Cataloochee Valley
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina · 2,624 ft
Typical peak
Oct 18 – Oct 26
moderate confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Open pasture on a Smokies valley floor with Palmer Chapel, the Caldwell House and split-rail fence lines standing in the fields. Elk graze the meadows at dawn and fog holds on the Cataloochee Creek bottom until mid-morning.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
moderate
Often busier by mid-morning; consider arriving at first light.
Getting there
Take Cove Creek Road (SR 1395) off US 276 near Maggie Valley for about 11 miles of gravel switchbacks to the valley floor pullouts.
What turns here
- tulip poplar
- sugar maple
- sourwood
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 22Typical color progression for Cataloochee Valley. No change from Sep 14 to Oct 1. First color from Oct 1 to Oct 10. Approaching peak from Oct 10 to Oct 18. Peak from Oct 18 to Oct 26. Past peak from Oct 26 to Nov 5. Bare from Nov 5 to Nov 19.
Cataloochee Valley is typically at past peak on Nov 1, 2026.
This season so far
First frost
None yet
No night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
67°F / 41°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
Cataloochee Valley on October 22, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:19 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 103° | 7:44 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 35 min of low, warm light | 8:19 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:16 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 35 min before sunset | 6:13 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 257° | 6:48 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:14 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 4m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.
Nearby locations
Within 100 miles in a straight line; road distances can be longer.
- Max Patch Bare
North Carolina · 13 mi away
4,629 ft · peaks Oct 14 - Newfound Gap Overlook Bare
Tennessee · 19 mi away
5,046 ft · peaks Oct 13 - Cowee Mountains Overlook Bare
North Carolina · 20 mi away
5,950 ft · peaks Oct 11 - Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Past peak
Tennessee · 22 mi away
2,550 ft · peaks Oct 22