Fall Foliage Map
Planning a trip into the Smoky Mountains to see fall color? Want to know where to find the best color? Check the online fall foliage map provided by Blue Ridge Mountain Life, which shows color changes week by week.Find the updates at http://blueridgemountainlife.com/fall-foliage/#toc-fall-foliagemaps.
Fall Fairs and Festivals Guide
You can view the full fairs and festivals guide with more than 100 day-trips around the Tennessee Valley here.
Where's the color?
That's the question on a lot of minds as trees around Chattanooga remain vividly green. The last half of October is traditionally when Mother Nature begins splashing color across mountain palettes, and hints of red, orange and gold tease what beauty is developing. But so far, the only leaf action has been "brown then down."
That early leaf drop is a result of drought, says Paul Barys, WRCB-TV chief meteorologist. Chattanooga and areas of Northeast Alabama are categorized as "exceptional drought," according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map.
"Early leaf drop is the tree's way of protecting itself. And that's happening now," Barys explains. "I've never seen anybody predict what color is going to be like, but it would be helpful if we had some crisp, cool nights. That usually helps set off some of the color changes. Most color change is not with heat, cold or dryness as it is amount of sunlight."
Drought may have delayed color change, but it's coming. In fact, Barys pegs the peak time for fall color as the first two weeks of November.
"I've always heard that 'weather present is more important than weather past' when it comes to fall color," says Thom Benson, Tennessee Aquarium spokesman and a former meteorologist.
"It has been my experience that we have had dry summers with great fall color and wet summers with great fall color. What we need during the change season is conditions like we are experiencing now - warm, sunny days and clear, cool, or even crisp, nights. If you have warm, cloudy and damp weather at the time of foliage change, colors tend to be less bright and vibrant."
Anticipation has leaf-lookers scheduling river cruises and train excursions now for coming weeks. But foliage fun doesn't have to cost anything. There's always hiking in Chickamauga Battlefield or biking the Riverwalk in the Tennessee RiverPark. Extreme sports enthusiasts might want to try hang-gliding at Lookout Mountain Flight Park.
In fact, the Scenic City offers a variety of ways to enjoy fall's beauty from land, water and air. Choose a day with a cloudless blue sky for maximum enjoyment, suggests Barys.
"One thing I've noticed in the 31 years I've lived here is that it isn't so much what the weather does, it's what the sky color is when you are looking at leaves," Barys explains. "You can have the prettiest leaves out there, but if it's cloudy and dreary you aren't going to see it. When the sky is blue, color will start popping."
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.
Here are some ways check out the area's autumn foliage
RIVER CRUISES Tennessee Aquarium's River Gorge Explorer Chattanooga Pier at Ross's Landing, www.tnaqua.com › When: Sundays, Oct. 23, 30 and Nov. 6; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Board River Gorge Explorer and cruise to Hale's Bar Marina to board bus for return to Chattanooga; 1:30-4:30 p.m. travel by bus to Hale's Bar Marina then board River Gorge Explorer for return cruise to Chattanooga. › Tickets: $50 adult Aquarium members, $40 children 12 and under; $60 nonmember adult, $50 nonmember child; ticket includes boxed lunch. › Theme Cruises: Historian Jim Ogden joins the 1:30 p.m. cruise to discuss "Civil War on the River." On Nov. 6, the aquarium partners with Tennessee River Gorge Trust for a conservation-themed cruise, "Preserving Tennessee's Grand Canyon." Rick Huffines, Tennessee River Gorge Trust executive director, will be onboard to answer questions, tell what's being done to protect the gorge. Fall Foliage Cruise Southern Belle Riverboat 201 Riverfront Parkway, 423-266-4488 › When: Noon weekdays, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 13 › Tickets: $38.90 adults, $20.90 children ages 3-12, includes buffet featuring roast beef and lemon-basil chicken › Note: Daniel Paul, sales associate for the Southern Belle, suggests booking as soon as possible. Some cruises have already sold out. Chattanooga Ducks 503 Market St., 423-756-3825 › When: Noon, 2 and 4 p.m. daily through October; additional cruises 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. Sundays. Times are subject to change; call the day you plan to ride to get current tour times. › Tickets: $22 adults, $20 ages 62 and up, $11 children ages 3-12, $5 children under 3 › What it offers: A one-hour tour of downtown, then the Duck goes off-road to splash down in the Tennessee River for a visit to Maclellan Island. PADDLE Fall Colors Paddle North Chickamauga Creek, sponsored by the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy › When: 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Oct. 22 › Tickets: $40 › Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/fall-colors-paddle-tickets-25983377983 › What: Canoe 3 to 6 miles along the creek. Light breakfast foods and coffee provided at put-in; shuttle returns paddlers back to launch site. Fireside Greenway Farms, 5051 Gann Store Road, Sniteman log cabin. › When: 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, Oct. 20 and 27; canoe rental 5-6:30 p.m. to paddle North Chickamauga Creek. › Admission: Canoe rental is $25 per canoe that seats two adults and a small child, includes gear. To reserve, call Outdoor Chattanooga, 423-643-6888. › Programs: Tin Cup Rattlers play Appalachian music Oct. 20; storyteller Vincent Ivan Phipps tells ghost stories Oct. 27. BY AIR Chattanooga Helicopter Charters 1-866-806-2456 › When: By reservation; chopper can accommodate two to six people › Where: Pickup can be made either at Lovell Field or Collegedale Municipal Airport › Cost: $1,500 for up to three people for a half-hour tour; $1,950 for up to three people for a one-hour tour BY FOOT Civil War Hiking Tour Craven's House, Lookout Mountain, 423-752-5213 › When: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 › Cost: Free › What: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park staff hosts "Footprints of History: Exploring the Ruins of Lookout Mountain" hiking tour. BY CAR Battle of Wauhatchie Car Caravan Tour Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center parking lot, 400 Garden Road. 423-752-5213 › When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 › Cost: Free › What: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park sponsors 90-minute, ranger-led car caravan tour to spots associated with Battle of Wauhatchie. The 1863 battle was a Confederate attempt to regain control of Brown's Ferry and Lookout Valley. Wear comfortable footwear, clothing appropriate for the weather and bring water. DOWN THE TRACKS Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Hiwassee Loop L&N Depot, 727 Tennessee Ave., Etowah, Tenn. › When: 1:30 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 23 and 30, and Nov. 6, 13, 20 and 27 for 3 1/2-hour trip. All-day rides to Copperhill, Tenn., for a higher-priced ticket, are also offered weekdays. Check the calendar at www.tvrail.com. › Where: Meet at L&N Depot to catch shuttle bus to train and back. › Tickets: Begin at $40 adults, $30 children ages 2-12 › Reservations: www.tvrail.com › What: This 50-mile, round-trip train ride takes passengers to the top of the famous Hiwassee Loop, where the tracks cross over themselves as they corkscrew up the mountain near Farner, Tenn. Trains run rain or shine. Ride the Incline 3917 St. Elmo Ave. 423-821-4224. › When: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday › Tickets: $15 round-trip adults, $7 children ages 3-12 › What: It's steeper than you think. The trolley car takes passengers right up the side of Lookout Mountain at a 72.7 percent grade, at times seeming to go straight up. › Note: Guests must be able to get on and off the trolley without wheelchair assistance. Only manual wheelchairs that may be folded and carried onto Incline are permitted.