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 30–November 3
Color builds from October 17 · mostly bare by November 25
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at DuPont State Recreational Forest’s own coordinates and elevation (777 m) rather than a regional average. Estimates, not promises — check locally before you plan a trip around it.
DuPont State Recreational Forest on the map
More things to do in North Carolina
Blue Ridge Parkway (Graveyard Fields)
Scenic drivePeak October 25
The Blue Ridge Parkway's high country near Asheville crosses Graveyard Fields at milepost 418.8, a wind-stunted valley of blueberry shrub and yellow birch that turns scarlet in October, with waterfall trails and overlooks at nearly every mile toward Mount Pisgah.
Don’t miss: Milepost 418.8 waterfall loop · Mount Pisgah overlook · Peak color mid-to-late October
Chimney Rock State Park
State parkPeak November 4
A 315-foot granite spire above Hickory Nut Gorge, reached by elevator or stairs, gives views over Lake Lure and a fall canopy of oak, hickory, and maple across the gorge walls that typically peaks in late October.
Don’t miss: Chimney Rock elevator climb · Hickory Nut Falls trail · Lake Lure overlook
Grandfather Mountain
ViewpointPeak October 27
America's highest suspension footbridge, the 228-foot Mile High Swinging Bridge, crosses to Linville Peak at 5,305 feet, with sweeping Blue Ridge views that turn color at the summit by early October and in the valleys through mid-November.
Don’t miss: Mile High Swinging Bridge · Wildlife habitats · Linville Peak overlook
Biltmore Estate
GardenPeak October 28
George Vanderbilt's 8,000-acre Gilded Age estate outside Asheville pairs its 250-room chateau with Frederick Law Olmsted's gardens, where the Walled Garden and Bass Pond turn gold and crimson through October alongside the estate winery's fall harvest.
Don’t miss: Olmsted-designed gardens · Antler Hill Village winery · Walled Garden color
Frequently asked
- When does DuPont State Recreational Forest peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 30–November 3 (best estimate November 1). Color starts around October 17 and is mostly bare by November 25.
- What is DuPont State Recreational Forest best for?
- Waterfall hiking.
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