Fall leaf-peeping season marks triumphant return to Blue Ridge Parkway’s Beech Mountain

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. – Fall colors are making a bright comeback along the Blue Ridge Parkway town of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, after last year’s leaf peeping season was cut short due to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene.

Beech Mountain, located at Milepost 305 along the Blue Ridge Parkway, is among the first to see peak fall colors in the Southeast. At an elevation of 5,506 feet, Beech is the highest town in the Eastern U.S. This year is already proving to be a colorful return to fall tourism after flooding from Hurricane Helene ended leaf-peeping season early last year in Western North Carolina. 

Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

(A. Garcia / FOX Weather)

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A spokesperson from Beech Mountain said from the last week of September to Oct. 31, the town sees about 50,000 visitors, based on its traffic counter. Meanwhile, High Country sees hundreds of thousands of fall color enthusiasts during this season. 

Last year’s leaf-peeping season was a wash for Western North Carolina after the remnants of Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway and effectively shut down the season for businesses and communities in these regions that rely on those tourism dollars.

North Carolina Department of Transportation, National Park Service and contract crews have been working nonstop to reopen the whole 469-mile-long highway. In September, just before the one-year mark after Helene, a 26-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway reopened from Asheville to Mount Michell State Park. 

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Beech Mountain businesses are hoping visitors can make up for lost time because the leaves are popping with color this season. 

Photos from this past weekend show vibrant hues of fall are already taking over the leaves. It won’t be long before peak season is upon us and nearly every tree is screaming with color. 

So far, it’s already been a busy season for Beech with an estimated 48,000 visitors, with two full weeks left of peak fall leaf season.