Woods Walk
October 28, 2015
While heavy winds and rains have done away with most of the remaining fall color at higher elevations, some of the last leaves of autumn cling to their branches at Grandfather Mountain's Woods Walk Picnic...
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Erwin’s View
October 27, 2015
Waterfalls aside, Erwin's View at Linville Falls offers a vantage point to autumn. (Photo by Skip Sickler) These bursts of color are a stark contrast with the dead trees that surround them, an effect of the hemlock woolly...
Linville Falls Visitor Center
October 26, 2015
Vivid fall color greets leaf-lookers at the Linville Falls Visitor Center off the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Photo by Skip Sickler) Although the leaves are more plentiful at lower elevations, particularly in areas like North Wilkesboro or Laurel...
Road to the Top
October 25, 2015
Red maples brighten the road to the top of Grandfather Mountain. (Photo by Frank Ruggiero) In the early 20th century, there was only a horseback trail leading up Grandfather Mountain to the overlook now known as...
Lower Slopes of Grandfather
October 24, 2015
Autumn color lingers along the lower slopes of Grandfather Mountain, easily viewed from U.S. 221 between Blowing Rock and Linville. (Photo by Skip Sickler) Another scenic highway is N.C. 181 between Newland and Morganton, where visitors can...
Sphinx Rock
October 23, 2015
The iconic Sphinx Rock keeps an autumn vigil on Grandfather Mountain. (Photo by Frank Ruggiero) Although the peak has passed at higher elevations, Grandfather still boasts a considerable amount of spot color, while views to the...
Elk River Falls
October 21, 2015
Although leaves have peaked in the High Country, autumn remains colorful and vibrant, as demonstrated in this photo from Elk River Falls, located near the North Carolina-Tennessee border. (Photo by Skip Sickler) According to Dr. Howie Neufeld, Appalachian...
Profile Trail
October 20, 2015
Fall color makes for a colorful canopy on the Grandfather Mountain Profile Trail. (Photo by Skip Sickler) The 3.1-mile Profile Trail begins as a scenic, rolling pathway through seasonal wildflowers, the Watauga River and rhododendron...
Shawneehaw Creek
October 19, 2015
Shawneehaw Creek winds through Banner Elk, dappled by fall color and green rhododendrons. (Photo by Skip Sickler) Fall color has progressed rather quickly during the past week in the High Country. Peak color can now be seen in the...
Price Lake Sourwood
October 18, 2015
Sourwood leaves turn a rich burgundy color near Price Lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Photo by Skip Sickler) Experts are anticipating peak color in the Boone and Blowing areas this weekend, along with other locales between 3,000 and...
MacRae Meadows
October 16, 2015
Although leaves in many high-elevation areas have reached their peak, the autumn colors at Grandfather Mountain and MacRae Meadows are still in fine form. (Photo by Jim Morton) The Boone and Blowing Rock areas will offer some prime...
View of MacRae Meadows
October 15, 2015
MacRae Meadows sits under the colorful slopes of Grandfather Mountain and a Carolina blue sky. (Photo by Skip Sickler) According to Appalachian State University biologist and fall color expert Dr. Howie Neufeld, fall color continues to shine along...
Linville River
October 14, 2015
Golden leaves add a touch of autumn brilliance to the Linville River in Linville. (Photo by Skip Sickler) According to Dr. Howie Neufeld, Appalachian State University biology professor and noted "Fall Color Guy," this is...
Grandfather Golf & Country Club
October 13, 2015
Grandfather Golf and Country Club sits nestled below the golden slopes of Grandfather Mountain. (Photo by Skip Sickler) As leaves in lower elevations approach their peak, the High Country is reaching its own peak of fall activity. The...
Grandmother Mountain
October 12, 2015
An autumn sun rises over the High Country in this photo taken from Grandmother Mountain. Fall color is now well on its way in locations lower than 4,000 feet, with areas in Boone and Blowing...
Beacon Heights Lot
October 10, 2015
Fall color winds its way along the Blue Ridge Parkway, as pictured in this shot taken from milepost 305.2 near Beacon Heights. (Photo by Skip Sickler) This weekend is fixing to be a busy one in...
Near Rough Ridge
October 9, 2015
Brilliant maple leaves greet a duo of motorcyclists on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Rough Ridge. (Photo by Jim Morton) Motorists can expect heavier traffic than usual on the Parkway this weekend, as peak color continues its...
Camp Yonahnoka
October 8, 2015
Fall color splashes in the lake at Camp Yonahnoka in Linville. (Photo by Skip Sickler) Despite autumn's early start, the recent bout of cloudiness and precipitation seems to have prolonged the leaf season in many areas throughout the High Country....
Linn Cove Viaduct
October 7, 2015
The iconic Linn Cove Viaduct winds through a High Country autumn. With many leaves having already changed on Grandfather Mountain, experts are expecting this weekend to offer leaf-lookers some prime viewing. (Photo by Skip Sickler) The viaduct, which spans...
Linn Cove Viaduct & Top Shop
October 6, 2015
Fall color grows increasingly brilliant in the North Carolina High Country, especially at elevations higher than 4,000 feet. From this vantage point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, featuring the Linn Cove Viaduct and Grandfather Mountain's...
Boone Fork Creek
October 5, 2015
Rains brought on from Hurricane Joaquin create a colorful fall cascade on Boone Fork Creek, located on the Tanawha Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Photo by Skip Sickler) Despite the weekend's high winds and heavy rain, the...
Scheer Bluff Trail
October 4, 2015
One of Grandfather Mountain's lesser known overlooks, Scheer Bluff offers a stunning view of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains — even more so in the fall. But the short hike to the bluff is also...
Split Rock
October 3, 2015
The road up Grandfather Mountain grows increasingly colorful, as the foliage surrounding Split Rock and Sphinx Rock vividly demonstrates. (Photo by Frank Ruggiero) While many trees are growing lighter with the change in season, these iconic rock...
Mile High Swinging Bridge
October 2, 2015
While fall color hasn't quite peaked yet in the North Carolina High Country, Grandfather Mountain's Mile High Swinging Bridge offers some peak viewing — literally. Crossing the bridge to Linville Peak, guests will notice the...
Stack Rock Creek
October 1, 2015
Stack Rock Creek cascades down the mountain side at Stack Rock Overlook, situated on the Blue Ridge Parkway between the Grandfather Mountain exit and the Linn Cove Viaduct. (Photo by Skip Sickler) The photo also...
MacRae Meadows
September 30, 2015
Despite this week's heavy rain, leaves are holding fast on Grandfather Mountain, as this photo from MacRae Meadows demonstrates. (Photo by Skip Sickler) The leaves continue their trek into full fall color, with experts positing that the...
Grandfather Mountain
September 29, 2015
A deer takes advantage of a break in the rain for some fall foraging on Grandfather Mountain. Although Grandfather houses deer in its animal habitats, wild deer are a common sight on the mountain. (Photo by...