Foliage map › Destinations › Tennessee › Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Chattanooga area peaks around November 2, with the best viewing from roughly November 1 to November 9.
- Typical peak
- November 2
- Best viewing
- Nov 1 – Nov 9
- Color starts
- Around Oct 21
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 15
- Elevation
- 680 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around November 2. 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 Chattanooga on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Chattanooga
Chattanooga sits in a bend of the Tennessee River, ringed by mountains. On Lookout Mountain, Point Park looks down on the river’s Moccasin Bend and the city, and Sunset Rock has another view from the cliffs. On Signal Mountain, Signal Point looks over the Tennessee River Gorge, and the Tennessee Riverwalk follows the river through town.
Scenic drive
The Lookout Mountain Parkway runs south from Chattanooga along the top of Lookout Mountain through Georgia into Alabama, toward Mentone and Little River Canyon. On Signal Mountain, the road known as the W Road switchbacks up the mountainside.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher
Cades Cove, TN (93 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 6 days earlier, and Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome), TN (108 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 26 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Nothing nearby turns later
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Chattanooga typically peaks much later.
Nearby destinations
- Mentone, ALTypical peak Oct 29, 4 days earlier. 36 miles away.
- Helen, GATypical peak Oct 30, 3 days earlier. 93 miles away.
- Cades Cove, TNTypical peak Oct 28, 6 days earlier. 93 miles away.
- Knoxville, TNTypical peak Oct 31, 2 days earlier. 100 miles away.
- Atlanta, GATypical peak Nov 2, about the same time. 104 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Chattanooga?
In a typical year, fall color in the Chattanooga area peaks around November 2, with the best viewing from roughly November 1 to November 9. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Chattanooga?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 21, and most leaves are down by about November 15.
Is Chattanooga early or late compared with the rest of Tennessee?
Chattanooga typically peaks about 5 days later than the Tennessee average of Oct 29. It ranks 7 of 8 Tennessee destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Chattanooga?
The main fall color in this area comes from red maple, sweetgum, 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.