First, many thanks to Dr. Howard Neufeld, Professor of Biology at Appalachian State University and Skip Sickler of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. Dr. Neufeld has posted his Fall Color Guy posts on Facebook for years now and his daily updates provide a great resource for knowing when best to visit YOUR favorite mountain for the best fall color timing. Skip Sickler has annually posted some amazing photos of the High Country – particularly at Grandfather Mountain and those images have been shared by Meteorologist Brad Panovich and others.
According to Dr. Neufeld: October 15th.
Fall color is reflected in the lake at Camp Yonahnoka near Linville, N.C., as Grandfather Mountain rises in the distance. Colors are continuing to progress at a steady rate, and with a dip in temperature this weekend and into early next week, experts anticipate that peak color is just around the corner in the WNC High Country. For more fall color photos, visit www.grandfather.com/fallcolorhttp://www.grandfather.com/fallcolor. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.
From Oct 15: Grandfather Mountain’s Split Rock may literally be divided, but fall color vistas from this particular area are wholly stunning. With cool weather and sunshine in the forecast, this weekend will be an ideal time to take in the views and abundant fall color on Grandfather Mountain, while watching the season begin to spread to the areas below. This weekend also marks one of the busiest fall weekends in the WNC High Country, with the annual Woolly Worm Festival taking place Oct. 16-17 in nearby Banner Elk and the Valle Country Fair in Valle Crucis Oct. 16. Visitors and residents alike are encouraged to plan ahead for heavy traffic.
Fall color is presently bursting on Grandfather, and the color change is steadily making its way into the lower elevations, with birches, maples and sourwoods stealing the show. Experts anticipate peak color around Oct. 20 for the WNC High Country.
Well there you go! A nice drive into the mountains from the North Georgia Mountains, to Highlands/Cashiers and Waynesville, to Hendersonville & Asheville, to Maggie Valley, Gatlinburg and all points in the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland will offer very nice color for the next seven to ten days.
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