Fall color report for Asheville and surrounding mountains: Awesome

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The cool nights and a few crisp days have arrived and we know it's October, that very special and very busy time of year on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The early signs of fall are present throughout the northern section of the Parkway with Dogwoods assuming their rusty red appearance and Tulip Poplars bright and yellow. Maples are in their earliest stages of color but Sumacs and Sourwood are displaying bright red foliage.

Look for the Virginia Creeper, bright red and true to its name, creeping on those rocks and boulders along the roadside. Peak color is a good week away on the northern end of the Parkway. Goldenrod, Aster, and Snakeroot are evident in the high areas in North Carolina around Boone and Blowing Rock. Fall colors are showing up at Sim's Pond and Bass Lake, milepost 294 and 295.

Early signs of change are everywhere and in a week or so, many trees will be full color. Fall is still a month for wildflower displays all along the Parkway with Goldenrod and Asters along the roadsides and some fall blooms such as Black-eyed Susan, Coreopsis, Joe-pye Weed and the orange Turk's-cap Lily. This is indeed a wonderful time for many meadows and roadsides to show off the last of the year's blooms. In the high elevation south of Asheville, especially Graveyard fields, color is about 80% changed right now. Lots of patches of good color all the way south to the end of the Parkway.

Rain and wind can bring down a good many leaves this time of year, so don't delay in visiting some of these areas that have already turned. Fall is still a month for many wildflower displays in the High Country of North Carolina as well.

Fall color can tempt you to take your eyes off the road, so be especially careful and use the overlooks and rest stops for resting and taking in the scenery. Enjoy the view, but watch the road.