@j_p_morris: 🍂 Why were the valleys turning gold while higher up Mount LeConte looked both bare and also green? This October 13 hike on the Alum Cave Trail gave us one of the strangest fall foliage surprises in the Great Smoky Mountains. 🥾 Near the trailhead, we found vibrant yellows. Around Inspiration Point and Alum Cave, reds were starting to appear. But around 5,500 feet, the foliage became a confusing mix of bare branches, changing leaves, and trees that were still green. Even from Cliff Tops and Myrtle Point, the lower valleys had more visible color than the higher elevations. We couldn’t figure out whether rain had stripped the leaves or peak color had already passed. By the hike down, the changing sunlight and clearing haze made everything look more vibrant. We thought peak color was still about a week away. ⌛️Also, this footage is TWO WEEKS OLD! As of October 30, most trees at the Alum Cave Trailhead and above have dropped their leaves. Vibrant color is now showing near Chimney Tops at mid and lower elevations, with some of the best displays (to further my point about elevation not always influencing color change) around Newfound Gap on the North Carolina side, Cherokee Orchard Road, and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. My October 30 foliage check is coming next! 🌲 A quick clarification: although the higher-elevation forest becomes more coniferous, there aren’t many true pines on Mount LeConte. The high-elevation evergreen forest is primarily red spruce and Fraser fir. Most true pines in the park are found at lower and middle elevations. 🎨 and yes, I slightly boosted saturation on some clips because the camera wasn’t capturing the foliage as vividly as it looked to our eyes. 💾 Save this for a future LeConte hike, and follow for the newest Smoky Mountain fall foliage conditions! Have you noticed the same strange difference between the higher and lower elevations this year? Or if you’ve hiked Alum Cave Trail this season, how was the foliage when you did? Thanks to for hiking with me, @Kat, @Sam Lorden Riggs, @Melody Shenkman! ❤️ #GreatSmokyMountains #SmokyMountains #FallFoliage #AlumCaveTrail #mtleconte

J.P. Morris - Smoky Mtn. Guide

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Saturday 31 October 2026 01:49:17 GMT