Max Patch
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina · 4,629 ft
A mown grass bald on the Appalachian Trail with an unobstructed ring of ridgelines, including the Smokies crest to the west. The bald goes straw gold while maple and cherry fire up in the coves below the rim, giving a clean foreground-to-background separation.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Typical peak
Oct 10 – Oct 18
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Works at both ends of the day
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Drive NC 209 to Meadow Fork Road, then Max Patch Road (SR 1182) to the Forest Service lot; the summit is a 0.6-mile walk up the loop trail.
What turns here
- red maple
- sugar maple
- black cherry
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 14Typical color progression for Max Patch. No change from Sep 6 to Sep 23. First color from Sep 23 to Oct 2. Approaching peak from Oct 2 to Oct 10. Peak from Oct 10 to Oct 18. Past peak from Oct 18 to Oct 28. Bare from Oct 28 to Nov 11.
Max Patch is typically at no change on this date.
Light at peak
Max Patch on October 14, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:11 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 99° | 7:37 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 34 min of low, warm light | 8:12 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:17 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 34 min before sunset | 6:23 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 260° | 6:58 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:23 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 21m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
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.