The Japanese call it kōyō, which means fall foliage. We call it “leaf-peeping,” a phrase coined by a Vermont newspaper in 1965. Keep in mind, people were also using words like “groovy” back then. The term is somewhat cringe in my books, but it’s well-intentioned—it’s the seasonal activity of traveling to view and photograph autumn foliage. And one of the most spectacular places to soak it all in is Western North Carolina, especially along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Magnificent maple.
Dave and I took the opportunity to leaf-peep with friends Nancy and Curtis, who were in town to check out the Asheville area.
Curtis and Nancy hit the trail in the DuPont State Recreational Forest.
Ours was a combined day trip—starting with a visit to the DuPont State Recreational Forest, where we took a spur trail to magnificent High Falls. We gazed at the top of the falls from the covered bridge before heading down to the overlook. The forest was awash with color.
The view from the covered bridge, overlooking High Falls.
High Falls, DuPont State Recreational Forest.
We reached full saturation on our drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway via Pisgah National Forest. Although the higher elevations were losing their luster, the mid-elevations were still gorgeous.
Kōyō, leaf-peeping—whatever term you use—makes the transition from fall to winter much more enjoyable.
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