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Updated Sep 28
Pictured: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee · typical peak look

Tennesseefall foliage

No reports yet this season. Next up: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, typically Oct 1–Nov 10.

When is peak fall foliage in Tennessee?

It depends on elevation. In the Great Smoky Mountains, color can start on the highest ridges as early as mid-September and typically develops above 4,000 feet from early to mid-October; below 4,000 feet the most brilliant displays usually come between mid-October and early November, says the National Park Service.

Checked Sep 27. Source: National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains fall color ↗ (opens in a new tab)

This week in Tennessee · Updated Sep 28

We haven't logged an official report for Tennessee yet this fall; the first places here usually turn around Oct 1. The forecast looks best on today through Fri, and no frost in sight: the coldest night is 51°F at Natchez Trace Parkway. In the Southern Appalachians' volunteer tree counts for Sep 15–21, every species with enough observations is close to a typical year.

When each place peaks, and the week ahead

Best days to go: Today–Fri

No strong wind in the forecast. No frost yet: the coldest night is 51°F at Natchez Trace Parkway.

Dry and calm Rain likely (60%+) Wind 20 mph+ Frost (32°F)
All the numbers
PlaceUsual peakThis weekRain likelyColdest nightElevation
Great Smoky MountainsOct 1–Nov 10No reportSat, Sun57°F1,739 ft
Natchez Trace ParkwayParkway's timing for Old Trace Drive in Tennessee: fall colors in mid to late OctoberNo reportSat, Sun51°F689 ft
Cherokee National ForestOct 11–Nov 10No reportSun54°F1,772 ft
Big South ForkStatewide: well under way by ~Oct 21No reportSat, Sun51°F881 ft

Solid bars: each place's usual window from its official sources; dashed: a regional or statewide timing, not the place's own. Stages from the latest official report. Weather: National Weather Service forecast for each place, issued Sep 28. A best day is dry and calm at most of these places.

Southern Appalachians, site by site

Color moving across the Southern Appalachians

88 volunteer sites this week (seen in at least 2 of the falls 2020–2025)

Week of Oct 3
  • Green
  • Yellow
  • Orange
  • Red
  • Brown, leaves down

Typical year, not a prediction. Each dot is a real USA-NPN volunteer site: the middle stage its trees had that week across the falls 2020–2025. Green: under 5% of leaves colored · yellow 5–24% · orange 25–49% · red half or more · brown: leaves mostly down. Sites within a few hundred yards of each other (a research forest, a park) share one dot, with their number on it. Data: USA National Phenology Network (CC BY 4.0).

Southern Appalachians, Sep 15–21

This fall vs a typical year

Tuliptree

5% this week (66 observations) · typical 6%

Red maple

0% this week (46 observations) · typical 1%

Willow oak

0% this week (42 observations) · typical 1%

White oak

3% this week (35 observations) · typical 1%

Every species with enough observations is close to a typical year. Only species with at least 15 observations that week; the line marks the typical share for the same week (2020–2025). Updated Sep 27. Data: USA-NPN. Which trees turn when in the Southern Appalachians →

Planning a Tennessee fall foliage trip

In the Smokies the park runs from 875 to 6,643 feet, so the color comes in waves, from the highest peaks down over several weeks. Yellow birch, American beech, mountain maple, hobblebush and pin cherry are among the first to turn up high; lower down, the show comes from sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple, yellow poplar and hickories. Our tree calendar for the Southern Appalachians follows the same species week by week.

October is the busiest month of the year in the Smokies, and travel times inside the park can run hours longer than usual. The Park Service suggests buying and printing your parking tag at home, exploring less visited areas, and always having a plan B, because parking at popular spots fills quickly. Cades Cove Loop Road and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail are both busy one-way drives; expect delays.

Beyond the park, the Cherokee National Forest has the Cherohala Skyway, a 43-mile National Scenic Byway through the Cherokee and Nantahala national forests, and the Ocoee, the first designated national forest scenic byway in the country, on 26 miles of US 64 and Forest Road 77. Farther west, on the Natchez Trace Parkway, maples, hickories and oaks change in middle to late October; Old Trace Drive is a 2.5-mile one-way road on the original trace.

Sources (5)

Official reports

Dated and linked
Show all 13

Questions people ask

When is peak fall foliage in Tennessee in 2026?

It depends on the place. In a typical year: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, Oct 1–Nov 10 and Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee, Oct 11–Nov 10. Each place page has its own dates.

Where can I see fall foliage in Tennessee?

We track 4 places: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee (usually Oct 1–Nov 10), Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee (usually Oct 11–Nov 10), Big South Fork and Natchez Trace Parkway, Tennessee.

How long does the fall foliage season last in Tennessee?

Across the places we track, from about Oct 1 (Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee) to Nov 10 (Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee). Each place's own window is shorter.

Why does color come earlier in some places?

Higher ground turns first. In the Great Smoky Mountains, color can start as early as mid-September at the highest elevations, develops above 4,000 feet from early to mid-October, and reaches the lower and middle slopes between mid-October and early November.Source: National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains fall color ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How do you track fall foliage?

Each place moves through 6 stages: Still green, First color, Moderate, High color, Peak and Past peak. Every stage we show comes from a dated report with its source, and every forecast lists its sources.