Foliage map › Destinations › Tennessee › Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Knoxville area peaks around October 31, with the best viewing from roughly October 30 to November 7.
- Typical peak
- October 31
- Best viewing
- Oct 30 – Nov 7
- Color starts
- Around Oct 19
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 13
- Elevation
- 890 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 31. 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 Knoxville on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Knoxville
Knoxville sits on the Tennessee River in the valley northwest of the Great Smoky Mountains. South of the river, the Urban Wilderness has miles of trails through woods, quarries, and Ijams Nature Center. In North Knoxville, Sharp’s Ridge Memorial Park has an overlook across the city to the Smokies. East of the city, House Mountain, the highest point in Knox County, has trails to rocky overlooks.
Scenic drive
US 129 and US 321 lead south from Knoxville toward Townsend, the “quiet side” of the Smokies, and on to Cades Cove. The Foothills Parkway runs along the edge of the national park with long views over the mountains.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher
Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome), TN (36 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 24 days earlier, and Highlands, NC (75 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 13 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Nothing nearby turns later
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Knoxville typically peaks much later.
Nearby destinations
- Pigeon Forge, TNTypical peak Oct 31, about the same time. 24 miles away.
- Cades Cove, TNTypical peak Oct 28, 3 days earlier. 26 miles away.
- Gatlinburg, TNTypical peak Oct 30, about the same time. 29 miles away.
- Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome), TNTypical peak Oct 8, 24 days earlier. 36 miles away.
- Highlands, NCTypical peak Oct 18, 13 days earlier. 75 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Knoxville?
In a typical year, fall color in the Knoxville area peaks around October 31, with the best viewing from roughly October 30 to November 7. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Knoxville?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 19, and most leaves are down by about November 13.
Is Knoxville early or late compared with the rest of Tennessee?
Knoxville typically peaks about 3 days later than the Tennessee average of Oct 29. It ranks 5 of 8 Tennessee destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Knoxville?
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.