Fall foliage Fall color lights up Rough Ridge (milepost 302.8 on Blue Ridge Parkway), one of the parkway's most popular hiking spots in the WNC High Country. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Fall color is on the rise at Grandfather Mountain, as fiery red maple leaves burst on their branches. Recent cool weather seems to have flipped the switch on fall foliage, with numerous trees at various elevations shedding their summer hues for their autumn counterparts. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Fall color frames the moonrise atop Grandfather Mountain on Sept. 30, 2020. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Fall color moves along the slopes of Grandfather Mountain near the Linn Cove Viaduct, as pictured during the evening hours of Oct. 1. Grandfather offers an ideal vantage point to observe the foliage — first on the mountain itself and later in the valleys below, as color spreads to lower elevations. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Fall color bursts into the scene over Stack Rock Bridge, near milepost 304 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This particular section is already showing vibrant displays of fall foliage, as color becomes more prominent in the WNC High Country’s higher elevations. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Most people look to the treetops for fall color, but on Grandfather Mountain, leaf-lookers can also direct their gaze downward. Spruce fir evergreens are nestled along Grandfather Mountain's Linville Peak, leaving fall color to the shrubs and low-growing flora that call the mountaintop home. Yet observers can look even lower, as fall color descends Grandfather Mountain's slopes into the valleys and lowlands below. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Most people look to the treetops for fall color, but on Grandfather Mountain, leaf-lookers can also direct their gaze downward. Spruce fir evergreens are nestled along Grandfather Mountain's Linville Peak, leaving fall color to the shrubs and low-growing flora that call the mountaintop home. Yet observers can look even lower, as fall color descends Grandfather Mountain's slopes into the valleys and lowlands below. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Most people look to the treetops for fall color, but on Grandfather Mountain, leaf-lookers can also direct their gaze downward. Spruce fir evergreens are nestled along Grandfather Mountain's Linville Peak, leaving fall color to the shrubs and low-growing flora that call the mountaintop home. Yet observers can look even lower, as fall color descends Grandfather Mountain's slopes into the valleys and lowlands below. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Vibrant red foliage helps frame a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as seen during the evening hours of Oct. 5 from the Split Rock area on Grandfather Mountain. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage The Oct. 5 sunset complements fall color on Grandfather Mountain, as well as dapples of foliage on neighboring Grandmother Mountain. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage A patch of vibrant fall color comes into view across the Green Mountain Creek bridge, near milepost 300 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage The Linn Cove Viaduct is flanked by Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge in the distance, as fall color spreads along the mountain’s ridgelines. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Fall color explodes along the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linn Cove Viaduct. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Grandfather Mountain The Oct. 8 sunrise highlights the red and orange foliage that's becoming ever more prevalent on Grandfather Mountain, as seen from neighboring Grandmother Mountain. For more fall color photos, visit www.grandfather.com/fallcolor. (Skip Sickler)
Beacon Heights Grandmother Mountain also offers a stunning view of nearby Beacon Heights (milepost 305.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway), flanked by Grandfather Mountain, where fall color is on the rise. For more fall color photos, visit www.grandfather.com/fallcolor. ( Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)
Fall foliage Fall color frames a waterfall off. U.S. 221. For more fall color photos, visit www.grandfather.com/fallcolor. (Skip Sickler)
Fall foliage Vibrant fall color stretches along N.C. 221 toward Grandfather Mountain and the Blue Ridge Parkway's Linn Cove Viaduct. Fog and drizzle can make for ideal leaf-looking conditions, causing colors to "pop" and appear naturally saturated. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Fall color beams through the fog along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage The remnants of Hurricane Delta may have drenched the WNC High Country, but fall color held fast to shine another day — as seen during the morning of Oct. 12 at the Linn Cove Viaduct (milepost 304.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway), just as the storm was breaking. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage A break in the clouds casts a golden glow on the lower reaches of Grandfather Mountain, as pictured from MacRae Meadows at the base of the mountain. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Grandfather Mountain and its famous profile are bathed in fall color, as viewed from the nearby town of Seven Devils. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Bright fall color surrounds the Mile High Swinging Bridge, as it descends Grandfather Mountain's lofty slopes. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Grandfather Mountain Mountain ash trees show off their fall colors, along with their distinctive red berries, as seen at Grandfather Mountain's Half Moon Overlook. (Skip Sickler)
Grandfather Mountain While much of the fall color has peaked on Grandfather Mountain, there is still plenty to be found, as this scene from Grandfather's Anvil Rock demonstrates. Meanwhile, colorful foliage can still be seen throughout the High Country's lower elevations. "This weekend will be the peak weekend for the High Country," said Dr. Howie Neufeld, professor of biology at Appalachian State University and official "Fall Color Guy" of Western North Carolina. "That doesn’t mean there won’t be any color the following weekend, but they are at their zenith right now. A little rain is forecast tonight and on Friday, but Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be clear and cool — perfect fall weather. If you are coming up, be aware that the (Blue Ridge) Parkway is already getting crowded, so come early. So, get up early; the color is better then and you’ll take home nicer pictures." For more fall color photos, visit www.grandfather.com/fallcolor. (Skip Sickler)
Grandfather Mountain A red maple lives up to its name in nearby Linville, N.C., as Grandfather Mountain's slopes rise in the background. According to Neufeld, red maples and sourwoods are shining bright against the yellow-orange hues of the forests. Colors are appearing brightest above 3,500 feet above sea level and have been extending down to 2,500 feet, although the lower elevations remain relatively green. For more fall color photos, visit www.grandfather.com/fallcolor. (Skip Sickler)
Fall foliage Fall color descends from the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Lost Cove Cliffs. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage The distinctive profiles of Table Rock and Hawksbill rise behind some fall color on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage The road to Grandfather Mountain State Park’s Profile Trail access off N.C. 105 offers a short, but colorful, drive to the trailhead itself. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Grandfather Mountain is bathed in early morning light and fall color, as pictured from Cannon Memorial Hospital in nearby Newland, N.C. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Maple leaves help brighten the foreground at Elk River Falls, near Elk Park, N.C. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Remnants of fall color cling to branches along the Elk River, near Elk Park, N.C. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Although leaves in the WNC High Country are past their peak, certain areas continue to shine, especially between Stack Rock Creek and Rough Ridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway, as pictured during the morning hours of Monday, Oct. 26. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Patches of fall color brighten an otherwise cloudy day at Linville Falls (milepost 316.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway). (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Although fall color is now waning in the WNC High Country, certain species are still aglow, including sumac, pictured near Linville Falls. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Virginia creeper turns bright red, as it climbs a tree near Linville Falls. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage While high winds and heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Zeta took down a significant portion of the area's remaining fall color, some held fast to offer a colorful respite after the storm. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Fallen leaves gather on the rocky shores of the Linville River at Linville Falls, located near milepost 316 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall foliage Fallen leaves rest along a creek side on Grandfather Mountain's Profile Trail, while reflections in the water cast a different sort of fall color. (Skip Sickler/Grandfather Mountain)
Fall Foliage A seasonal display at Linville Land Harbor bids farewell to fall in the WNC High Country. Today's entry marks the last in Grandfather Mountain's 2020 Fall Color Gallery. This season was one of the brightest and most colorful in recent years — a welcome reprieve from a year that's been anything but. (Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)
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