nicely. The reds are spotty so you are getting a lot of yellow and orange at present. But you can find sourwoods along the BRP that are nicely colored red in places, and blueberries, huckleberries, pin cherry, and dogwoods, all of which add a red accent to the foliage display.”

“Maples are starting to show, mostly on isolated branches at the tips, although sometimes the entire canopy is a brilliant yellow/orange or deep red. In Boone, the urban maples are nearing their peak (give them one more week).”

“We had very little rain this weekend (less than 0.1″) and no wind, so there was no premature loss of leaves. Let’s hope we don’t get any severe rain/wind storms in the next few weeks.” As always, he recommends visiting during the week to avoid crowds and getting out early for the best photos.

Next up, Neufeld plans to visit Flat Rock, Beacon Heights, Linn Cove Viaduct, and the Rough Ridge trails on Monday, with more postings coming on the trees on the campus of Appalachian State University. He expects to be out of action for a day or so midweek.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, Neufeld will be at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in South Carolina, on the grounds of the Savannah River Site about 20 miles south of Aiken, for the lab’s 75th anniversary. The site was established in 1951 as a nuclear processing facility, and it was there in 1956 that physicists Frederick Reines and Clyde Cowan detected neutrinos, work that earned Reines the 1995 Nobel Prize. The ecology lab was started by ecologist Eugene P. Odum of the University of Georgia, who realized that 90% of the site was unused security buffer and convinced the Department of Energy to let the university study the land outside the high-security zone. It is also where Neufeld did most of his doctoral work in the late 1970s and early 1980s, studying the physiological ecology of bald and pond cypress trees, and he says he’s looking forward to seeing how the lab has changed and meeting some old colleagues.

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Grandfather Mountain Daily Fall Color Report | Oct.2, 2026:

The N.C. High Country is still mostly green though pops of color are emerging, as seen in this photo of Grandfather Mountain taken from the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Milepost 305. After recent road repairs, the iconic stretch around Grandfather Mountain has reopened just in time for leaf lookers.

Fall Color Rambles starts Oct. 3 at Grandfather Mountain. These guided walks with park naturalists focus on the science behind fall color and are included in admission.

Those planning to visit the region this weekend should pack a raincoat as there are chances of rain in the forecast.

Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

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Fall Color Report for September 30, 2026

Dr. Neufeld writes: “Yesterday and today, I was up on Grandfather Mountain to do research and check out the fall leaves. This is about the last high-elevation site that I will visit before concentrating on mid-elevation locations.”

“Since just last Friday I have noticed a significant increase in the number of trees turning color. On Grandfather, the birches, hobblebush, and blueberries are coming out nicely, as are the red and striped maples.” Jesse Pope, President and CEO of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, also reports that the beech are yellowing up, almost on schedule. “Color is now noticeable on the landscape — it is no longer just green like last week.”

“However, we are having a mini-heatwave the remainder of this week, but then starting late Friday, and through Monday, temperatures will cool down considerably. Alas, it will also rain those three days. However, if it has to rain (and we could use some), it’s fortunate that it comes this weekend when the leaves are still predominantly green or near so, because at this stage, they are still strongly attached to the tree, and we won’t lose many due to the precipitation.”

“The lower temperatures following should stimulate the trees to turn color even more, so by a weekend from this coming one, I would say colors will be more advanced, although probably not yet at peak. I think this year we will be at least one week behind the long-term average because September was so warm. That would put the peak closer to Oct 15-20 at mid-elevations, rather than Oct 10-15.”

Neufeld reminds visitors that Grandfather Mountain is the most popular mountain to visit in NC, but reservations are required to get in — mid-week tends to be less crowded, and there’s an entrance fee to reach the Mile High Swinging Bridge and animal habitats.

After the rain clears, Neufeld plans to check out Doughton Park to the north, along with Beacon Heights and Flat Rock, just south of Grandfather Mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He also flagged Boone’s new skywalk atop Howard’s Knob, with views east, south, and southwest taking in Grandfather Mountain, Table Rock, and Hawksbill — open daily 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., but closing around October 20, right as colors may be peaking this year, so he recommends going before then.

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Grandfather Mountain Daily Fall Color Report | Oct.1, 2026:

Hints of fall color are appearing in the N.C. High Country, especially at higher elevations, as seen here in this photo of Linville Peak taken from Cliffside Overlook. The area has experienced many sunny days and cool nights recently, prompting the seasonal transition.

While some pockets of color and certain trees are very vibrant at the moment, the overall landscape is still mostly green. At the higher elevations on the mountain, you can see blueberry bushes transitioning to hues of red and pops of color among the evergreens.

Photo by Leslie Restivo | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Fall Color Report for September 25, 2026

Dr. Neufeld writes: “Yesterday my friend, Ray Williams, and I traveled down the Blue Ridge Parkway to check out Graveyard Fields below Asheville and Craggy Gardens, about 20 miles north of Asheville. It was a beautiful clear day with deep blue skies and moderate to warm temperatures, even though that morning in Boone it got down to 42º. This morning as I post this report the low got to 39º.”

“I was taken aback by the almost complete lack of any fall color at either place. Normally, this is the peak week for Graveyards, and close to the same for Craggy Gardens. But this year, there was only a hint of color, with green dominating. We have had a very warm September so far, with the average temperature hovering around 70º, some 4 to 6 degrees above the long-term average. With such warm temperatures, many trees and shrubs are delaying turning color.”

“If I were to predict peak color for these two high-elevation sites, each above 5,000 feet, I would say they still have at least 10 days to go, taking us well into October. I think peak colors this season may be delayed by at least a week and maybe more at lower elevations along the Parkway because of the unusually warm weather. The forecast for the coming week predicts above-average temperatures. We need a prolonged cool period to spur the trees on to change color.”

“However, if you look carefully, there is a hint of color out there. Tulip poplars at slightly lower elevations are showing yellow leaves now, as are the birches at all elevations. A few maples here and there are showing some color, but most other trees are still deep green and haven’t started turning yet. Sourwoods usually color up early, but they’re only showing a hint of red at scattered locations.”

“Almost everywhere along the Parkway, Mountain Ash trees are devoid of fruit this year — one of the few exceptions was a stand across from the Pisgah Inn with bright red fruits still on. Not to worry, though — they’ll probably rebound next year.”

Neufeld and Williams stopped for lunch at the Pisgah Inn complex and took in the views from the decks behind the store, including Looking Glass Rock. Neufeld noted that Graveyard Fields has easy trails to both the upper and lower falls, though parking fills up early — he cautioned readers not to pull off along the road if the lot is full, since that damages the Parkway and creates safety hazards.

Neufeld also flagged a new tool on his site: an “interactive peak foliage color timing map” that updates continuously using incoming weather data from raysweather.com, tracking current temperature trends to estimate when peak color will hit anywhere in the North Carolina Blue Ridge. He said it’s free to use and he doesn’t make money from the site. His next trip is planned for Doughton Park near West Jefferson, to catch the native witch hazel in bloom — one of the few woody plants that flowers in the fall.

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Fall Color Report for September 14, 2026 – Hike up Elk Knob

Dr. Neufeld writes: “Yesterday, I hiked to the summit of Elk Knob State Park, a 1.8-mile trek up and then 1.8 miles back (3.6 miles total). It’s an easy hike because there are a lot of switchbacks and only a few short steep sections. There are benches spaced out along the trail to rest on if you get tired. Wear good hiking shoes though, as the trail is quite rocky in places, and take some water with you, as well as a hat if the density of hairs on your head has decreased in recent years.”

“When you start out you are in a deciduous forest with a lot of beech, maple, and oak, and a rich understory flora of perennial wildflowers, like Angelica, goldenrods, and false Solomon’s seal. About halfway up, you encounter hobblebush, a native viburnum whose leaves are starting to turn color now.”

“Elk Knob and several other peaks in this region of western NC are underlain by a rock known as amphibolite, a mineral-rich metamorphic rock. Soils derived from it are rich in calcium, magnesium, and iron, and exhibit a higher pH than soils on peaks further south — alkaline rather than acidic. This soil type supports a unique flora unlike any other in the Southern Appalachians, including some endemics, like Houstonia montana, known from just a few isolated locations. Species like buckeyes, beeches, maples, and some oaks prevail, but common species that prefer acidic soils, like tulip poplar, Rhododendron, and Mountain Laurel, are completely absent.”

“As for the foliage colors, the word is ‘green.’ Even at high elevations, most of the trees still have their leaves and haven’t yet started changing over. From the north-facing overlooks, you can see scattered trees with some yellow color to them — most likely maples and birches, though the distance is too great to say for certain.”

“But what disturbs me are the large numbers of dead trees. On the trail to the summit there are large stands of dead trees on the south-facing slopes — mostly beech. They’re suffering from two major insults: beech bark disease, a complex condition initiated by an introduced scale insect that opens fissures in the bark for fungi to infect and kill the tree, and a newer pathogen, beech leaf disease, caused by an introduced nematode that damages emerging leaf buds. It was first noticed in and around Boone but hasn’t officially been verified as in the park yet. There are currently no ways to prevent infection on trees in the wild.”

“Also disappointing on this trip was the near-total lack of Mountain Ash fruits — trees that normally produce large clusters of bright red or orange fruit. This year there were only a few berries scattered here and there, likely an off year between the ‘mast years’ that many trees, including oaks with their acorns, use to fool seed predators.”

“Looking south from the summit on clear days you can see Grandfather Mountain, Roan Mountain, and I suspect Mt. Mitchell. Looking north, you can see Whitetop and Mt. Rogers in Virginia — that state’s two highest peaks — 22 to 25 miles away as the crow flies. Even in yesterday’s humid haze, we could still make them out, along with Grandfather Mountain, 18 miles away.”

Neufeld hiked with Paul Garber and his brother Scott. Garber, a former announcer on Winston-Salem’s WFDD, now runs an environmental podcast company called Southern Soundways; a recording of the Elk Knob hike is expected to air in the next week or two. Neufeld’s next stops: Graveyard Fields and Craggy Gardens.

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Friday September 4, 2026 – Neufeld says his scouting season is officially underway. A handful of trees at the highest elevations have already begun showing color, though the vast majority of the region remains green heading into the second week of September. From now through November, he’ll work his way down from the highest peaks of western North Carolina to the foothills, tracking the change and posting photos and observations along the way.

The wildcard for this year is temperature. The region opened September with a stretch of near-record heat, and Neufeld says that matters more than rainfall when it comes to timing: warmer September and October temperatures tend to push peak color later, sometimes by a week or more, while a cooling trend in the back half of September points toward a more typical mid-October peak. He’ll be watching how the rest of the month develops before saying much more about timing.

As a general guide, color moves down the mountain by elevation. Expect the highest peaks — Mt. Mitchell and Grandfather Mountain, above 6,000 feet — to turn first, in the last week of September. Beech Mountain and Rough Ridge (around 5,000 feet) typically follow in the first week of October, with Banner Elk (around 4,000 feet) the second week. Boone, Blowing Rock, West Jefferson, and Price Lake, in the 3,000-foot range, usually see peak color in the third week of October, with the lower elevations toward Wilkesboro following in the fourth week. Those windows shift earlier or later depending on how the weather plays out.

Fall color season is the biggest tourist draw of the year for the High Country. Visit North Carolina has estimated it brings close to $1.8 billion to the western part of the state each year, supporting everything from lodging and restaurants to outfitters and retail.

Check back here throughout September, October, and November — we’ll update this page as Neufeld posts new reports on where the color stands and where to go see it.