Fall Overview
Fall is without a doubt the best time to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Autumn brings crisp and cool weather and some of the most spectacular fall foliage found anywhere on the planet. Elk can be seen rutting in the valleys and the hot humid days of summer are replaced with brisk mornings and pleasant afternoons. Nights can be cold in late fall and the park does see lots of visitors, or leaf peepers, from the surrounding areas. The fall color arrives in stages with the higher elevations reaching peak in mid October and the lower elevations reaching peak in early November.
Fall Monthly Temperatures in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
| September | 74F / 50F |
| October | 65F / 38F |
| November | 55F / 29F |
Things to Do in the Great Smoky Mountains In Fall
Popular Fall activities in the Great Smoky Mountains include:
- Hiking the Appalachian Trail.
- Driving the Cades Cove loop road.
- Fishing for trout along the parks streams.
- Watching the elk rut.
- Taking in the spectacular fall color.
Interested in what Great Smoky Mountains is like during other times of the year? Check out our Great Smoky Mountains Seasons & Weather page to learn more about which season is best for your visit to the park. Our personal favorite is Fall but Spring can be nice as well.
The Great Smoky Mountains Film
This video is the culmination of two weeks exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We chose Great Smoky Mountains as our second ever park film because of it’s extraordinary display of fall colors, it’s incredibly diverse wildlife population, and it’s prominence as the most visited national park in the country. This film was shot entirely in 4K UHD.
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