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 30, 2026

Today we walked our dog Mila along the Boone Greenway. For those not familiar with Boone, this is a paved several mile pathway along the New River inside the city limits of Boone that is great for walking, biking, and running. It winds along the river from Martin Luther King, Jr. drive to across US 421. Some trails go up into the adjoining woods for a different experience.

The colors today were absolutely beautiful. Nice yellows, oranges, and deep reds lit up the hillsides on either side of the trail. I think today showed the prettiest fall colors I’ve ever seen along the Greenway. If you’re coming up this weekend, I highly recommend a leisurely hike along the Greenway to see some great leaf color!

I also took some photos from and of my home.

Colors are now past their peak in most places above 3,000′, so next week I’ll be checking out Stone Mt. State Park in Wilkes County. This Park sits right below the Blue Ridge Parkway and has large granite rock outcrops, and at peak color, some great displays on the surrounding hillsides. There is also a tall waterfall (not sure it is open though) and trails, plus picnicking. You can drive all around the Park also in a large loop.

I should mention that these past 10 days have been the best fall color viewing weather that I can remember. We’ve had mostly deep blue cloudless days, mild temperatures, and no wind. This has allowed the trees to keep their leaves for longer, and it’s also the longest fall leaf color display in recent memory. Still time to come up and see great color!

Have a great weekend!

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Fall Color Report for Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026

Dr. Neufeld writes: “I got up early and headed out to the Blue Ridge Parkway this morning, arriving just before sunrise at the Stack Rock overlook north of Beacon Heights, at about 7:10 am. It was quite blustery, although the winds calmed down by 8:30 am. With clear skies, the sunrise was quite spectacular.”

“I was amazed at how many people were out to capture the sunrise in photos. The viaduct parking pull-off was full, and a little farther down the road the Rough Ridge Trail Head was completely packed.”

“We are now just past peak color in this portion of the BRP, although I should emphasize that there is still plenty of color on the landscape. However, the peak was probably over the past weekend up to Monday. Colors will persist into the coming weekend though, so there is still plenty of time to come up.”

“Below 3,000′ to the foothills, trees are mostly green. They will color up over the next two weeks. They are about a week or 10 days behind schedule.”

“In some areas, especially above 4,000′, colorful trees are interspersed with leafless trees, providing an interesting landscape of gray with orange/yellow and red. Most of the red these days is sourwood, although the occasional black gum may be showing also. Maples are coloring up and range from yellow to orange to deep red. Oaks are just starting and will bring up the rear. They will turn yellow to orange to deep burgundy red at the end of the season.”

“As I’ve said, color saturation for photos is best up to around 10 am. After that, with the sun high in the sky, colors tend to get washed out.”

Neufeld also offers a word of caution about photos: “I should note that none of my photos have been photoshopped at all. It’s simply what my Pixel 10 Pro phone recorded. Some of the early photos, from Stack Rock, and even later along the Viaduct, are much more colorful than what you actually see with the naked eye. I don’t know why my phone enhances the oranges so much, but the actual colors on the landscape are nowhere near as vivid as these photos.” He adjusted the white balance on the Rough Ridge set, which is much closer to what you see with your eye. “Nature is beautiful, but not nearly so as often shown on the web.”

To avoid viewer fatigue, he will post photos in three separate listings: Stack Rock, the Viaduct, and Rough Ridge. “Enjoy!”

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Fall Color Report for October 18, 2026 – Linville Falls, Chestoa Overlook, and the BRP

Dr. Neufeld writes: “Today, despite what I tell all of you to do to avoid the crowds (go midweek and early!) I took a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) from 10 am to 1 pm, from Chestoa Overlook north to Blowing Rock.”

“Colors this Sunday in this section of the BRP from Linville Falls north to Green Mountain are at their peak above 3,000′. And I would say the color display was much better than I anticipated, and would rank it a 7 on a scale of 10. That’s pretty good actually, considering all the warm weather we have had in Sep and Oct. I am pleased.”

“When you get north of Green Mountain, the elevation drops a little, and as you get into the Price Picnic and Price Lake area, the color intensity wanes, so it might only be a 5 on my scale. The same when you approach Boone coming in on US 321. There is some good color close to Boone, but in Boone, the colors are never that vibrant.”

His first stop was the Chestoa Overlook, about 4 miles south of where the BRP crosses over US 221, which offers a great view of Table Rock and the slopes along Rt. 105 as it snakes south toward North Cove. The forests in view were largely still green while the upper ridges showed more color. Humidity was very low and the sky cloudless, so there was good color saturation for photos up to about 10:30 am. Hurricane Helene downed large trees here, and one is still hanging across the trail to the overlook, so you have to bend low and go beneath the trunk. Neufeld says he doesn’t know why the NPS hasn’t removed it.

“From there I traveled north on the BRP to Linville Falls. There were a lot of people walking to the falls by the time I got there, but it wasn’t overly crowded. Here, the foliage is at peak color, and the oranges and yellows are highlighted by vibrant reds from sourwood, black gum and the occasional red maple. One of the best displays I’ve seen at Linville in years.”

“If you missed this weekend, take heart. The colors should persist into this week and next weekend. If I had to pinpoint a peak day, I’d say Tuesday would be peak color day for Linville Falls.”

Heading north toward Flat Rock and Beacon Heights, he found both parking lots full, with overflow parking at Beacon Heights stretching onto the shoulder, so he didn’t stop. “Today was the most crowded I have ever seen the BRP. This section, from the viaduct to Rough Ridge is the most popular portion of the Parkway and it was jam packed with people and cars.”

“I’d say this region was at peak today, Sunday, Oct 18. And the colors here were great – as I said earlier, a 7 on a scale of 10. They should persist into this week and even into next weekend.” As always, check out fallcolorguy.org. “Happy Traveling!”

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Fall Color Report for October 14, 2026

Dr. Neufeld writes: “On Wednesday I traveled north on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP), ending up at the Virginia border. This is a less traveled section of the BRP, but it still has excellent overlooks, a nice pastoral aspect to it with lots of farms, historic cabins, and two parks with hiking and camping.”

The bridge over US 421 is still being worked on but is open to traffic. His first stop was an overlook facing east and south, similar to the Thunderhill Overlook near Blowing Rock. Next came the Jeffress Picnic Area, where an easy loop trail lets you veer off midway to see the top of Cascades Falls. It drops 250 feet but is not very wide, since its source is Fall Creek, a small mountain stream that empties into the W. Kerr Scott reservoir outside Wilkesboro and from there into the Yadkin River. Stone steps help with that part of the trail.

A few miles before Doughton Park, an overlook with a large sign tells part of the story of Tom Dula, a Confederate veteran convicted of fatally stabbing Laura Foster in Wilkes County and hanged in Statesville on May 1, 1868. Neufeld notes that some people think he may have been protecting his former lover, Ann Melton. A ballad written after the hanging eventually became “Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley,” which the Kingston Trio took to #1 on Billboard in 1958.

In Doughton Park he drove past the old hotel (no longer in service) to the Wildcat Overlook, then took the 0.2-mile trail from the picnic area to the Bluff Mountain overlook, with excellent views south and west. A dense stand of witch hazel grows at the top of the trail, and the overlook itself has numerous Table Mountain pines, whose serotinous cones open only when exposed to the heat of a fire.

About 24 miles farther he reached the Cumberland Knob picnic area, just 2 miles south of the Virginia border and the spot where construction on the BRP began in 1937. Instead of retracing his route, he left the Parkway a quarter mile north of Cumberland Knob and took Rt. 18 South, then Rt. 21 toward Sparta, then US 221 to West Jefferson and Boone. He highly recommends the scenic route through the remote countryside of Alleghany and Ashe Counties, where there is good leaf color along the way, but warns it is very curvy, so passengers who get carsick should think twice.

On the leaves: “This section of the BRP was still mostly green, although there was noticeably more color as I approached Doughton Park. After that, the BRP doesn’t reach very high elevations and by the time you get to Cumberland Knob, you are below 3,000′. This part of the BRP needs more time to reach peak color, but there is enough in places to justify a trip this weekend, or through the week to the next weekend.”

“Red maples are very abundant along this stretch of the BRP and are coming along nicely, as are the black gums. Ash and tulip poplar are yellowing up as are the birches, but they are now past peak. The oaks are mostly still green and will provide color in this region in another 10 days or so.” This section has many oak species, including black, red, scarlet, white and chestnut.

“Color is much more advanced between Blowing Rock and Linville Falls, possibly because this section is slightly higher in elevation than the northern part of the BRP, but also because there are different tree species here, such as sourwood and sugar maples. Colors will be approaching peak this weekend and continue into the following week. I think the best colors above 3,000′ will be in the next 10 days, after which it will begin moving into the foothills.”

“For Friday, rain is forecast overnight along with blustery winds, with some gusts getting up to 45 mph. A similar outlook is predicted for Saturday, and the chance of rain is now 70%. Monday and Tuesday will be drier, but still windy. I’ll check out the leaves on Sunday to see the impact of this cold front. The good news is that the weather outlook for Wednesday to the next weekend is for cool temperatures and sunny days and less wind. Perfect for viewing the leaves. The cool temperatures should hasten color development also.”

Captions for Neufeld’s photos from the trip are on his fallcolorguy.org page. “Have a great trip to the High Country if (when!) you come up!”

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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.