While the Autumn color has only been crawling to the Smokies this season, the change is under way and the slow speed only adds more time and opportunities to see it! If you’re coming to the Smoky Mountains in search of the best fall views we’re here to help! Here are our five places that we recommend for Autumn color sights.

Great Smoky Mountain Wheel

Proudly beaming along the skyline of Pigeon Forge from The Island, the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel is one of the most convenient and luxurious ways to see the Smoky Mountain colors. It is an absolutely giant ferris wheel that will take admission fees and offer photographs after the experience – in between that, you will go about 200 feet in the air and circle around several times where the mountains surrounding the city will be greatly visible. The car is completely enclosed and has air conditioning or heating depending on the weather outside. Few other sky-high vistas in the Smokies offer this level of amenity!

Foothills Parkway Between Wears Valley and Townsend

This is a newer roadway going through a majorly atmospheric section of the Smoky Mountains that is popular enough, but not quite as popular as something like Newfound Gap between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, NC, which means those who would prefer a drive through the highlands of the Smokies with a lesser chance of crawling through traffic should definitely consider going out to Wears Valley to take a drive on it. The roadway looks very much like the Newfound road to Cherokee and has plenty of stopping spots high above Wears Valley road where you can stop and take all the photos you want!

Dollywood

Anyone who’s ever been to Dollywood should know that the theme park is extremely steeped in its mountain atmosphere and, thusly, the colors of the Autumn bliss will be on full display almost everywhere you walk on park. Not just that, but there is also the Harvest Festival and the Pumpkin LumiNights events going on throughout October and that only adds, or multiplies, the experience. How to see the sights? Go on some of the rides! The rollercoasters and many others reach great heights and lets you see the colors and spin them around you in ways you wouldn’t get anywhere else.

Anakeesta

Anakeesta is fun for the whole family! This theme park features food, fun, mountain views, and more! Shop and stroll your way through Firefly Village while admiring the views. Or take in the fall colors when you explore the Treetop Skywalk, or race down the mountain on the mountain coaster known as the Rail Runner. Let’s not forget one of the best ways to take in the mountain views here is the Anavista Observation Tower which offers 360 views!

Ober Gatlinburg

Ober has been our famous amusement park in the highlands for decades, longer even than Dollywood by several dozens of years, and the reason for this is its unique combination of attractions while being located high in the mountains of Chalet Village and overlooking the city. Half of Ober Gatlinburg’s popularity along comes from the tram rides that go from downtown Gatlinburg to the kinds of heights that give you miles and miles of views around you. As you might guess, this ride gets popular during the Autumn time, but you’ll be able to find the opportunities to ride it and the views will be well worth it.

Don’t miss the fall colors in the Smokies! There’s a number of attractions you can visit to see the changing leaves. Don’t forget about simply taking a relaxing drive into the national park! We have beautiful cabins that are great for family fall vacations, romantic getaways for couples, and even cabins that allows pets!