Fall Color Report for October 18, 2025
Today I drove the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) from US421 in Deep Gap (milepost 291.8) all the way to Doughton Park, a distance of 54 miles. It has recently been repaved and upgraded and there is only one short section where it is reduced to one lane because the other lane washed down the cliff during Hurricane Helene. But it is completely open to the VA border and beyond.
I usually get to this section of the BRP either too soon when the colors haven’t yet developed, or too late after they have peaked. But today I hit it right on – the colors along the drive on the BRP were the best I’ve seen in years, even if the forests you see from the overlooks were a little drab. So, this is the peak there now, but colors should persist into the coming week and will continue to develop at the lower elevations that you view from the overlooks.
However, there is a cold front coming through tonight and there could be up to ¼” of rain, but more worrisome, some gusty winds, maybe up to 40-50 mph. That will no doubt take down some leaves, but I think most of them will survive and we’ll still have another good week of leaf color in the High Country. Certainly those lower down will not be as affected because when the leaves are mostly green, they are more firmly attached to the tree.
The maples were especially colorful in this northern section of the Parkway, but I also noticed red and black oaks that were in full color too. That’s a bit unusual as oaks are often the last of the trees to color up each fall. There were also some tulip poplars that were still green and just starting to turn yellow.
I often like walking the Bluffs Trail to the overlook (0.2 mile one way, very easy hike from the end of the picnic area) and Mila (my dog) and I did just that. I was surprised that the witch hazel that grows in a dense grove adjacent to the rock outcrop was leafless this year. It is usually forms a tunnel of yellow on the trail, but this year all the leaves were gone when I got there. Maybe the drought was responsible.
However, it was flowering. It is one of the few woody plants to flower in the fall, sometimes even after it snows. The Owlet moth (Mesogona olivata: Family Noctuidae) is the main pollinator and it does its pollination mostly at night. By flowering in the fall, the witch hazel can be pollinated by a dedicated moth with little competition from other flowering plants for the pollinator.
So, if you want to avoid large crowds, head north on the BRP to Doughton Park and take in the views, have a picnic, and do some hiking. If you continue north toward VA there are additional worthwhile stops, including a cabin site where a family lived at the turn of the 20th century, and about 20 miles north at milepost 238.0 is Cumberland Knob (milepost 217.5), where construction of the BRP started in 1935. There are trails and picnic sites there, plus an interpretative center.
On my way back, I decided to get off the BRP where it intersects NC16. I headed toward Jefferson, then took NC163 toward West Jefferson. There are great views of fall foliage along this country road. When it intersects US221, head toward Boone and in a few miles get off onto Rt. 194. This will take you from Ashe County into Watauga County, and it offers great views of fall color along the way. A truly beautiful drive and off the beaten path.
To see the photos with captions go to The Fall Color Guy page on Facebook.