Here’s when & where fall leaves will peak across North Carolina this season
Leaves are already turning in parts of North Carolina, and peak fall color is just around the corner. But this year’s foliage could look uneven in spots because of the state’s ongoing drought and shifting weather conditions.
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FULL STORY: Fall color guide: When and where to see the leaves change across North Carolina this season
Here are key takeaways:
Robert Bardon, associate dean for Extension in North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources, expects “a patchwork of fall colors across North Carolina this year,” with noticeable variation from region to region.
The highest elevations of 6,000 feet or more will start showing spotty, muted color from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, according to a Blue Ridge Mountain Life fall color guide shared by the National Weather Service’s Greenville-Spartanburg office.
Peak color hits popular mountain spots on a rolling schedule: Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell and Graveyard Fields around Oct. 1-9; Boone, Banner Elk and Waynesville on Oct. 16-23; and Asheville, Brevard and Hendersonville on Oct. 23-30.
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In the Triangle, Raleigh should hit peak color in mid-November, along with Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greenville, Jacksonville and Rocky Mount, per Explore Fall. Wilmington isn’t forecast to peak until late November.
Western North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and some roads remain closed. Blue Ridge Parkway closures are posted at nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM with the headline “Here’s when & where fall leaves will peak across North Carolina this season.”
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