Fall Foliage Peak Continues in Cherokee

If you haven't been to Cherokee yet this Fall, there's still time to catch the brilliant Fall foliage. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials say they expect peak colors to last even longer this year, stretching into the first week of November, with the colors even brighter than in past years. Expect to see exploding reds, oranges, golds, and yellows as trees including sugar maple, sweetgum, scarlet oak, and red maple trees transform across the landscape.

Cherokee is a unique place to see Mother Nature show off her colors, as it's bordered by two national parks -- the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway National Park. With vibrant colors spreading throughout the middle and lower mountain elevations, there are so many great places to take in the gorgeous view. Here are a few places in and around Cherokee with some of the very best views.

1. Richland Balsam Knob at mile marker 431 is the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, clocking in at 6410 feet elevation. Check out the view! (Photo below by Angi English via Flickr.) 

2. The parking lot of Waterrock Knob at mile marker 451.2 offers another incredible view at 6,000 feet elevation. (Photo by Allen Allnoch via Flickr.) 

3. Newfound Gap Road is another fantastic place to take in the Fall foliage. Discover color as far as the eye can see, even later in the season.​ (Photo below by Warren Reed via Flickr.) 

4. The Cherohala Skyway crosses through the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. The name “Cherohala” comes from the names of the two National Forests: “Chero” from the Cherokee and “hala” from the Nantahala.​ (Photo below by Dan Triplet via Flickr.) 

5. The Oconaluftee River runs right through the heart of Cherokee and is a great place to see the splendor of Fall. You can take a walking tour along the beautiful Oconaluftee River Trail and enjoy the pristine river before arriving at Mountain Farm Museum, a collection of some of the oldest cabins and log building in all of Cherokee. (Photo below by Steve Bailie via Flickr.) 

Whether you drive, hike, walk, or stroll, the beauty of Fall is anywhere you look in Cherokee.

Enjoy it!