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Photo Essay: Ah, Fall is Back!

The sun rises upon the red carpet at Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia.

Temperatures cool. Colors sharpen. Trails beckon. Time to drink in the best of autumn with these great shots from our contributing photographers.

The 13.5-mile Tanawha Trail utilizes several arched bridges and boardwalks that are designed to blend with, and protect, the fragile ecosystem it passes through. Completed in 1993, this trail is accessible from several overlooks along the North Carolina Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 299 and 305.
The 13.5-mile Tanawha Trail utilizes several arched bridges and boardwalks that are designed to blend with, and protect, the fragile ecosystem it passes through. Completed in 1993, this trail is accessible from several overlooks along the North Carolina Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 299 and 305.
Golden light and autumn color reflect amid the time-worn boulders in a hidden stream in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.
Golden light and autumn color reflect amid the time-worn boulders in a hidden stream in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.
An early, autumn morning hike to Little Stony Man summit takes you to breathtaking views against an almost 360-degree horizon. (Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive Milepost 40, Virginia)
An early, autumn morning hike to Little Stony Man summit takes you to breathtaking views against an almost 360-degree horizon. (Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive Milepost 40, Virginia)
The Hensley Settlement School House is at the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park on the Kentucky side. You can either hike up to it or join a tour and ride up with the National Park Service.
The Hensley Settlement School House is at the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park on the Kentucky side. You can either hike up to it or join a tour and ride up with the National Park Service.
Within Tallulah State Park in Northern Georgia, a 1,000-foot Gorge is carved out by the Tallulah River, with Tallulah Falls visible from several overlooks along the hiking trail.
Within Tallulah State Park in Northern Georgia, a 1,000-foot Gorge is carved out by the Tallulah River, with Tallulah Falls visible from several overlooks along the hiking trail.
The Skyline Drive in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park passes through Marys Rock Tunnel on a cold October morning.
The Skyline Drive in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park passes through Marys Rock Tunnel on a cold October morning.
Amid the splendor of autumn in Southern Appalachia and with excited curiosity, Ellic (photographer’s son) and Oscar (the accompanying videographer’s son)climb the steep stairs of the Olson Observation Tower in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest.
Amid the splendor of autumn in Southern Appalachia and with excited curiosity, Ellic (photographer’s son) and Oscar (the accompanying videographer’s son)climb the steep stairs of the Olson Observation Tower in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest.

The story above appears in our September/October 2019 issue. For more, subscribe today or log in to the digital edition with your active digital subscription. Thank you for your support!

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