2024 Fall Color Report
This fall more than ever, we encourage you to visit. Peak leaf season runs the last half of October through the first week of November. Go to an orchard, a winery, a brewery and soak in the beauty of autumn’s splendor. Many stores, restaurants, attractions and accommodations have reopened after the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, and a visit right now can make a big difference.
Your Guide to Fall Foliage In The Blue Ridge Mountains
Every Fall season, Western North Carolina becomes a hot spot for people chasing the fall foliage. This region is hailed for its diverse flora and fauna, which means the color diversity each October is spectacular!
This year, after Hurricane Helene, things look and feel a little different than most years, but the sun still rises, and these mountains are still bursting with brilliant color. While some of the area’s parks remain closed in order to complete the hard work of repairing roads and cutting trees, many spots, such as Downtown Hendersonville, Jump Off Rock, county and municipal parks, Pisgah National Forest, apple orchards, and wineries are open and surrounded by brightly colored trees.
Here is a quick guide to the elevation for finding your best views:
- Late September – The higher elevations, 6,000 feet and above, which are a short drive north of Hendersonville, begin to burst into color, making the highest ridges popular among both photographers and hikers.
- First and second weeks of October – Elevations above 4,000 feet (such as Mount Pisgah and Black Balsam) start to hit their stride with blazing oranges and reds. This is a great time for a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Mid-October – 3,000-4,000 feet elevations are awash in color. Expect places like DuPont State Recreational Forest and Chimney Rock Park to explode with reds, oranges, and yellows.
- Late October – The mid and lower levels (2,000-3,000 feet), including Downtown Hendersonville, showcases its seasonal best at this time.
- Early November – The foothills (1,000-2,000 feet) see the later-season fall foliage. To see color this time of year, you will need to drive a little further afield, but it will be worth the drive.
See below for our running updates on where things stand for this year’s color show.
(Please note: we are continually updating the list of places that have reopened. Be sure to check out the Things To Do page and filter to the places that are confirmed open after the storm damage.)

Running list of foliage updates

11/4 — Kanuga — There is still fall color hanging on to many of the trees at Kanuga — Photo Credit Jane Childress of Kanuga

11/1 — Holt Orchards — There aren’t quite as many leaves on trees anymore, but there is still a lot of bright, fall color to be found — Photo Credit Tracy Cavagnaro, owner, Holt Orchards

10/30 — Stone Ashe Vineyard — There may be fewer leaves on the trees than last week, but the trees on the hills surrounding the vineyard that do still have their leaves are looking lovely — Photo Credit Tina Little, owner, Stone Ashe Vineyard
10/29 — Jump Off Rock — This time of year, Hendersonville gets a lot of early morning fog, making it look like the valley below Jump Off Rock was covered in a blanket; there are fewer leaves on the trees this week, but this scenic overlook is a great spot to see views of the vibrant hills beyond — Video Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/29 — Point Lookout Vineyards — These hills are on fire with fall color! — Photo Credit Mike Jackson, Owner, Point Lookout Vineyards

10/26 — Kanuga — Trees are bursting with color at Kanuga, adding to the property’s serene feeling — Photo Credit Jane Childress of Kanuga

10/26 — Jeter Mountain Farm — For the final fall weekend at Jeter Mountain Farm, the surrounding hillside was ablaze with color! What a spot for a family photo! — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/25 — The Perry N. Rudnick trails at the Kellogg Center — Where nature and art collide, these trees are painted with color — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/25 — The Park at Flat Rock — In the misty morning fog, surrounded by the popping foliage, The Park at Flat Rock is absolutely magical — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/25 — The Park at Flat Rock — Don’t be fooled as you stroll The Park at Flat Rock this time of year, this is real life, not a painting! — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/24 — Etowah — The Hendersonville area is filled with many farms, including this cute, little private farm that sits in front of a luscious hillside of foliage and offers views of the French Broad River and rolling mountains to the west– Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/24 — Palmer’s at Cummings Cove — This restaurant, which is located at a golf course but is open to the public, has amazing westward views that are currently filled with every shade imaginable — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/24 — Etowah Valley Golf — The trees on and around the golf course property, and the surrounding hills are dappled in a variety of fall colors — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff


10/24 — Jump Off Rock — The well-known three trees that stand atop Jump Off Rock are still standing strong (and near peak foliage), but it looks like Hurricane Helene did knock some of the leaves off, as the tree is not as full as most years — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/24 — Jump Off Rock — The westward view from the rock showcases a vibrant mix of near-peak foliage — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/24 — Holt Orchards — The maple tree beside the orchard has burst into its full fall color — Photo Credit Tracy Cavagnaro, owner, Holt Orchards

10/23 — Edenwood — The cabins at Edenwood are nestled in the woods, surrounded right now by a burst of fall color — Photo Credit Catherine Morris from Edenwood

10/23 — Edenwood — The cabins at Edenwood are nestled in the woods, surrounded right now by a burst of fall color — Photo Credit Catherine Morris from Edenwood

10/23 — Stone Ashe Vineyard — What a difference a few days makes! The hillside overlooking Stone Ashe is absolutely gorgeous, speckled with fall color — Photo Credit Tina Little, owner, Stone Ashe Vineyard

10/21 — Point Lookout Vineyards — The hill beyond the winery’s tasting room has much more red and orange than a week ago, when we last checked in — Photo Credit Mike Jackson, owner, Point Lookout Vineyards

10/22 — Sideways Farm & Brewery — things growing on the farm may have slowed down, but there is still a lot to do, beer to enjoy and the trees are looking vibrant! — Photo Credit Jessica Schaefer of Sideways Farm & Brewery

10/21 — Downtown Hendersonville — This “Tree City USA” has a wide variety of trees that bloom in all shades, and right now, the south end of town is beginning to pop — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/21 — Lake at Kanuga — beginning to see fall colors around the lake and in the distant hills — Photo Credit Jane Childress of Kanuga

10/20 — Stone Ashe Vineyard — The foliage on the hillside overlooking the vineyard is starting to showcase more fall color — Photo Credit Tina Little, owner, Stone Ashe Vineyard

10/19 — Downtown Hendersonville — The north end of Main Street showcases a few red maple trees that are already in full flourish — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/19 — Stone Ashe Vineyard — The grape vines are beginning to brown, but not much color on the hill beyond the vineyard in this direction — Photo Credit Tina Little, owner, Stone Ashe Vineyard

10/18 — Holt Orchards — While apple trees don’t offer much in the way of fall foliage, this maple tree beside the orchard is beginning to show its colors — Photo Credit Tracy Cavagnaro, owner, Holt Orchards

10/17 — Jump Off Rock — The Park itself appears to have had very little storm damage and there is still very little fall color on the trees yet — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/17 — Ride Kanuga — Most trails cleared and open for biking, very little fall color yet — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/16 — Point Lookout Vineyards — Photo taken at golden hour, so you can see this is a great time of day to visit, but there is only a little bit of color change on the surrounding hills so far — Photo Credit Mike Jackson, owner, Point Lookout Vineyards

10/16 — Jeter Mountain Farm — A little bit of color on the farm, not much on the surrounding hills yet — Photo Credit Jocelyn Hunsader from Jeter Mountain Farm

10/15 — Stone Ashe Vineyard — not showing much fall foliage yet, probably another week or 2 before peak color — Photo Credit Tina Little, owner, Stone Ashe Vineyard

10/15 — Downtown Hendersonville, South Main Street — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

10/15 — Downtown Hendersonville, North Main Street, Near Mast General Store — these trees often turn red before the rest of the area — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

9/24 — Downtown Hendersonville’s earliest tree — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff

9/23 — Carl Sandburg Home — Photo taken before Hurricane Helene, showing very early signs of trees just beginning to change color — Photo Credit VisitHendersonville Staff