Photo Essay: Fall Gives Way

The last light of sunset illuminates a sparkling layer of rime ice on Spy Rock near Montebello on Virginia’s Appalachian Trail.

It’s that first afternoon that feels like snow. That westerly breeze that leaves no doubt a new season is about to arrive. Our contributing photographers were there to capture it.

Early snow at Duggers Creek Falls, Newland, North Carolina.
Early snow at Duggers Creek Falls, Newland, North Carolina.
Bucky Cooper Park in Church Hill, Tennessee, offers a view of a small farm in an adjacent field. It had snowed a little bit the night before in the higher elevations, which gave a nice contrast to the fall foliage.
Bucky Cooper Park in Church Hill, Tennessee, offers a view of a small farm in an adjacent field. It had snowed a little bit the night before in the higher elevations, which gave a nice contrast to the fall foliage.
Fiery red leaves contrast with snow-powdered evergreens on a late autumn day at Mingus Mill, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina.
Fiery red leaves contrast with snow-powdered evergreens on a late autumn day at Mingus Mill, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina.
Frost-covered trees on Clingmans Dome frame a view of distant fall colors of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina).
Frost-covered trees on Clingmans Dome frame a view of distant fall colors of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina).
Hoarfrost covers the trees with both whimsy and drama near the Craggy Mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 350 in North Carolina.
Hoarfrost covers the trees with both whimsy and drama near the Craggy Mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 350 in North Carolina.
Departing regularly from downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Ober Gatlinburg’s 120-passenger aerial tramway provides breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains along its 2.1-mile journey.
Departing regularly from downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Ober Gatlinburg’s 120-passenger aerial tramway provides breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains along its 2.1-mile journey.



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




You Might Also Like:

Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA, - May 15, 2021: Reenactment at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park of the Siege of Fort Watauga in 1776.

Revolutionary Roundup

On July 4, 1776, a new nation was born. In honor of this historic day, we explore the forts, battlefields, museums, trails, and more that trace the Patriots’ journey to freedom in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
2025 Festivals and Events

2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion.
A happy 8-year-old Eula Mae standing in front of her father, Woodrow, in this Golding family photo taken in 1952.

My Beloved Scenic

Before it became America’s Favorite Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway was a farm family’s front yard, playground, and memory lane.
A bee clings to the center of a sunflower at Mill Springs Farm, located just up the road from historic downtown Jonesborough, Tennessee. From the photographer: “The farm grows a yearly crop of a variety of sunflowers. The bees love them!” Photo by Jay Huron

Among The Blooms: A Photo Essay

Our contributing photographers wandered the mountains in late spring and early summer to capture critters big and small frolicking, nibbling, and buzzing about.
2027 Best of the Mountains Awards

2026 Best of the Mountains Awards

Submit your nominations for the finest in the Blue Ridge today!
Hikers willing to take on a moderate climb are rewarded with incredible panoramas from the summit of Marys Rock.

An Insider’s Guide to Shenandoah National Park

This year is a landmark one for this treasured piece of mountain land in Virginia: the 100th anniversary of Congress authorizing its establishment and the 90th anniversary of its dedication.
Blue Ridge Country Parkway Guide 2026

2026 Blue Ridge Parkway Guide

Start planning your next trip on America's Favorite Scenic Highway
A Virginia Historical Marker stands at the entrance to Green Pastures.

Green Pastures’ picnic area was build by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s.

Green Pastures Reborn

When it officially opened in 1940 — in the depths of the Jim Crow era — Green Pastures was likely the first U.S. Forest Service recreation area in the nation constructed for African Americans.
Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park rewards a steep climb with exceptional mountain views.

Inset: Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s Chimneys Picnic Area sits beside the West Prong of the Little Pigeon RIver.

11 Picnics with a View

These bucket-list destinations are perfect spots to kick back, enjoy a delightful meal and take in the great outdoors.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS