Fall color guide: The best times to see the leaves change in North Carolina
Motorists drive through a sea of fall color along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock on Oct. 16, 2025.
Lawson Harkey (from left) Zola Sigmon and Cooper Houser, all of Lincolnton, look down at the fall color in the upper Yadkin Valley along the Blue Ridge Parkway on Oct. 16, 2025.
A pop of red amid the green. A soft yellow reaching toward the sky. Few places are more beautiful than the High Country in the fall.
Leaves are already changing colors in some parts of western North Carolina, and peak fall leaf season is approaching.
However, this year’s fall foliage may be muddy and patchy in some areas thanks to the state’s ongoing drought and mix of weather conditions, according to Robert Bardon, associate dean for Extension in the North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources, in a news release.
“I expect to see a patchwork of fall colors across North Carolina this year,” he said. “From region to region, people may see quite a bit of variation.”
Peak leaf dates in the mountains
The National Weather Service’s Greenville-Spartanburg office shared Blue Ridge Mountain Life’s fall color guide online. Here’s what the regional travel guide predicts for this year’s season:
- Sept. 25-Oct. 1: Highest elevations, 6,000 feet or more, will start to see spotty and muted colors.
- Oct. 1-9: Peak time for elevations 5,000 feet or more. This includes Grandfather Mountain, Beech Mountain, Kuwohi, Mount Mitchell and Graveyard Fields, consistently one of the earliest spots where leaves change color.
- Oct. 9-16: Peak time for elevations 4,000 to 5,000 feet, including the higher sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
- Oct. 16-23: Peak time for elevations 3,000 to 4,000 feet, including Skyline Drive, Pisgah National Forest, Boone, Banner Elk, Waynesville and mid-level sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Oct. 23-30: Peak time for elevations 2,000 to 3,000 feet, including Asheville, Brevard, Cherokee, Hendersonville and the lower sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Oct. 30-Nov. 6: Peak time for elevations below 2,000 feet, including Gatlinburg, Tenn., Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.
High Country of North Carolina has a similar leaf color guide, and Explore Fall has an interactive map with a forecast for the entire state to see the peak leaf season.
Other peak leaf dates
Raleigh, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greenville, Jacksonville and Rocky Mount should all see peak leaf color in mid-November, according to Explore Fall. Greensboro’s leaves are forecasted to peak in mid-November, and it’s in late November for Wilmington.
“The great thing about North Carolina when it comes to viewing fall colors is the many options, from the Blue Ridge Parkway to state parks, county parks and community greenways, where people can get out and see the colors,” Bardon said in a news release.
Western North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, with some roads still closed. You can find road closures along the Blue Ridge Parkway at nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit.
