Fall color is developing strong throughout the mountains! This week, we drove more than 100 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina to make sure we could provide the most accurate information of where to see the autumn leaves.

The colors are especially vibrant right now in the high elevations between 3,500 and 5,000 feet.

Read below to find out where to go this week (Oct. 12-18) for the best fall color and how best to experience fall in Asheville in the coming days.

Where can I see fall color this week?

The color is best south of Asheville near Mt. Pisgah to East Fork Overlook (between Blue Ridge Parkway mileposts 400 and 418) and north of Asheville from Linville Falls to Boone Fork Parking area (between mileposts 300 and 315).   

To the north, this will be a very colorful weekend at Grandfather Mountain. Most of the mountain's foliage is now at its peak. It's a similar story just up the Parkway at Stack Rock, the Linn Cove Viaduct, the Boone Fork Trail and Rough Ridge. Color at Linville Falls continues to develop. The approach road to the Linville Falls parking area off of Blue Ridge Parkway is especially colorful while many leaves are still yet to turn in and around the falls itself.  

To the south, vibrant yellows, orange and reds are coming along strong in the Mount Pisgah area, including around The Pisgah Inn, Pounding Mill Overlook, Skinny Dip Falls and East Fork Overlook. There has also been good color along Highway 215 near the Blue Ridge Parkway and on the upper-most portions of Highway 276 near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Throughout the lower elevations of the mountains, there is still quite a bit of green (normal for this time of year) so there's still plenty of fall on the way. There are some pockets of trees already showing color in the city of Asheville.

Don't wait to plan your Asheville stay! With cooler temperatures in the forecast for next week, fall color progression will likely pick up steam. The next three weeks are your best bet for seeing great fall color this season. 

Linn Cove Viaduct

The Linn Cove Viaduct (milepost 304.4) is an engineering wonder. The 1,243-foot concrete segmental bridge snakes around the slope of Grandfather Mountain. An easy-to-moderate one mile trail takes you to this iconic view.

Having trouble viewing on mobile? Click here to see the Google Street View version.

Linville Falls

Linville Falls roars after recent rains. A network of trails leads to five overlooks, all offering unique views of the falls.

Having trouble viewing on mobile? Click here to see the Google Street View version.

How can I experience autumn this week?

Forecasts call for a beautiful weekend ahead in Western North Carolina! Both days will be great for leaf peeping. Highs are expected in the upper 70s with sunshine expected, especially on Sunday. For those who prefer sweater weather for fall color viewing, the forecast is calling for a cool down early next week, with highs dropping into the middle 60s.

For a fall adventure to the south of Asheville, take I-26 to Brevard Road and plan to enter the Blue Ridge Parkway at the North Carolina Arboretum. Before getting on the Parkway, stop in at the Arboretum to see the nationally-known Carolina Bonsai Expo held both Saturday (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

After getting on the Parkway, head south to the Mount Pisgah area. Make a pit stop to sit a spell in one of the rocking chairs overlooking the view from Pisgah Inn (milepost 408.6) before making your way to some of the Parkway's most dramatic overlooks. See sweeping vistas from Pounding Mill Overlook (milepost 413.2) before continuing on to the Looking Glass Rock Overlook (milepost 417). There, you can take the easy-to-moderate trail to Skinny Dip Falls. 

For a fall adventure to the north of Asheville, head north to the Linn Cove Viaduct (Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 304.4). Then drive south (back toward Asheville) on the Parkway a couple miles and take the exit toward Grandfather Mountain (near milepost 306). This weekend (Oct. 13-15) will be a prime time to view the color there. Take one of Grandfather Mountain's guided walks, "The Colors of Grandfather" to get a closer look and learn more. The walks are held on both Saturday and Sunday from 1-1:45 p.m. Finally, head to Linville Falls (milepost 316.4) to see the thundering waterfall. A network of trails will take you to five overlooks -- go to as many or as few as you'd like!

Speaking of waterfalls, the many falls of Western North Carolina are roaring after recent rains. See our guide to 10 of our favorite waterfalls!

Things to Do    

In addition to great outdoor adventure and leaf peeping, festival season continues in earnest in Asheville! Celebrate the harvest with some great brews at the Burnpile Harvest Beer Festival! More than 20 area breweries will serve up seasonally-inspired beers and there will be great music performances, too. Burial Beer Co. hosts the event at its taproom.

It's an exciting weekend for art lovers! Take a stroll through Asheville's beautiful and historic Montford Neighborhood and meet artists in their studios during the 2017 Montford Artwalk on Saturday, from 12-5 p.m. Also on Saturday, check out Asheville's Art in the Park in downtown's Pack Square (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), where you'll find some of the area's finest handcrafted art. Art in the Park is part of American Craft Week in Western North Carolina, a 9-day celebration of American Craft. Check their full calendar of events for the week. And, on Sunday, Wall Street closes to vehicle traffic and is taken over by musical, dance and interactive art performances for Art Busk Fest.

In nearby Black Mountain, enjoy a free wine tasting Saturday night as part of the Sip and Shop event. Or taste delicious food in Asheville Sunday at the Hardlox Jewish Festival cultural celebration (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Read our weekly things to do post for more travel ideas.

What's up next?

Next week, prepare to see the fall colors progress further down the mountainsides, with elevations of 2,500-3,000 feet beginning to see more and more pops of bright colors. Stay tuned to this page for photos from around the mountains and updates on how the color is progressing.

A pair of big events are on the horizon. The four-day, outdoor music extravaganza, LEAF Festival, comes to Black Mountain Oct. 19-22. The festival celebrates music from a wide variety of cultures. That same weekend, Asheville hosts one of its largest craft shows of the year, the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands (Oct. 20-22), with more than 200 local and regional craftspeople showcasing and selling fine handcrafted wares.