Fall foliage nearing peak in portions of East TN

FILE PHOTO: Fall Foliage

Posted: Oct 26, 2021 / 01:53 PM EDT

Updated: Oct 26, 2021 / 01:53 PM EDT

TENNESSEE (WATE) — The fall season is moving fast and winter is coming up, but before you start wishing for blankets of snow, make sure to stop and look at the leaves as peak fall foliage is closing in on East Tennessee.

The WATE 6 On Your Side Storm Team has put together a visual aid to see where in East TN would locals and visitors alike would be able to best enjoy the fall foliage for the week of Oct. 25-Nov. 1.

For starters, the further west you are the leaf watch is marked minimal (bright yellow), moving further east (Ex. Knoxville) you can find moderate leaf change (darker yellow), and the more east you go (Ex. Gatlinburg), the more the foliage will be high (orange) or even peaking (red). The higher the elevation, the more peak or past peak areas there are.

Plan a fall foliage sight-seeing trip through TN

The National Park Service is encouraging people to visit the Great Smokies National Park throughout October to see fall colors over 4,000 feet by taking a drive to Clingmans Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Foothills Parkway.

Not wanting to go to high? The NPS says that mid and lower elevations will see peak fall foliage between mid-October and early November. “This is the park’s most spectacular display as it includes such colorful trees as sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple, and the hickories.”

They do warn of some long traffic delays through Cades Cove and Newfound Gap Road, so, they put together a list of drives and hikes to enjoy the beauty of East TN as the leaves change.

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development also wants folks to experience what the Volunteer State has to offer in beauty during the fall season. They’ve not only compiled a list of hikes, and drives but also a list of areas where lenses have been outfitted to allow those who are colorblind to also experience the beauty.

East Tennessee lookouts: