Try some of these suggested autumn drives and hikes to enjoy fall leaf colors in areas of the park that are a little less crowded. Areas in the park which experience the longest traffic delays are Cades Cove and Newfound Gap Road (U.S. The annual show of fall colors attracts huge numbers of sightseers, especially during the last three weeks of October. Reds and purples come from anthocyanins, a pigment that is formed when sugars in leaves break down in bright autumn sunlight.Īutumn is both a beautiful and a busy time in the Great Smoky Mountains. Carotenoids, the pigment that makes carrots orange and leaves yellow, are exposed as the green fades. How do colors change? As summer ends, the green pigments in leaves deteriorate, giving other colors a chance to shine. Some 100 species of native trees live in the Smokies and the vast majority of these are deciduous.

It's 1.4 miles to the 200-yard spur trail to the overlook.Why are fall colors so remarkable in the Smokies? One reason is the park's amazing diversity of trees. Follow the Cosby Self-guiding Nature Trail past the amphitheater to the beginning of the Lower Mount Cammerer Trail to Sutton Ridge. Park in the designated hiker parking area just before the entrance to Cosby Campground.Spectacular views are gained from the tower. The moderate hike to the top is 1 mile roundtrip. From Townsend, TN take US-321 to the Foothills Parkway and follow this scenic road to the Look Rock tower parking area.It follows the Oconaluftee River 1.5 miles to the town of Cherokee, NC. The trail starts near the entrance to the historic buildings area. The 1.8 mile (one-way) hike to Inspiration Point offers a walk through a rich old-growth forest and views of the surrounding mountains. Park at Alum Cave Trail parking area 10.5 miles south of Gatlinburg on Newfound Gap Road (Highway US-441).It's 3.4 miles roundtrip if you hike to Indian Gap and back. Follow the Appalachian Trail to Indian Gap (where the trail meets the Clingmans Dome Road). Cross the Newfound Gap Road at the cross-walk and look for the trail sign. Park at the large parking area at Newfound Gap.Frequent auto pullouts along the first few miles provide spectacular views of the Smoky Mountains in all their autumn finery. The scenic parkway follows the crest of the mountains for 469 miles, all the way to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Turn onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, which begins just north of Cherokee, NC, on US-441, near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.Turn left to return to downtown via US-321. The Motor Nature Trail ends in Gatlinburg.During wet weather this waterfall is a remarkable sight. Near the end of the road, a waterfall called 'Place of a Thousand Drips' can be seen on the left.The restored mill is located so close to the road you practically drive through it. Of special interest is the Reagan tub mill, a tiny gristmill used for grinding corn into cornmeal. A number of historic log and frame buildings can also be viewed along Roaring Fork.This popular trail is of moderate difficulty. At stop #5 you'll have the opportunity to park and take a 2.6 mile round-trip hike through old-growth forest to Grotto Falls.A short stroll on the path to the right takes you to another viewpoint with benches that beckon you to sit a spell and enjoy the scenery. Park at stop #3 and enjoy the view of fall colors and rolling mountains.It is impassable to motor homes, buses, or trailers and is closed in winter.

As the name implies, this road is designed for leisurely travel and enjoyment of nature.

Continue on to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a narrow, steep, paved one-way road that winds through rich forests and offers glimpses of rollicking Roaring Fork Creek.

A brochure introduces you to life on a mountain farm as well as some local flora and fauna.

A stop at the Noah 'Bud' Ogle historic area provides the opportunity for a short walk on the self-guiding nature trail.

Go straight at the intersection and continue into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Samuel Hobbs photo courtesy of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National ParkĮnjoy the colors of autumn on one of the suggested drives or hikes listed below: Scenic Drives Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trailįrom the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg, turn right at stoplight #8 onto Historic Nature Trail-Airport Road.

Smoky mountains fall