Natural History Wanderings

Romantic Ashville’s  Asheville NC Fall Foliage Color Leaf Report 2015 has a new fall color update for September 20,2015

Fall colors are arriving already, a little earlier than usual (especially at Graveyard Fields and atop Grandfather Mountain). A drier than usual spring and summer (like we’ve had) usually means brighter fall colors. And WCU Biology Professor Kathy Mathews agrees that this fall should be more spectacular than the last few years! And it helped that temperatures dropped into the 30s in many spots this week. This combined with plentiful sunshine is a fantastic recipe for October color!

• September 29-October 6: Highest elevations north of Asheville above 5,000 feet show the most color, especially in the Mount Mitchell, Craggy Gardens, Grandfather Mountain, Beech Mountain, Rough Ridge and Graveyard Fields areas.
• October 6-15: Color will increase in elevations greater than 4,000 feet, including the Mount Pisgah, Black Balsam, Devil’s Courthouse, Waterrock Knob, southwest of Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It will also be peak color in the Highlands area, including Whiteside Mountain, with plenty of waterfalls to enjoy, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including hikes to Alum Cave and Chimney Tops.
• October 12-21: Many of the surrounding mountains around Asheville show plenty of color, especially in the 3,000-4,000 foot elevation range. Take the Parkway north or south from Asheville. A great hike in Pisgah National Forest would be Looking Glass Rock or Cradle of Forestry. North of Asheville, head to Linville Gorge with hikes to the top of Table Rock and Hawksbill Mountain. West of Asheville, Bryson City and the Nantahala Gorge will shine.
• October 18-27: The city of Asheville (2,000 feet elevation) shows the brightest colors, along with areas around Hendersonville and Brevard. This is the perfect time for a waterfall hike in DuPont State Forest or leisurely walk at the NC Arboretum. This is also the peak leaf color for Biltmore Estate.
• October 23-November 3: The color show concludes in the Chimney Rock area (elevation of 1,300 feet). Ride to the top of Chimney Rock or take a boat tour on Lake Lure. Also best color at Lake James and South Mountains State Parks, along with Rutherford County.