Fall Foliage 2018: When N.C.'s Blue Ridge Mountains Will Peak

If you're into leaf peeping, it's not too early to start planning your trip to see the beautiful fall foliage in the North Carolina mountains. Colors are expected to peak in early October.

When it comes to the variety of colors of fall foliage, factors such as elevation, rainfall and plant variety all play into the intensity of the show.

According to Blue Ridge Mountain Life, this year’s fall foliage show in North Carolina will peak at higher elevations as soon as Oct. 1.

Here’s Blue Ridge Mountain Life’s 2018 prediction:

• October 1 - 10: Peak time for areas above 5,000 feet. This would include: Clingmans Dome, Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Waterrock Knob and Graveyard fields (the first location on the Parkway to turn) and higher elevations of The Blue Ridge Parkway (between Asheville and Cherokee) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• October 10 - 20: Peak time for elevations from 4,000 - 5,000 feet. This would include almost all Blue Ridge Parkway locations and the majority of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well. Included in this elevation are the Boone and Blowing Rock areas.
• October 18 - 26: Peak time for lower elevations, from 3,000 - 4,000 feet. This would include places like: Pisgah National Forest which includes Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls, Dill Falls, Wildcat Falls, and many other waterfalls. Other ares include Linville Gorge, Nantahala Gorge, and Maggie Valley.
• October 24 - 31: Peak time for elevations below 2,000 feet. This would include: The cities of Asheville, Brevard, Waynesville, Cherokee, and many others. Places of interest include Dupont State Forest and Biltmore Estate.
• October 26 - November 8: Peak time for remaining elevations, including Gatlinburg, TN, Chimney Rock NC, Lake Lure and remaining lower elevation mountains. This includes Chimney Rock as well, a great place to see Fall color.

The site also offers the following tips for fall foliage viewing and photography:

• Book reservations early. Hotels, Motels and Bed & Breakfasts will be filling up fast.
• Be patient. There are lots of people here during the fall, and having a little patience will go a long way to making your visit far more enjoyable.
• Bring your digital camera at all times. You never know when the perfect photo opportunity will present itself, be prepared.
• Be prepared for weather changes. Weather in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains changes quickly, so don't be upset if you can't get any photos due to the fog or rain. Just hang out for a bit and be patient. Chances are it will blow by and the sun may even come out. We've found that some of our best photos are just after a storm. Oh, and if you're coming in late October/Early November, you might just get some snow too!
• Stay on the roads. We see lots of people stuck trying to venture down some narrow mountain road, or trying to drive through grass they think is dry in order to get that "unique" photo. Unless you have 4-wheel drive, stay on paved or well maintained roads.
• Polarized sunglasses and a polarizing filter for your camera enhance fall colors an reduce glare.
• Travel on the Parkway. If you are traveling the parkway, read over our Parkway Travel Tips.
• Wear layers of clothing or bring a few extra jackets or sweaters. Temperatures here in the Blue Ridge can vary greatly base on weather conditions and altitude.
• Mornings and evenings are the best times for photos. Mid day sunlight is often too harsh. The benefit of getting out early or very late is that you'll avoid most of the crowd too and get great photos too!
• Avoid thick clouds and fog in your photos. If the sky is very cloudy and/or foggy, try to keep the fog and clouds out of your photos. The white of the clouds and fog is overwhelming, and will just make your photo look smaller. As an example, see the waterfall photo below. Graveyard fields was completely clouded over that day, so when I framed the picture, I kept the sky out as much as possible.
• Make sure you have plenty of gas. Some areas, especially on the parkway and in the national parks, are a long way from the nearest gas station.

Where is your favorite North Carolina location for seeing the changing fall colors? Tell us about it in the comment section!

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Photo via Shutterstock