The Best Times And Places To View Fall Foliage In Tennessee

September tends to be a bit toasty, but the south does seem to flirt with fall before it ever fades completely into autumn. The changing of the seasons has been leaving a few clues. Maybe you feel it in the morning mist or perhaps in the cool breeze of twilight. Sure, summer is leaving on a high note (those temperatures!), but sometimes there needs to be a strong departure from something in order to truly love and appreciate a new season. In Tennessee? The most intense change comes from summer to fall. It fades slowly, then the trees explode with color all at once. We found the neatest interactive foliage map from the Smoky Mountains website; it's a tool that's released and updated annually to help folks plan for when to see fall colors in Tennessee. Whether you're on the east side of the state, in the middle, or in the west, we have the best time for you to view the fall foliage in Tennessee. Go hiking and take a look!

The Great Smoky Mountains annual map is making headlines yet again, and this year, Tennessee is expected to see minimal change throughout much of September.

By the beginning of October, however, parts of the state will start seeing a bit of color change.

The second week of October will predominately have patchy fall colors on the eastern side of the state and partial coverage on the western side. However, if you travel near the North Carolina border, you'll find some areas are already at near peak or peak coverage.

The fall foliage in Tennessee really hits its stride in the third and fourth weeks of October. The western portion of the state will see partial coverage while the eastern part reaches near peak colors.

Peak coverage arrives for the western part of the state during the first week -- and even into the second week -- of November.

While we have to be a bit patient for fall foliage to arrive in Tennessee this year, when it hits, we think you'll agree it's worth the wait.

Autumn is a stunning time to see our waterfalls crowned in all sorts of warm colors -- with views like this.

And THIS. There's nothing quite like fall in Tennessee!

Happy fall, Tennessee! Don't miss out on Smoky Mountains fall foliage map that shows you when to see peak fall colors and foliage in Tennessee. It's a pretty neat season we have coming up, and we can't wait to experience it alongside all of our favorite Tennesseans.