DuPont State Recreational Forest
Forest · North Carolina
Roughly 10,400 acres of granite domes and three major waterfalls (High Falls, Triple Falls, and Hooker Falls) laced with trails between Hendersonville and Brevard, where hardwood color usually peaks in the last two weeks of October.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 27–October 31
Color builds from October 20 · mostly bare by November 22
Sampled at DuPont State Recreational Forest’s own coordinates and elevation (777 m) rather than a regional average.
This window comes from 25 weather points across North Carolina, nudged 6 days later to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com and almanac.com. North Carolina is running 7 days earlier than its own average this year. How the forecast works
When to go to DuPont State Recreational Forest
Good color holds through about November 7, giving you roughly 18 days from the first turn to past peak. Against North Carolina overall, that is 13 days earlier. Height explains the gap, since this sits at 2,549 ft. It sits at 2,549 ft, high enough to turn before the valleys do.
DuPont State Recreational Forest on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of North Carolina, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does DuPont State Recreational Forest peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 27–October 31 (best estimate October 29). Color starts around October 20 and is mostly bare by November 22.
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