People coming to southeast Tennessee to see the fall colors may see mostly the greens of summer. more>>
More than 400 species of deciduous trees color Tennessee's landscape from the Mississippi River to the Great Smoky Mountains, according to the Tennessee Department of Tourism.
Peak colors typically appear the last two weeks of October. The change is first apparent in the mountains of northeast Tennessee. Then the changes continue westward, peaking around Memphis by late November.
To find fall color information, click here for updates.
The following are some routes to consider when planning an outing to enjoy the scenery:
- The Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs through Virginia, North Carolina and ends at the country's most-visited national park the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
- Mount Mitchell State Park in Burnsville, N.C.
- Roan Mountain in Roan Mountain, Tenn.
- Cherokee, N.C.
- Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Corbin, Ky.
- Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Slade, Ky.
- Lake Cumberland State Resort Park in Jamestown, Ky.
- Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park in Burkesville, Ky.
- John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, Ky.
- Cherohala Skyway and the Ocoee Scenic Byway in East Tennessee
- the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway, which stretches from central Tennessee to Mississippi
- Shiloh National Military Park in Shiloh, Tenn.
- Hit the rails in Chattanooga on the Tennessee Valley Railroad or tour East Tennessee's secret city Oak Ridge. In Middle Tennessee, visit Nashville's Tennessee Central Railway Museum in Nashville, and ride to Lebanon, Watertown and Cookeville. In Knoxville, ride Three Rivers Rambler Train Ride.
While driving around, if you take a picture of breathtaking scenery and would like to share it, send in your best shots to webmasters@newschannel5.com for slideshows posted online.
