Fall Hiking in the Great Smokey Mountains

Hiking and Autumn Weather in the GreatSmokey Mountains
Autumn is great time to hike in the Smokeys, with the cool weather and colorful Fall foliage. Here is what you can generally expect of the weather. September through mid-November: Clear skies and cooler weather signal the onset of the fall color season. Warm days alternate with cool nights. Daytime highs are usually in the 70s and 80s during September, falling to the 50s and 60s in early November. The first frosts often occur in late September. By November, the lowsare usually near freezing. This is the driest period of the year with only occasional rain showers. In the higher elevations, snow is a possibility by November.

Want some great ideas for a hiking adventure in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park? Try one of these hiking trails or nature walks:

Hiking Trails
Abram Falls - 5 miles; 340' climb; a moderate hike on a relatively flat trail leading to the 20' falls
Arch Rock - 2.5 miles; 400' climb; an easy hike on a trail that leads to an erosion-created tunnel
Chimney Tops - 4 miles; 1,335' climb; this is a strenuous hike that winds through a virgin forest to the Chimney Top pinnacles
Hen Wallow Falls - 4 miles; 520' climb; a moderate hike that leads to the 95' falls
Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail - 3,000' loop, hike on a paved trail with educational exhibits and communications media

Nature Trails
Alum Cave Bluffs - 5 miles; passes through a bald of mountain laurel and rhododendrons
Cades Cove - 0.5 miles; see how settlers used native plants
Cosby - 1 mile; introduction to the Smokies' natural history
Cove Hardwoods - 0.75 miles; grove of old-growth deciduous trees
Laurel Falls - 2.5 miles; paved trail leads through a pine-oak forest to the falls

To map out your trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Click Here.