FALL LEAVES ON THE BRP

by | Nov 9, 2023 | Hiking, Hiking, North Carolina, Travel, Water Falls

The fall leaves in our portion of the Tennessee Valley were just starting to turn when reports that the leaves were peaking on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). Fortunately for us, the drive to the BRP entrance near Asheville, NC is only three hours away, so we booked a 3-day weekend at an Airbnb October 27-29 and were rewarded with some champion leaf peeping.

Airbnb proprietors Elizabeth and Jim not only fed us like royalty and treated us like family, they performed an Appalachian dulcimer duet in their living room for us on our last day.
The drive leading up to the BRP whet our appetite for fall colors.
The BRP begins in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and ends in Shenandoah National Park traveling 469 miles through two states without a single red light or stop sign.
We did several hikes along the BRP, the steepest and toughest being the Richland Balsam Mountain trail.
The hike to the highest peak on the BRP is a 1.5-mile loop with no lookout at the summit.
Looking Glass Falls is adjacent to the Heritage Scenic Byway near Brevard, NC and just below the BRP. The easy walk from the road means it’s usually busy.
Hiking trails off the BRP provides close-up encounters with nature’s handiworks like this tree shaped like an oryx head with long horns.
Karen’s eye for interesting plants adds highlights to the hike.
Karen’s also known for leaving personal art installations along the way.
A flood that caused rock slides and completely changed the look of Skinny Dip Falls, did not keep this perfectly placed bench from being a lovely place to eat lunch on this hike.
A half-mile paved and strenuously steep trail leads to the top of Devil’s Courthouse where legends claim the devil holds court in a cave beneath the rock.
The views from the top of Devil’s Courthouse were breathtaking and worth the trudge uphill.
I failed to identify this cool bush on the Devil’s Courthouse and welcome help from my readers.
The Green Knob Lookout Tower was built in 1931. The steel trapdoor designed to keep climbers off the top floor was bent back just enough for hikers to squeeze through, if they shucked their packs first.
The tower atop 5,080-foot Green Knob Mountain provided 360-degree panoramic views.
It was worth climbing the steps and squeezing through the trapdoor to take in the spectacular scenery.
I will leave you with this dazzling view of Looking Glass Rock until next year’s fall color pilgrimage.