Fall, y'all: Southern foliage is reaching the peak of red-orange-yellow perfection

Fall, y’all: Southern foliage is reaching the peak of red-orange-yellow perfection

1/11

A red sports car zips past the outskirts of Roanoke, Va., on Oct 21.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

2/11

Megan Soffer of Washington, D.C., seizes a photo op Oct. 20 with her Siberian huskies, Ava and Maya, along Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive between Luray and Sperryville, Va.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

3/11

Early morning light falls Oct. 21 on Abbott Lake, near the Peaks of Otter Lodge, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Bedford, Va.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

4/11

Early sun slants down Oct. 23 on the statuary on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N.C.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

5/11

Foliage puts on a show Oct. 22 at the Linn Cove Viaduct, Grandfather Mountain, N.C.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

6/11

A pair of international tourists work their cellphones Oct. 21 outside Stone Mountain State Park, N.C.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

7/11

The Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, N.C., includes acres of seasonal gardens, along with a massive conservatory (in the background here) that keeps hothouse flowers going after autumn temperatures drop. Photo taken Oct. 23.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

8/11

A tiny stretch of road is visible Oct. 20 from Little Stony Man Trail, along the Appalachian Trail near Skyland Resort, Shenandoah National Park, Va.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

9/11

Sunset light spills Oct. 20 onto a lonely turn along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Lexington, Va.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

10/11

This foliage detail was at East Fork Overlook on Oct. 23 along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

11/11

A car-mounted GoPro camera catches late light Oct. 21 on a stand of trees near Cranberry, N.C.

(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

By Christopher ReynoldsStaff Writer

Oct. 28, 2015 8:30 AM PT

Last week I drove from Washington, D.C., to Atlanta. Along the way, there were leaves -- red, orange, yellow and a thousand shades in between.

In the American South, it’s peak leaf time.

I stopped in a few familiar spots -- most notably the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. And several of these shots were taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina.

But most of these pictures are just bends in the road that, in the right light, become matinee idols.

To plan your own trip, remember that the foliage timetable depends heavily on altitude. During my visit, all the deepest reds and oranges seemed to be above 3,000 feet.

In days ahead, expect the red and orange to reach lower altitudes.

For more, consult the Blue Ridge Parkway Daily’s fall colors tracker. Or check out these 40 favorite fall color spots from Southern Living magazine.

ALSO:

Fourth-graders go free on these all inclusive adventure tours of national parks

Big chill, big thrill: Sleep in an ice-fishing hut and watch the northern lights in Sweden

Resort towns for less: Save on flights, lodging, car rentals and food