Fall in the Smoky Mountains is the most magical time of year to come and visit! The mountains glow with different shades of gold, orange, and red. Come and stay in one of our cabins in Gatlinburg and experience the beauty of the Smoky Mountains in Fall! Our Gatlinburg cabins are located throughout the town ranging in elevations and all within the prime areas for easy access to all the fun of downtown! Fall brings more to the Smoky Mountains than just the beautiful scenery. The festivities are fun and inviting. Come and watch downtown Gatlinburg transform into an enchanting storybook this fall!

The Views

The views during fall are unlike any other time of year in the Smoky Mountains. Stand on the back deck of your Diamond Mountain Gatlinburg cabin, lean against the railing and take it all in. From the trees delicately dispensing the golden leaves, you are left with more vantage points. The views will be bigger, better and more vast. Let's not forget how beautiful the sunsets are during this time of year! The glow from the sun paired against the golden yellows, and burnt oranges make some outstanding sunsets.

Fall Hiking

Fall is a wonderful time for excursions through the mountains. Hiking is one of the top favorite things to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trails will be littered with amber and gold leaves as you trek upward to the overlooks. The waterfalls will carry the leaves in their stream and spray them into the pools beneath them. Have we mentioned how magical this appears?

Auto Touring in Fall

Auto touring in the fall is incredibly pleasant. The leaves mimic a slow-motion snow fall as the wind breaks through the trees. Cades Cove is the ideal place to experience auto touring in the Smoky Mountains during fall. The historic landmarks that are throughout the valleys of Cades Cove, especially the grist mills, will be decorated with the fallen leaves. Cades Cove is the perfect location for fall family photos! Everywhere you turn, you'll have the most beautiful backdrop.

Stay in a Cabin in Gatlinburg this Fall

Our Gatlinburg cabins are the ideal way to experience fall in the Smoky Mountains. Picture standing on your deck after the sun goes down and walking into your living space to a roaring fireplace. The fire will replenish the warmth that the sun took with it. A cozy blanket is the perfect companion to a cup of hot apple cider. The hot tub is a wonderful place to relax during fall at your cabin. The heat from the hot tub mellows out the mild temperature and slight nip to the breeze. You could relax for hours on end! Fall mornings are brighter with pumpkin spiced pancakes on the deck!

The Fall Gradient: When to Come to the Smoky Mountains

Autumn in the Smoky Mountains is stunning. The mountains will become painted with pops of color that gently light up the ridgeline of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We have mapped out the timeline of the best times to come and view the fall colors in the Smokies so you can plan when to book your cabin in Gatlinburg.

September

It all begins with September. The changes in the leaf colors will take place in the highest elevations above the 4,000-foot mark. The colors will begin to pop with golden yellow, golden oranges, reds, and browns. Newfound Gap and the Clingmans Dome area will be lovely areas to see the first fall transition in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Early October

At the break of October, the Smoky Mountains are beginning to drip with color. There are certain trees responsible for making these beautiful colors. Though many people don't know why the leaves change color, it is due to the sugar content in the leaves, the elevation, and the type of tree, rainfall, and oxygen levels. There is no particular date at which the leaves turn, they do it as a course of nature when they are ready to embrace the change. You will see more golds, yellows, browns and a pop of bright red here and there during this time.

Mid-Late October

Mid October is the marking point for all leaf peepers to keep their eyes peeled for a change to happen. The change will happen almost overnight when viewers are least expecting. The color will drop lower into the lower elevations around a week or two from this point. Remember all leaf changes are various and happen as a course of nature and these timelines are all estimates. This time is when the valleys and the higher elevations will be around full leaf color peak. A lovely place to view the leaves during the middle of October would be Historic Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Late October is when all the magic happens! The colors will impress you will a color grade scale from light yellows, light golds, dark golds, bright orange, fiery reds, burnt oranges, maroons, burgundy, browns, and evergreens. Occasionally the leaves will peak as late as the first two weeks of November, this is not uncommon though it happens rarely. We believe it has something to do with the rainfall though that is merely a speculation.

Book your next stay with Diamond Mountain Rentals and experience the magic of fall in the Smoky Mountains!