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RA2025 FALL ADVENTURE ITINERARY ↡
Each year, I chase the fall foliage throughout the western North Carolina + eastern Tennessee area. As a photographer, I love to get out and hike to capture the colors, so I put together a rough itinerary for this year with areas I’ll be focusing in on and when, all aimed at capturing peak autumn. Since we’re about a month from when it all starts, I figured this is the best time to share while everyone is in the planning process for their fall adventures.
Here is a weekly schedule for the foliage color change prediction in the Blue Ridge + Great Smoky Mountains:
Save this for later 🍁🍃🍂
⇾ Sept. 25-Oct. 2
Elevations at and above 6,000 feet
(if you’re lucky, you might see snow + fall color)
-Black Balsam
-Graveyard fields
-Waterrock Knob
⇾ Oct. 2-9
Elevations above 5,000 feet
-Grandfather mountain
-Sam Knob
-Rough Ridge
⇾ Oct. 9-16
Elevations from 4,000-5,000 feet
Most of the scenic byways:
-Blue Ridge Parkway
-Great Smoky Mountains Scenic Byway
-Roan Mountain State Park
-Max Patch
⇾ Oct. 16-23
Elevations from 3,000-4,000 feet
Throughout large forests + most waterfalls:
-Pisgah National Forest (Looking Glass Falls)
-Nantahala National Forest (Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest)
-DuPont State Recreational Forest (Triple Falls)
⇾ Oct. 23-30
Elevations from 2,000-3,000 feet
All downtown areas within the mountains:
-Asheville (Biltmore Estate), Hendersonville, Brevard, Waynesville, Sylva, Black Mountain, Old Fort, Saluda, etc.
⇾ Oct. 30-Nov. 6
Elevations from 2,000 and lower
Foothills areas:
-Gatlinburg, TN
-Saluda, NC (Green River Game Lands)
-Chimney Rock, NC
-Lake Lure, NC
-Blue Ridge, GA
What’s your favorite part of fall? ✨
If you’re here from reels, follow @rachelblaireroams for more adventures in the Blue Ridge Mountains + beyond!
#northcarolina #asheville #wnc #tennessee #blueridgemountains #greatsmokymountains #visitnc #fall #october
@rachelblaireroams
