Did you ever get an answer to this question? We are wondering the same thing. ?????

We were passing through the national forest in February so there was still some snow in places. If you saw the September date on my review, that was when I finally got around to writing the review. We travel a lot and I'm always behind. The color change in western NC is behind schedule because of the heat wave we had this year. I hope this will help some. We can't insert links here so I'll just copy/paste what I found online: Early October through October 15 The first signs of fall begin to appear at the highest elevations (above 6,000 feet) *October 16 through 20 Fall color is strongest above 5,000 feet in the N.C. mountains. *October 21 through 25 Fall foliage will arrive at elevations between 4,000-5,000 feet. *October 26 through 30 Now the fall leaf change reaches elevations between 3,000-4,000 feet. *October 31 through November 4 Elevations between 2,000-3,000 feet. *November 5 through 9 Fall color hits the lowest valleys and foothills between 1,000-2,000 feet I would suggest googling "Nantahala National Forest" and find the contact information and asking someone. I don't know how far behind schedule the foliage change will be or even if it will be very good this year. My guess is their won't be much color let when you get there. Something else you can do is google "western NC color change" and do some reading. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Hi there, I haven't been there, but I did find this when looking! We plan to visit in September. Have you been yet? Family friendly hiking For families with young children or persons with disabilities, Nantahala National Forest has some great options. Bridal Veil Falls enjoys easy access, includes wheelchair accessible entrances, and features a stunning view of a waterfall. Similarly, Lower Douglas Falls is a moderate 1-mile hike that climbs gently throughout. The 70-foot waterfall is located in an old-growth forest and contains unique biodiversity. Whitewater Falls is a kid-friendly hike that features the tallest waterfall in the forest—a staggering 411 feet! This outdoor trail is paved and easy for a family with small children. However, the lower observation area has several paved steps and is not wheelchair accessible. Intermediate trails Rufus Morgan Falls is about a mile, but has some challenging hills to navigate and includes a small stream crossing. Check out Summit and Rhododendron Trail Loop, a 1.5-mile moderate adventure through self-guided trail. Hikers will see virgin Northern Red Oak forests at an elevation nearly 5,000 feet. The Sam Knob trail is located at the edge of the Shining Rock Wilderness. This hike is a little more than 2-miles long and is best during late summer when a wide variety of wild flowers are in bloom. Pink Beds Loop is a longer hike for beginners (about 5 miles), is fairly flat and contains several water features. This forest is in transition, as beavers have dammed the South Fork Mills River to form unique ponds. Experienced hikers only Old Mitchell is a hilly climb through the forest at about 6,000 feet above sea level. Looking Glass Rock is a difficult 6.4-mile hike through steep forest in the Pisgah Ranger District. This trail is visible from many locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway.