Top 10 Things to Do in the Smokies in Fall

The classic fall drive climbs Newfound Gap Road (US 441) from Gatlinburg to Newfound Gap, which at 5,046 feet is the lowest drivable pass through the park. Because the park's range of elevation staggers the color, one drive up can pass several stages of it. The overlook at the top has parking and seasonal restrooms, and the road is open year-round, weather permitting.

An 11-mile, one-way loop around a mountain valley with three churches, a working gristmill, barns and log houses, framed by ridges that turn color in autumn. Keep an eye out for wildlife, and give bears and even turkeys plenty of room. Traffic is heavy in fall and on weekends, so a weekday start at sunrise makes the drive far more relaxed.

A steep, one-way scenic road that makes a slow, leafy drive in autumn. It is open from mid-April until late November, so it covers the whole leaf season, and it leads to the Trillium Gap trailhead for Grotto Falls, a 2.6-mile round trip to the only waterfall in the park with a trail that passes behind it.

This trail off Newfound Gap Road follows mountain streams through old-growth forest to Arch Rock, then climbs more steeply to Alum Cave Bluffs, 4.6 miles round trip. Expect stairs, roots and rocky steps. Families with younger kids can turn around at Arch Rock for an easier 2.8-mile round trip.

From mid-September through October, Dollywood's Harvest Festival brings Southern gospel, country and bluegrass performers to the park. After dark, Great Pumpkin LumiNights lights the park with thousands of carved pumpkins and larger-than-life pumpkin icons, which is the part kids remember. A Harvest Festival Tasting Pass lets you try up to five seasonal dishes.

From mid-September through late November, downtown Gatlinburg decorates for fall with harvest displays and life-size, three-dimensional scarecrow people. Kids can use the Visit Gatlinburg app to track down all 30 scarecrows placed around downtown, and visitors vote for their favorite decorated business. It is an easy add-on to an afternoon of strolling and dinner on the Parkway.

From late August through the start of November the mountaintop park runs its Bear-Varian Fall Festival, with seasonal decor and live entertainment in every village, from rock bands to polka groups. Regular admission covers the music, decor and games, while a tasting card for regional beers and ciders and Bavarian-style food cost extra. The Treetop Skywalk and AnaVista Tower put you above the fall color.

A family orchard complex with a cider bar, hard cider, a winery, a creamery, a general store and a kitchen turning out homemade pies and fritters. In early October it hosts its Apple Festival across two weekends with free admission. The Applewood Farmhouse restaurants share the property, which makes it easy to turn a cider stop into a group meal.

For about three weeks in October, more than 200 booths of handmade work fill the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Makers come from across the country and pass a jury process, so you will not find mass-produced souvenirs, and country, bluegrass and gospel acts play at noon and 3 pm daily. It is a good rainy-day plan and a head start on holiday shopping.

A remote valley on the North Carolina side where elk graze in open fields around historic churches, a school and old homesteads. From early September to late October the elk are in their rut, and bulls bugle calls that can be heard more than a mile away. Time the visit for early morning or late evening, when the elk are most active.