Fall is when the mountains around Asheville show off, and leaf-peeping becomes a regional sport.

The color does not arrive all at once, which is the trick most visitors miss.

It starts up high in early October and rolls downhill for weeks, so there is almost always a good week somewhere.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is the main event, a ribbon of road built for exactly this.

Pull-offs every few miles give you the big view without any effort.

Go on a weekday if you can, because the Parkway on a peak Saturday is a slow parade.

Higher elevations turn first, so chase the color up the mountain early in the season and back down as the weeks pass.

Early morning light is the best for photos, and the crowds are thinner before the coffee wears off.

Pack a layer, because it can be twenty degrees cooler at elevation than it is in the city.

Gas up before you go, since stations are scarce once you are on the Parkway.

If you would rather walk than drive, plenty of trails off the Parkway get you into the color on foot.

Peak around Asheville itself usually lands in mid to late October, though every year argues with the calendar.

Keep an eye on fall color reports, which the forecasters update weekly through the season.

Some sections of road and trail are still recovering from Helene, so check for closures before you set out.

Bring water, bring snacks, and give yourself more time than the map suggests.

The view is the kind that makes you stop talking for a minute, which is saying something.