Plan your fall foliage tour with this interactive website

With Labor Day in the rearview, and autumn upon us, fall colors are upon the horizon. Across America, whether you live in the Rocky Mountains, New England or elsewhere, there’s no shortage of fantastic places to take a foliage tour.

While traveling in 2020 is a bit more complicated than it’s been in years past, you’re still likely within driving distance of some impressive scenery displays. Leaves start changing in early September in many parts of the country, especially in higher elevations. In the weeks that follow, as trees wind down for a long winter’s sleep without chlorophyll. The pigment is the key component to a healthy tree’s green appearance, as it transforms sunlight into glucose.

Science lessons aside, the fall is a magical time for photographers and leaf-peepers alike. Parts of Utah and Colorado will flash peak colors in mid-September, while mid-October yields a rainbow’s palette of foliage across the eastern United States, from Acadia National Park in Maine to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

A matter of days can be the difference between a spectacular display and a landscape of trees stripped bare. So how do you plan your photos? Try this interactive Fall Foliage Map from Smoky Mountains.com and plot your trip accordingly!