Foliage map › Destinations › North Carolina › Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell, North Carolina fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color around Mount Mitchell peaks about October 7, with the best viewing from roughly October 6 to October 14.
- Typical peak
- October 7
- Best viewing
- Oct 6 – Oct 14
- Color starts
- Around Sep 25
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 20
- Elevation
- 6,684 ft
- Color potential
- Among the best in the country
Updated
Typical season
Peak around October 7. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s 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 Mount Mitchell on the live mapNearby destinations
- Asheville, NCTypical peak Oct 26, 19 days later. 20 miles away.
- Blowing Rock, NCTypical peak Oct 19, 12 days later. 42 miles away.
- Boone, NCTypical peak Oct 20, 13 days later. 45 miles away.
- Greenville, SCTypical peak Nov 1, 25 days later. 63 miles away.
- Gatlinburg, TNTypical peak Oct 30, 23 days later. 70 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Mount Mitchell?
In a typical year, fall color around Mount Mitchell peaks about October 7, with the best viewing from roughly October 6 to October 14. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Mount Mitchell?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around September 25, and most leaves are down by about October 20.
Is Mount Mitchell early or late compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Mount Mitchell typically peaks about 15 days earlier than the North Carolina average of Oct 22. It ranks 1 of 7 North Carolina destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Mount Mitchell?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, red maple, tulip tree, sassafras. 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.