Fall Colors in the Appalachian Mtns. and Great Smoky Mountains NP

TEMPORARY RESTRICTION ON CAMPFIRES IN THE BACKCOUNTRY CONTINUES IN EFFECT 

In the Great Smoky Mountains NP

Alert 1 , Severity ,danger ,,TEMPORARY RESTRICTION ON CAMPFIRES IN THE BACKCOUNTRY IN EFFECTDue to drought conditions, there is a temporary restriction on campfires in the backcountry. Use of backpacking stoves that utilize pre-packaged compressed gas canisters is still permitted. Carry extra water as springs may be running low or dry.
So….it's fall in the smokies! And with this time of year lots and lots of folks travel to the Appalachian Mountains to view the colors of the fall foliage. Peak colors for the area including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is projected to be the last week of this month, October.
Trees and other plants have been affected by the hot and dry period this area has been in for most of the last month, until it started cooling off the first week of October and much of this area had some rain the 15th and 16th.
Trees are changing, and the guess that the last week of the month will be the peak is looking pretty accurate. Dogshead thinks so.