*Photo provided by Visual Forces Christian Photography
It has definitely been an abnormal year as far as weather goes throughout the Great Smoky Mountains, which has left many people questioning the fall colors and when the leaves will start changing colors in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and surrounding areas. The extremely dry & hot conditions throughout the summer are not exactly the right ingredients for a vibrant autumn season. The good news, though, is that the Great Smokey Mountains National Park consists of 100’s of species of deciduous trees in a variety of elevations. What this means is that there will still be an abundant amount of color to see…there is no such thing as a “bad” fall in the Smokies!
When cooler weather begins to prevail, it accelerates the leaves changing color. The higher elevations will see a number of tree species change to start out with. Throughout the middle of October, you’ll see mostly golden yellow colors mixed with some orange. These colors will slide their way down the mountains into the valley as the vibrant reds will slowly follow and mix in. If the cold weather sits in and the weather continues as it is now, the colors will peak in the mountains and valley around the last week of October and into early November.
I’d highly suggest keeping track of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website to follow the fall foliage changing color.
Once again, the best time to see the fall colors in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge will be the last week of October and into early November. This is my favorite time of the year in the Great Smoky Mountains…I hope you enjoy it as much as the locals do!