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Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

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National Recreation Area·Georgia·23,552 acres

Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area

Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

Peak colorOct 29Aim for Oct 28 to 31
In the recreation area today, Nov 10Just past peak
SepOctNov

Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.

Weather Hard frost Thursday night. Peak may come early and go fast.

No new reports from the ground here this week.

I-75I-85I-985US 76DahlonegaDawsonvilleMiltonCantonJasperClevelandEllijayBufordChattahoochee-Oconeepeak Nov 1Mark Trail Wildernesspeak Oct 26Southern Nantahala Wildernesspeak Oct 21Nantahalapeak Oct 19Ed Jenkins
I-985US 129US 76US 19DahlonegaDawsonvilleJasperEllijayCantonBlue RidgeMiltonNelsonChattahoochee-Oconeepeak Nov 1Nantahalapeak Oct 19Ed Jenkins
Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.
Around Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area Fannin County holds most of the recreation area and is just past peak today. Dawson County, to the south, is 4 days behind. Lumpkin County, to the southeast, is 2 days behind.
Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area fall foliage map 2026: the unit and the counties around it painted by how far along their color is on Nov 10. Peak forecast around Oct 29, best Oct 28 to 31.
Save or share this mapToday’s Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area fall foliage map as a picture, redrawn every morning. Free to reuse with credit to More Than Just Parks and a link back; the terms.Save the mapPin itFacebookXEmail

When is peak fall foliage at Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area around Oct 29, and the four days to aim for are Oct 28 to 31.

The recreation area runs from about 1,721 to 3,211 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 6 days: the high stands around Oct 26, the low ground around Nov 1. That's 3 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.

Ed Jenkins, fall color week by week, 2026
WeekIn the recreation areaElevation at peak
Oct 12 to Oct 18Starting to turn
Oct 19 to Oct 25Nearly peak
Oct 26 to Nov 1Peak color1,500 to 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 2,500 ft, 2,500 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 3,500 ft
Nov 2 to Nov 8Just past peak
Nov 9 to Nov 15 this weekJust past peak
By elevation The recreation area runs from about 1,721 to 3,211 feet. That’s 6 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Oct 26, the low ground holds until about Nov 1, and the color comes downhill in between. The date at the top of this page is the 2,000 to 2,500 foot band.
  1. 3,000–3,500 ftFadingpeak Oct 2614%
  2. 2,500–3,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2835%
  3. 2,000–2,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3035%
  4. 1,500–2,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 117%

Height off 3DEP inside the recreation area’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the recreation area stands in it.

That’s 3 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.

Plan this trip

If you can only come on certain days

Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.

Wednesday, October 28 to Thursday, October 29

You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.

Up at 3,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 26; down at 2,000 feet they hold on until about Nov 1. Pick your elevation for the day you come.

  • 3,000–3,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 26
  • 2,500–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 28
  • 2,000–2,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 30
  • 1,500–2,000 ftNearly peakpeak Nov 1
Where to drive
Cherohala Skyway, about 48 miles · Newfound Gap Road, about 79 miles · Blue Ridge Parkway (NC Section), about 138 miles
What turns
northern red oak, white oak, red maple, shagbark hickory, sugar maple

What turns, and when

Also named across Georgia, outside what the canopy read measures here: Sweetgum.

The Blue Ridge mountains of north Georgia produce warm golds and russets from hickories and oaks, with red maples and sweetgums providing the scarlet and purple accents.

Questions people ask about Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area

When is peak fall foliage at Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area?

Our forecast puts peak color at Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area around Oct 29, and the four days to aim for are Oct 28 to 31.

Where is the best fall color at Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area right now?

On Nov 10 the recreation area is just past peak. The last band to peak was 1,500 to 2,000 feet, around Nov 1.

How long does peak last at Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area?

About four days at the top, Oct 28 to 31, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the recreation area's elevations the color moves over about 6 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 10 days.

Is Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Oct 29, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.

What trees turn color at Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area?

Red Maple, Hickory, Sweetgum, Tulip Poplar, White Oak. The Blue Ridge mountains of north Georgia produce warm golds and russets from hickories and oaks, with red maples and sweetgums providing the scarlet and purple accents.

This forecast is built from the species that stand here, their elevation and this September’s weather, and corrected in season by cameras, foresters and our own crew. We score it here against 16 long-running forest cameras: two dates in three land within 7 days of the camera’s own peak. How this map is made

All of Georgia

Nearby, and when they turn

Southern Nantahala Wilderness and Nantahala are on the map above, with their own date.

  1. Brasstown WildernessGA · about 26 miles
    Peak Oct 25 best Oct 24 to 27
  2. Tray Mountain WildernessGA · about 32 miles
    Peak Oct 26 best Oct 25 to 28
  3. Chattahoochee River National Recreation AreaGA · about 45 miles
    Peak Nov 8 best Nov 7 to 10
  4. Citico Creek WildernessTN · about 52 miles
    Peak Oct 25 best Oct 24 to 27

Fall color roads near Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area

Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the recreation area, so allow more by road.

  • Cherohala Skyway · about 48 miles, NC · 43 miles of road

    Connects Robbinsville, NC to Tellico Plains, TN across the Unicoi Mountains. Less traffic than the Parkway, equally spectacular.

  • Newfound Gap Road · about 79 miles, TN · 33 miles of road

    Crosses the spine of the Great Smokies at 5,046 feet. Color peaks at the top in early October and at the base by late October.

  • Blue Ridge Parkway (NC Section) · about 138 miles, NC · 252 miles of road

    Mile markers 217 to 469. The highest and most dramatic section. Waterrock Knob, Craggy Gardens, and Graveyard Fields are must-stop overlooks.