Fall foliage report from www.tnvacation.com

West Tennessee's Land Between the Lakes is fast approaching the climax of fall color.

Most trees are in various stages of color change, with the exception of the oak trees. The dogwoods along the Trace are still a beautiful purplish red, and the sweetgums provide a darker purple color to the mix. The blackgums and sumacs continue to shine as red as cardinals. A softer shade of red comes from sassafras and Virginia creeper. And, there's plenty of yellow and gold in the canopy now: the golden hickories are beautiful; the yellow pawpaws and tulip poplars add lighter tones to the forest.

This is a great time for a scenic drive or a walk in the woods. Land Between the Lakes is a great location for observing waterbirds. Other wildlife species, including woodpeckers, owls and hawks, can be spotted along the trail.

In East Tennessee, portions of mountainsides in the 3,500-4,000-ft. range are showing full color, as several tree species along the roadsides at lower elevations are beginning to signal autumn tones. Meanwhile, the higher ridges above 4,000 have already peaked, and trees at the uppermost reaches have lost their leaves.

Leaf color along the Tennessee hills is expected to intensify after colder temperatures hit the Smokies this week. Many areas are approaching a crescendo of color--Cades Cove, Foothills Parkway on the western end, Greenbrier and Cosby to the east--shaping up to be quite a colorful weekend.

Heading southeast, dogwoods continue to boast gorgeous shades, while Virginia creepers pop in fall hues. The cherry trees and sweetgums continue in their vibrant color change.

Keep track of our color progression by visiting nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grsmcam/grsmcam.cfm.

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