Also, to the south, the part of the Parkway below Waterrock Knob toward Maggie Valley/Cherokee and Great Smoky Mountains National Park has some nice stretches. To the south of Asheville, check the Blue Ridge Parkway area around Mount Pisgah (especially from Pounding Mill to East Fork Overlook). Areas between 4,000 and 2,500 feet in elevation are looking very colorful. The middle elevations were the biggest benefactor from the cooler temperatures. It’s that wonderful brisk autumn weather we look forward to each season! All the trees needed were those fall-like temperatures to jump start color development! We’re now consistently seeing high temperatures in the 50s with lows in the 40s and even 30s (depending on the elevation).