After Helene, the 2025 fall color season was highly anticipated and although it wasn't a gangbuster of a season, it had several moments of brilliance.

We had to wait quite a while for cooler temps, with a few cool nights in late August - mid September, but for most of the region temps did not settle below 40°F until early October.

Prolonged dry periods contributed to colors running a week or so ahead of schedule, with a seamless transition to Second Peak around mid October, keeping the season alive through early November.

2025 Fall Season

Coverage began August 27th, lasting 73 days, ending November 9th. In typical fashion Graveyard Fields and Upper Hwy 215 led the charge, peaking by mid - late September as the rest of the region transitioned to low - moderate color.

Late August

We spotted a patch of low color below Little Sam Knob as August was ending, while the majority of the region remained in the summer green phase.

September

The only game in town was Upper Hwy 215 and Graveyard Fields as they transitioned to moderate color, while the rest of the region remained in a late summer green - low color phase.

Late September

By the end of September the color season gathered momentum with a notable separation occurring between the ridgelines and valleys, likely brought on by several nights below freezing above 5000'.

October

The first 7 - 10 days of October had it all, from late summer greens on the valley floor to past-peak along several high elevation ridgelines.

Beech Week began October 1st and continued through mid October with vibrant yellow and golden hues peaking along Hwy 215

Mid October

At this point in the season color was everywhere and we shifted gears to cover the overlap between past-peak and peak color.

Past-peak worked its way down from the highest ridgelines (5000' +), while a vibrant scene unfolded below as hardwoods came online across the mid - high elevations (3000 - 4500').

Late October

As we approached Halloween it became apparent Second Peak was well underway and a seamless transition had been achieved.

November

Although the start of the color season was rough, the ending was beautiful with quintessential fall vibes just about everywhere. In particular, the area around Asheville held the best color.

Stick season established itself quickly above 4000' by early November and before we knew it the season had ended.

Report Card

This is more subjective than objective, but this season was a win after last season's loss due to Helene. The start was rocky and faster than expected, but the seamless transition to Second Peak and the last hoorah in early November brought the season together.

All in all it was enjoyable to cover another fall season across the Southern Section and I very much look forward to the Greening Up of the Mountains this spring.

How we rank each season:

• color coverage (isolated or widespread)
• color timing (transition from high to low elevations and 1st to 2nd peak phases)
• weather (rainy, multiple cold fronts, snow)
• color itself (vibrant, rich, dull, faded, long lasting/short lived)

Favorite Moments

When I would intercept leaf showers randomly while color chasing.

Never scheduled, always fleeting, a leaf shower is one of the few things that will make me pull over or slow down to enjoy.

Winter Mode

It has been a pleasure and privilege to provide ground truth foliage coverage for you all this fall season. Thank you to everyone who has become a subscriber, allowing me to expand this service and cover the Parkway with detail and timeliness.

If you wish to gift this coverage to someone this holiday season, email me at info@parkwaycolors.com and we can set up their account in no time.

We'll go into hibernation mode over the winter, but spring back to life in March as we cover the greening up of the mountains. The valleys will blossom first and then all sorts of color will climb the mountainsides, lasting some years into late May. Thank you again for following along, it means the world to me that these updates help you plan a better parkway experience. Until next time!