Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome), Tennessee fall foliage

Kuwohi, the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6,643 feet, is topped by a forest of red spruce and Fraser fir, so the fall color here is in the hardwoods on the slopes below, where yellow birch and American beech turn gold early in the season. A steep half-mile paved trail climbs from the end of Kuwohi Road to the observation tower at the summit, where a spiral ramp leads to a 360-degree view over the Smokies that can reach more than 100 miles on a clear day. The Appalachian Trail crosses the summit, its highest point anywhere along the route, and the Forney Ridge Trail leads from the same trailhead to Andrews Bald, a high grassy meadow with long views.

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) climbs from Gatlinburg through the national park to Newfound Gap, at about 5,046 feet on the Tennessee–North Carolina line, where the Rockefeller Memorial stands beside the Appalachian Trail. The road gains more than 3,500 feet on the way up, so it passes through several bands of color in a single drive, often still green near the bottom and at or past peak near the top. Just south of the gap, Kuwohi Road (formerly Clingmans Dome Road) runs about 7 miles along the crest to the summit trailhead, with pull-offs looking out over the ridges. From Newfound Gap, US 441 also continues down into North Carolina toward Cherokee.