Asheville Fall Color Report

Fall Color Report: Week of September 28, 2026

Fall is starting to show its hand in the high country. 🍂 

This week, our Fall Color Hunters fanned out along the Blue Ridge Parkway, from Looking Glass Rock south of Asheville all the way to Price Lake near Blowing Rock, and found the season's first reds and golds peeking out across the mountains. Most forests are still green, but bright berries, wildflowers and the first turning leaves are hinting at the show to come, with the highest elevations about two weeks from bursting into color.

Craggy Gardens

Elevation: 5,892 ft at the pinnacle
Fall Color Hunters Bri and Keresey of MsPearl Productions started their day at Craggy Gardens, where red berries and bushes just beginning to blush along the Craggy Pinnacle Trail offer the first real color on the mountain. Bright goldenrod adds bursts of yellow against the rolling ridges. Their tip: go at sunrise or sunset for the best light, and bring a layer, since it can be 15 to 20 degrees cooler than downtown. The trail is pet-friendly, too!

Glassmine Falls Overlook

Elevation: ~5,200 ft
Just a couple of miles up the Parkway, yellow leaves line the easy walking path at Glassmine Falls Overlook, while red and yellow leaves scatter across the mossy forest floor. Spotted Joe-Pye weed and goldenrod bring extra pops of color to the foreground. The falls only flow after a good rain, so plan your visit after a wet day if you can.

Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam

Elevation: ~5,000 to 6,200 ft
Looking out over Graveyard Fields from Black Balsam, Fall Color Hunter Reggie Tidwell spotted the first tinge of color. "I think this place will be bursting with fall hues in about 2 weeks," Reggie said. Just a mile north on the Parkway, Reggie found an unexpected gem: "I have been photographing WNC for over 20 years and never noticed this perfect peek-a-boo of the cascading mountains through the trees here. What a treat!"

Looking Glass Rock from Log Hollow Overlook

Elevation: ~4,500 ft
"Looking Glass Rock never disappoints… always majestic as cloud inversions, onlookers and climbers shuffle about," Reggie said. "I can't wait to come back when it's even more vibrant."

Grandfather Mountain

Elevation: 5,280 ft at the Mile High Swinging Bridge
Farther north at Grandfather Mountain, bold pops of red and glowing berries are sprinkled across the rocky summit, while yellow leaves are beginning to surround the picnic area. Bri and Keresey expect the layered ridgeline views to be spectacular in about two weeks. Bring a warm jacket: when the wind blows at the bridge, it even "sings" like a harmonica.

Linville Falls, Price Lake and Raven Rocks

At Linville Falls, soft yellow is creeping into the leaves around Dugger's Creek Falls, with things about 10 days from really popping. At Price Lake, bright red leaves frame the still water, a preview of the color that will soon ring the shoreline. The day wrapped with sunset at Raven Rocks Overlook, where color is slowly turning in the forested valleys below. Their tip: grab dinner to go and arrive early to claim a boulder.

Expert Insight from the Fall Color Guy

Fall Color Guy Howie Neufeld predicted that this year's warm September would push peak color back by 8 to 12 days, and our Fall Color Hunters are seeing just that on the ground. The upside? Warm years spread out the season, with trees peaking in waves rather than all at once. Howie expects color to reach about 3,000 feet around October 23, with Asheville peaking the last week of October. Sunny days paired with cool nights are the recipe for brilliant reds, and a good cool snap could speed things along.

Looking Ahead

🍁 Mid-October is shaping up to be the time to head for the highest elevations, with color cascading toward Asheville through late October and into November.
👉 Plan your trip with our Interactive Fall Color Map and check back next week for new updates from our Fall Color Hunters.

Views From the Field: September 24 - October 1

Scroll through the gallery below for pictures from this last week's color hunting. Click into the photos and videos for date stamps, descriptions and location info.

Views From the Field: September 17 - September 24

Scroll through the gallery below for pictures from all prior 2026 weeks of color hunting. Click into the photos and videos for date stamps, descriptions and location info.

Meet Asheville's 2026 Fall Color Hunters

Meet Asheville's Fall Color Hunters, a group of talented local photographers passionate about capturing the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Each week, they'll share updates on when and where to catch the region's best and brightest fall color, plus local insights on what to expect when visiting Asheville during the fall.