Listen along:
As we have reached the end of the season on the Parkway, the peak fall colors can be found at the lower elevations. The color change started in later September at the highest elevations and has been steadily progressing down towards lower ground ever since.
Virginia
In Virginia at the north end of the Parkway, good color should still be found in the James River area and on the protected slopes and hollows.
North Carolina
The higher elevations of North Carolina like Grandfather Mountain, Craggy Gardens, and south of Asheville are beyond their peak, but the drive up to them and the valleys below are still bright with good colors.
Traveling the Parkway through Asheville and north or south up to 3,000 feet is the best place to see color, with a good mix of red, yellow, gold, and brown still showing.
As always, we recommend driving some distance on the Parkway so that you can change elevation and north-south orientation to be sure to get some of the good color.
It is a crowded time on the Parkway, so be careful and take your time visiting America’s Favorite Drive. Enjoy the view, but watch the road.