Autumn is officially here, but most leaves haven’t changed color — yet.
If you’ve already peeped a few red, yellow, and orange leaves in Knoxville, they’re only going to become more bountiful. According to Smoky Mountain’s fall foliage predictions, leaves in the Knox County area are starting to lose their chlorophyll — the compound responsible for their green color. This transition will give us a few weeks when we can see the foliage before it hits the ground.
Here’s an anticipated timeline of when Knoxvillians can expect to see the most colorful foliage:
The colors are expected to peak around Oct. 20. | Map via Great Smoky Mountains
- Week of Sept. 22 — the first signs of changing leaves are expected
- Week of Sept. 29 — trees get more patchy with color
- Week of Oct. 6 — more colors appear on trees, so it shouldn’t be hard to find colorful leaves
- Week of Oct. 13 — Knoxville is approaching peak foliage
- Week of Oct. 20 — this is when peak fall foliage is expected
- Week of Oct. 27 — Knox County is past its peak, leaves are likely on the ground
If you want to go leaf peeping, you still have time to plan your trip before the leaves fall. There are many places in the Knoxville area that look just a little prettier decorated in fall colors.
The foliage tends to be on full display along the city’s hiking trails, with Ijams Tharp Trace Trail and Sharp’s Ridge Loop Trail being noted as particularly scenic. Parks also make great places to catch the leaves, especially local parks like World’s Fair Park.
Of course, Knoxvillians have the benefit of being close to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which makes a perfect leaf peeping destination. If you’re willing to take a quick trip, there are other great foliage destinations near Knoxville, like Pigeon Forge + Gatlinburg (Pro tip: We’ve heard great things about Alum Cave Trail).
