Foliage map › National parks and forests › Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park fall foliage
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers more than 500,000 acres along the Tennessee–North Carolina line, rising from the foothills to 6,643 feet at Kuwohi. With that much elevation, the color comes in waves: the high ridges typically peak in early to mid-October, and the lower slopes and valleys in late October and early November.
- Typical peak
- Oct 8 – Oct 31
- Location
- Tennessee and North Carolina
- Size
- More than 500,000 acres
- Elevation
- About 875 to 6,643 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 28 at Cades Cove. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s status and the five-week outlook.
Status shown for Cades Cove, at 1,750 feet. See below for other parts of the park.
Peak by place and elevation
Bars show the typical best-viewing window for each place. The dark mark is the typical peak. The last column shows today’s status.
The season at Cades Cove
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.
Where to see the color in the Smokies
Newfound Gap Road climbs through the heart of the park from Gatlinburg to Newfound Gap and down to Cherokee, passing through every band of color along the way, and Kuwohi Road leads to the trail up to the observation tower at the park’s highest point. On the Tennessee side, the loop road around Cades Cove circles a broad valley of fields, old homesteads, and churches beneath the mountains, and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail winds past old cabins and rushing streams just outside Gatlinburg. On the North Carolina side, elk graze in the fields of Cataloochee Valley and near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
Scenic drive
Newfound Gap Road (US 441) crosses the park for about 33 miles between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, climbing more than 3,000 feet from the valleys to Newfound Gap on the state line, where Kuwohi Road branches off along the crest. Along the park’s northwest edge, the Foothills Parkway follows the ridgetops with long views over the mountains.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in the Smokies?
It depends on elevation. The high country around Kuwohi and Newfound Gap typically peaks in early to mid-October, while the lower valleys, including Cades Cove and the area around Gatlinburg, typically peak in late October and early November.
Where is the best fall color in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Newfound Gap Road shows the whole range of elevations in one drive. Cades Cove, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and Cataloochee Valley are favorites later in the season.