09/15/2026
Here you go - a timing guide to all of the glorious Fall colors of Western North Carolina
Fall color starts at the top of the mountain and takes about six weeks to reach town. Which is the argument for planning now.
🟢Late September — 6,000 feet and up. Graveyard Fields and Mount Mitchell go first.
🟡Early to mid-October — 4,000 feet and up. Mount Pisgah, Black Balsam Ridge.
🍂Mid-October — 3,000 to 4,000 feet. DuPont State Recreational Forest.
🍁Late October — 2,000 to 3,000 feet. Downtown Hendersonville, NC and the orchards hit their stretch.
🔴Early November — the lowest foothills finish it out.
Every Blue Ridge Parkway segment near town is open, so the high country is back within reach for a day trip.
Come once, and you'll catch one week of it. Come twice, and you'll see two different mountains.
Fall Color Report 👉https://visithendersonvillenc.org/postings/2026-fall-color-report
Which week are you coming?
