Fall 2017 foliage colors should be outstanding in East Tennessee: Here's where to look

Wayne Clatterbuck expects fall to bounce back.

The University of Tennessee professor in the Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries studies the leaves changing color each year, and 2016 wasn’t great.

The eight-month-long drought and hot summer combined to make East Tennessee’s usually spectacular fall foliage show as lightweight as a leaf in the wind.

Fall Color Hot Spots Map:Best places to watch autumn colors

“It was very short because we didn’t have any moisture,” Clatterbuck said. “The leaves just turned brown and died.”

A bright, colorful outlook for 2017

This year is a different story. The area is nearly five inches above its annual rainfall total year-to-date and conditions could be ideal for another fall show like the area had in 2015.

“I think we are going to have a great year,” he said. “There could be things happening between now and mid-October, but we have plenty of moisture. We would love to have cool nights and warm days, and that makes the pigment more vibrant. You want to have it drop down in the 40s or high 30s at night.

“We don’t want an early frost which could kill everything, but we usually don’t have that around here.”

The weather seems willing to comply.

Derek Eisentrout of the National Weather Service office in Morristown said the temperature has a strong chance of being above normal, September-November. Rainfall is likely to at least match the monthly average.

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"We are looking at things down the road that would tend to make you believe that things will be warmer than normal," he said.

“The three things that trigger color are day length, temperature and moisture,” Clatterbuck said. “We have had all the rain we need.”

He said he expects prime time for viewing to be the last week of October and the first week of November — the normal peak period.

“It happens sooner the higher up you go in elevation,” he said.

Clatterbuck said he finds time to go out to watch the fall show and had suggestions for those doing the same.

Where to view fall foliage

“I typically try to stay away from the crowd in the Smokies,” he said. “The Cherohala Skyway at Tellico Plains is a great place to go with a lot of elevation change. You get those different colors at different elevations.

“Big South Fork where the river comes through is also a great place.”

Matt Hudson, chief ranger at Obed Wild and Scenic RIver, said the place to go in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is the East Rim Overlook.

"It's known for its spectacular sunsets and commanding views of the Big South Fork gorge," he said. "East Rim Overlook provides the perfect spot for fall color viewing on a grand scale."

The prime place at the Obed is the Lilly Bluff Overlook which provides great views of the Cumberland Plateau landscape.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park spokeswoman Dana Soehn said visitors don't have to be picky when looking for fall foliage in the Smokies.

"Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides a wealth of opportunities to experience fall foliage," she said. "With more than 100 species of tress, 300 miles of scenic roadways and 850 miles of trails, there are plenty of places to explore," she said.

Cades Cove is the usual go-to spot, but it can get bumper-to-bumper in the fall. Color seekers might also take a drive along Foothills Parkway.

Clatterbuck said has a produced a table on the UT extension website that provides information on what leaves turn which colors. Go to the website, extension.tennessee.edu, click on “Publications” and click on “Changing Colors of Leaves”.