Foliage map › Destinations › North Carolina › Highlands
Highlands, North Carolina fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Highlands area peaks around October 18, with the best viewing from roughly October 16 to October 25.
- Typical peak
- October 18
- Best viewing
- Oct 16 – Oct 25
- Color starts
- Around Oct 6
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 31
- Elevation
- 4,120 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 18. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Highlands on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Highlands
Highlands sits on a plateau at about 4,100 feet, among the highest towns in the East. Close to town, a short trail climbs to Sunset Rock, which looks over the village to the mountains beyond. A few miles east, the loop trail on Whiteside Mountain runs along the top of sheer cliffs with long views over the forest. Just west of town on US 64, Bridal Veil Falls spills over the old roadway, where the highway once ran behind the water, and Dry Falls drops about 75 feet over a ledge with a path that leads behind the falls.
Scenic drive
US 64 west from Highlands follows the Cullasaja Gorge, part of the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway, clinging to the side of the river with cliffs above and below the road. Past Bridal Veil and Dry Falls, the gorge narrows to Cullasaja Falls, a long series of cascades that drops about 250 feet and can be seen from the roadside, before the road comes out toward Franklin. US 64 east leads past Whiteside Mountain toward Cashiers.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher
Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome), TN (39 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 10 days earlier, and Mount Mitchell, NC (72 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 11 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Head lower
Helen, GA (39 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 13 days later, and Greenville, SC (48 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 15 days later.
National park and forest guide
Scenic drive guide
Nearby destinations
- Helen, GATypical peak Oct 30, 13 days later. 39 miles away.
- Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome), TNTypical peak Oct 8, 10 days earlier. 39 miles away.
- Greenville, SCTypical peak Nov 1, 15 days later. 48 miles away.
- Gatlinburg, TNTypical peak Oct 30, 12 days later. 49 miles away.
- Cades Cove, TNTypical peak Oct 28, 10 days later. 51 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Highlands?
In a typical year, fall color in the Highlands area peaks around October 18, with the best viewing from roughly October 16 to October 25. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Highlands?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 10 days. Color starts to show around October 6, and most leaves are down by about October 31.
Is Highlands early or late compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Highlands typically peaks about 5 days earlier than the North Carolina average of Oct 22. It ranks 2 of 7 North Carolina destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Highlands?
The main fall color in this area comes from red maple, sourwood, tulip tree, and shagbark hickory. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.