Here is a suite of photos from my fall color trip yesterday. I took Rt. 221 down to Rt. 226, then headed up to Little Switzerland and got on the Parkway south. Eight miles down the road is where you will find Crabtree Falls Campground and Falls. Then, I headed north on the Parkway to Linville Falls. Visited Linville Falls, before heading home to Vilas (small area just west of Boone).
In a previous post, the link to the Grandfather Fall Color Gallery didn't work. Here is one that does: Grandfather Fall Color Gallery Enjoy!
I traveled the road "most" taken today, The Blue Ridge Parkway, south to Crabtree Falls (about 8 miles south of Little Switzerland). My first time stopping there. They have hiking, picnicking and camping. I highly recommend it. It is about 1.3 miles to the falls from the trailhead off of camping loop B, which is next to the ranger station. I don't recommend taking the trail to the right from the trailhead, as it's straight down, 0.7 miles, and can be wet and slippery. The other trail may be slightly longer, but drier and much easier.
The falls are about 60' tall and quite beautiful, so the hike is worth it. I will post a video for you. I also stopped off at Linville Falls. I will post pictures later.
To wit: it is still mostly green out. The high temperatures have slowed the development of colors in most places. There are trees turning, birches, maples, sourwoods, which are providing splotches of color here and there. Best color is in the Grandfather Mt - Rough Ridge area. I hear color is also well along below Asheville at high elevations. I will check on that on Thursday.
In August I said best color in the High Country would be between Oct 10-20. Now I think it will be closer to the 20th. A cold front is supposed to move in next weekend, which should get things going. Meanwhile, this week will be sunny, with no rain, so a good time to visit.
So, for best color, try next weekend and the week after that.
Footnote: for the pictures, we have Virginia Creeper, a nice red color climbing a tree. Then, bright red berries of Jack-in-the-Pulpit, a native woodland herb, then the heartleaf shaped native ginger, and finally partridgeberry, which is abundant in the Linville Falls area.