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DVD: Working On The RV Road
Learn how to earn income while RVing. Author and work camping expert Jaimie Hall reveals what you need to know to gain employment or run your own business while traveling with a recreational vehicle.
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The beauty of the Smoky Mountains is always spectacular, but never more so than in the fall when it is ablaze with color.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park draws millions of visitors each year, many in RVs. Fall is an especially popular time and the park runs special programs to make it even more enjoyable. In October, the park conducts ranger-led walks, hikes and presentations. The annual Cades Cove Harvest Hayrides begins toward the end of the month, along with the "Autumn Walk along Fighting Creek."
Elevation profoundly affects when fall colors change in the park. At higher elevations, where the climate is similar to New England's, color displays start as early as mid-September with the turning of yellow birch, American beech, mountain maple, hobblebush, and pin cherry. From early to mid-October, fall colors develop above 4,000 feet. To enjoy them, drive the Clingmans Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or the Foothills Parkway.
The fall color display usually reaches peak at mid and lower elevations between mid-October and early November. This is the park's most spectacular display as it includes such colorful trees as sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple, and the hickories.
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Leaf Colors at Newfound Gap
| Autumn is both a beautiful and a busy time in the Great Smoky Mountains. The annual show of fall colors attracts huge numbers of sightseers, especially during the last three weeks of October. Areas in the park which experience the longest traffic delays are Cades Cove and Newfound Gap Road ( U.S. 441). Try some of these suggested autumn drives and hikes to enjoy fall leaf colors in areas of the park that are a little less crowded.
Entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free. The park is one of the only major national parks that does not charge an entrance fee.
The park maintains 10 developed campgrounds, most suitable for RVs. No hookups or showers are provided, but all campgrounds have cold running water and flush toilets.
To find up-to-date information on peak fall color times and locations, call the Tennessee Fall Color Hotline at 1-800-697-4200 or visit tnvacation.com.
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