The Beauty of Mountain Autumn

Early morning light reflects along Price Lake as clouds engulf Grandfather Mountain along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina.

Cowee Mountains Overlook, Milepost 430 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Sylva, North Carolina. From the photographer: “Golden hour and fall foliage - does it get any better? I chanced upon this lovely autumn scene, with vivid golden light shining down over.”

Fall morning along the Little River in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. From the photographer: “I always enjoy seeking out colorful reflections on the water in autumn.”

A hiker visiting the Chimneys (just past Table Rock on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail), gazing out toward Table Rock Mountain and the northern part of the Linville Gorge, North Carolina. From the photographer: “The Linville Gorge erupts with color each year around the middle of October, with higher elevations showing the first signs of autumn because of cooler temperatures. Hues of red, orange and yellow creep down the mountain and into the valley, making a spectacular show for gorge visitors. The best viewing points include Wiseman’s View, the Chimneys or the main peaks of Hawksbill, Shortoff and Table Rock Mountains.”

The sun rises over the east rim of Bays Mountain in Kingsport, Tennessee, illuminating the fall foliage and the light steam on the lake. From the photographer: “The dam’s construction was finished in 1916 creating the water source for Kingsport until the city’s water needs outgrew it around 1944.”

Pictured is Trail Cabin in Floyd County along the Blue Ridge Parkway in southern Virginia on a late October morning.