Blue Ridge Parkway Fall Foliage Reports
Graveyard Fields is the most popular destination for early fall colors east of the Mississippi. The gaps between the neighboring peaks regularly funnel fast moving clouds through the area and it’s a place where the views can change rapidly as local weather shifts. Here, Graveyard fields in 2021. (Photos by Sean Rayford)
Peak fall color arrives first along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the North Carolina mountains. Traversing the highest elevations east of the Mississippi, this route is one of the best in the nation for experiencing autumn. As a photojournalist with a micro camper van in nearby Columbia, South Carolina, southern Appalachia is becoming a second seasonal home. If you’re planning a trip to the North Carolina Mountains this fall, here’s a visual record of previous fall foliage seasons.
Fall Foliage Photo Essays:
The crown gem of the Blue Ridge Parkway: The Linn Cove Viaduct typically peaks near the start of October. Here in this photo, we are a little past peak color at this location. Keep in mind, that because of elevation change and the vastness of the Blue Ridge Mountains, It may not matter at what elevation you stand, but rather, the elevation of the things your looking at.
Additional fall foliage resources
Guide to Fall Foliage on the Blue Ridge Parkway: North Carolina
Fall Foliage Driving Tours on Youtube
Blue Ridge Parkway Secret Spur Autumn Scenic Driving Tour: Into the Smoky Mountains:
Linville Cove Viaduct Peak Autumn: Scenic Driving Tour (Western North Carolina)
Best Autumn Drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina?
Autumn Driving Tour: Hidden Little Blue Ridge Parkway Explodes in Autumn
Fall foliage in western North Carolina in late September, 2025. (photos by Sean Rayford)
If you’re a photographer looking for someone to guide you in western North Carolina, I offer private fall foliage photography workshops here in southern Appalachia.