Fall Colors Return to Beech Mountain, North Carolina, After Hurricane Helene’s Devastation
Fall colors are making a bright comeback along the Blue Ridge Parkway town of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, after last year’s leaf peeping season was cut short due to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. Located at Milepost 305 along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Beech Mountain is among the first to see peak fall colors in the Southeast. At an elevation of 5,506 feet, Beech is the highest town in the Eastern U.S.
This year is already proving to be a colorful return to fall tourism after flooding from Hurricane Helene ended leaf-peeping season early last year in Western North Carolina. A spokesperson from Beech Mountain said from the last week of September to Oct. 31, the town sees about 50,000 visitors, based on its traffic counter. Meanwhile, High Country sees hundreds of thousands of fall color enthusiasts during this season.
Peak Fall Colors Expected to Attract Thousands of Visitors
Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia / FOX Weather)
Last year’s leaf-peeping season was a wash for Western North Carolina after the remnants of Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway and effectively shut down the season for businesses and communities in these regions that rely on those tourism dollars. North Carolina Department of Transportation, National Park Service, and contract crews have been working nonstop to reopen the whole 469-mile-long highway.
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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Photos from October 2025 show fall colors are nearing peak conditions in Beech Mountain, North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. (A. Garcia)
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