From cooler temperatures that make for great hiking to cozy gatherings around the campfire with s’mores and stories, fall is the best time to get outside. And while you may think you have missed the best of the fall colors, there is still time to enjoy everything that makes this a favorite season for many.
These destinations are at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains or on the Cumberland Plateau, meaning their colors peak a little later in fall. So you still have time to pack your bags for a quick weekend getaway and catch the show.
Frozen Head State Park
If you want to do something spooky for Halloween, then look no further than camping at Frozen Head State Park in the Cumberland Mountains. An under-the-radar state park that is quite famous despite most people never hearing about it, Frozen Head is one of the best tent camping spots in Tennessee. It also has many hiking trails to choose from, including easy hikes to waterfalls as well as challenging climbs to lookout towers.
The park is adjacent to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a historic prison with a haunted past, making it a particularly perfect place to camp around Halloween. Now a tourist site and trendy distillery, Brushy has a popular paranormal overnight tour, exploring the darker parts of its troubled history as a prison mine.
For those not quite up for spending the night wandering around its deserted cell blocks, the day tours given by former guards and inmates are a fascinating look at the history of Brushy. The prison housed some of Tennessee’s most notorious criminals, including James Earl Ray, the man who shot Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cloudland Canyon State Park
Tucked away in the very northwest tip of Georgia, Cloudland Canyon has a spectacular rim hike around its main canyon that should be on the bucket list for hiking aficionados in the South. Only 45 minutes south of Chattanooga and two hours north of Atlanta, this state park is an easy and fun fall destination for families.
With its two campgrounds, multiple cozy cabin rentals and spacious yurts, you’ll find plenty of lodging choices to fit your family. Besides hiking through the fall leaves, Cloudland Canyon has mountain biking trails, disc golf, playgrounds and a nature center. For dinner, check out Lookout Mountain Pizza, the best pizza place in Georgia, just minutes away from the park.
Charit Creek in Big South Fork
A unique hike-in, rustic lodge in the middle of Big South Forest National River and Recreation Area, Charit Creek is an idyllic place to get away from it all for a weekend. No electricity nor cell service allows you to remember how to relax while sitting outside on a rocking chair with a good book or while building a massive campfire with the kids.
But Charit Creek isn’t entirely rustic; running water means you can have a hot water shower after a long hike through the stunning scenery of the famous Twin Arches Trail that runs to the lodge. And the kitchen staff are magicians, whipping up delicious dinners and breakfasts over the light of an oil lamp.
The Cumberland Plateau is one of the least light-polluted places in the South so the stargazing at Charit Creek is also fantastic. Even better, the fall colors peak a little later on the Plateau than they do in the nearby Smokies so you still have time to catch the show.
For parents looking to disconnect their kids from their phones, Charit Creek is an easy and relaxed retreat in the woods. You don’t even have to pack your sleeping bag as it is all provided for you.
If a mile-long hike to a lodge doesn’t sound like fun, then check out adjacent Pickett State Park, with its historic CCC cabins you can rent for the weekend. Pickett has its own beautiful hiking trails, a picturesque lake, as well as easy driving access to all the hiking trails in Big South Fork.
Townsend, Tennessee
Nicknamed The Peaceful Side of the Smokies, Townsend is a small town parked right at one of the entrances to the Tennessee side of the national park. While the middle of October is the peak time to visit the Smokies for the fall colors, it is also the busiest, with some of the highest tourist visitation numbers for the year.
November is actually a great time to visit the park because you can miss the worst of the crowds but the weather is still excellent for hiking and not too cold yet for camping. And while many of the leaves might be on the ground, that just makes tromping through them all the more fun. Plus, you often get better views from the trails once the leaves are gone.
Townsend has plenty of lodging choices, including a marvelous upscale campground, Little Arrow Resort, with tiny houses, glamping tents and even a restored Airstream trailer, as well as campsites right by the river. If you want a cabin with a view, there are lots to choose from in the hills surrounding town. Take your pick of dining choices, from award-winning foodie places like Dancing Bear to local favorites such as Peaceful Side Social and Apple Valley Cafe.
Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville is the perfect fall weekend getaway for those who want to combine urban exploration with outdoor adventure. A fast-growing city on the edge of the Appalachian mountains, it has a thriving, walkable downtown but hikes and bike rides are just minutes away.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail is one of the premier rails to trail bike rides in the Southeast and fall is one of the best times of year to explore it. Large sections of the trail are through the forest so you will have plenty of chances to soak up the fall colors. Ride the easy 10 miles to the charming small town of Travelers Rest for lunch in one of the cafes and breweries along its Main Street. Don’t forget to stop along the way to see Furman University’s picturesque campus right next to the Swamp Rabbit Trail.
With a well-deserved reputation as a foodie town, you won’t be disappointed in the dining choices found in downtown Greenville. The hardest part will definitely be figuring out which ones to pick but you can’t go wrong with favorites like O-Ku, Aryana Afghan Cuisine, Sum Bar and Camp Modern American Eatery.
Amanda Luhn is a born and raised East Tennessean but spent a lot of time overseas as a child as her mother is from Scotland. She continues her love of worldwide travel and the Southeast with her blog Simply Awesome Trips.