In Praise of Trees

The tulip poplars, high on the mountain slopes of the Appalachians, begin to change first, turning bright yellow in mid September. In the following weeks, a tide of color sweeps across the state from west to east as the beeches and birches, maples, dogwoods and cherries, basswoods, buckeyes and oaks each contribute their unique tones of reds and yellows to the silent symphony of autumn.

Ask most any new resident why they relocated to North Carolina and one of the responses you'll likely hear is "four distinct seasons." While the spring season of bloom is most often mentioned, our fabulous falls, with months of color, often come as an unexpected, though most welcome, surprise to new residents.

With its variety of elevations and over 120 different tree species, North Carolina enjoys one of the most extended fall foliage seasons in the nation, with color from mid-September through November.

No two autumns are ever alike, say the experts. Adequate summer rains plus many warm, sunny days, and cool, but not freezing, nights, seem to produce the most consistent and brilliant color displays.

Every year, thousands of "leaf-peepers" take to the roads, lining up bumper to bumper on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and creating gridlock on Newfound Gap Road through Great Smoky National Park, the two most popular roads for foliage viewing.

But North Carolina has many other places where you can enjoy the fall spectacular in relative solitude.

Leaves turn first at the highest elevations, and western North Carolina, with more than 40 peaks over 6,000 feet, offers numerous opportunities for high altitude viewing.

Drive to the top of Mount Jefferson in Ashe County, Roan Mountain in the Pisgah National Forest, or Mount Mitchell, highest mountain on the East Coast, towering over a mile into the sky, for panoramic views of mountain foliage.

However, a mountain expedition may be much closer to home. A trip up the paved road to the top of Morrow Mountain provides a view over the ancient Uwharries which rise in the Piedmont east of Charlotte. You can also rent a rowboat or canoe at this state park for viewing the foliage on the shores of Lake Tillery and the Pee Dee River.

RETURN TO TOP

In addition to its extensive national forests, North Carolina maintains seven educational forests across the state. Each of them has self-guiding trails with tree identification signs, a forest education center, and a Talking Tree Trail especially for the younger set. Find a complete list at www.ncesf.org.

To avoid the crowds on the Blue Ridge Parkway, chart a course along some of the state's less traveled roads. The NC Department of Transportation publishes a Guide to Scenic Byways across the state, including trips past waterfalls and covered bridges, available free for download at www.ncdot.org.

Asheville's tourism site, www.exploreasheville.com, offers a wide range of suggested itineraries, as well as a frequently updated fall color report and eco-friendly autumn adventures.

You can find still more suggestions at the NC Division of Tourism's web site, www.visitnc.com.

Traveling by automobile isn't the only, or even the best, way to see the fall foliage. Mountain biking, kayaking or rafting down the state's rivers, or hiking some of the thousands of miles of trails are other options. Or ride the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad into Nantahala Gorge for a relaxing journey through spectacular scenery.

For hardcore tree lovers, North Carolina's forests contain some of the largest stands of old growth remaining on the East Coast. The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, located in the Nantahala National Forest in the southwest corner of the state, is the largest and most accessible.

Nearby, the Cherohala Skyway, a national scenic byway, crosses the Unicoi Range, some of the most remote, and least visited, mountains in this part of the world.

Although fall foliage has become a huge generator of tourism in recent years, the bright colors themselves serve no apparent purpose in the life of the tree. This gentle gift from Mother Nature merely rids the tree of its excess leaves and readies it for the next year.

But along the way, this process creates one of the wonders of the natural world and a stunning reason to enjoy North Carolina's outdoor riches.