When autumn paints the Southern landscape in golden hues, Tennessee travel experts know exactly where to find the most breathtaking seasonal displays.
From mountain retreats with dazzling leaf shows to historic gardens dressed in fall finery, the South offers countless ways to experience nature’s most colorful season. These getaways combine the region’s famous hospitality with remarkable plant life and gardens that truly shine during the cooler months.
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Fall transforms this beloved national park into a wonderland of color that draws visitors from across the country. The native sourwoods, maples, and oaks create a patchwork quilt of red, orange, and gold across the mountainsides.
Walking through these ancient forests in October feels like stepping into a painting. I’ve found the sweet spot for peak foliage is usually mid-October, though Tennessee locals recommend checking the park’s fall color reports for precise timing.
Don’t miss the wildflower meadows that take on subtle autumn hues, offering a gentler contrast to the dramatic tree canopy above.
2. Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, Nashville
Nashville’s premier botanical garden puts on a spectacular autumn show with its thoughtfully designed landscape. The Japanese garden section becomes particularly magical as maple trees turn fiery red against carefully placed stone elements.
During my last October visit, the garden’s pumpkin houses and seasonal displays delighted visitors of all ages. Tennessee gardeners often mention Cheekwood’s fall plantings as inspiration for their own gardens.
The woodland sculpture trail offers a perfect marriage of art and nature, with contemporary sculptures framed by golden hickories and russet oaks.
3. Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina
America’s largest private home sits amid gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted that reach peak beauty in autumn. The formal gardens transition to fall with creative seasonal plantings of mums, pansies, and ornamental kale.
Beyond the manicured spaces lies a 8,000-acre estate where forest trails wind through spectacular fall foliage. Many Tennessee garden enthusiasts make an annual pilgrimage here to study the thoughtful plant combinations.
The conservatory remains a lush tropical retreat even as temperatures drop outside, making this a perfect destination regardless of weather conditions.
4. Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia
This 2,500-acre wonderland showcases Southern horticulture at its autumn best. The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center becomes even more magical as fall-blooming nectar plants draw clouds of butterflies before the first frost.
Tennessee gardeners often recommend timing visits for the Callaway chrysanthemum display, when thousands of carefully cultivated blooms create rivers of color. The garden’s signature azaleas may be past bloom, but their foliage turns a surprising burgundy in fall.
Hiking through the longleaf pine forest offers a different kind of fall experience – one where golden needles carpet the forest floor in a soft, fragrant layer.
5. Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi To Tennessee
This historic 444-mile route connects Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, offering one of the South’s most scenic autumn drives. The roadway cuts through forests where hickories, sweetgums, and maples create a colorful tunnel effect in October and November.
Along the way, you’ll find natural areas perfect for plant enthusiasts. The Devil’s Backbone State Natural Area in Tennessee features unique limestone glades with rare fall-blooming wildflowers not commonly seen elsewhere.
Several Tennessee botanists I’ve spoken with recommend stopping at the parkway’s Mount Pleasant area, where native prairie grasses turn copper and gold in autumn light.
6. Bernheim Arboretum, Clermont, Kentucky
Just a short drive north from Tennessee lies this 16,000-acre forest and arboretum that showcases both native and exotic trees in their autumn glory. The collection of rare maples from around the world provides a symphony of fall colors not seen in typical Southern forests.
What makes this destination special is the blend of art and horticulture. Giant wooden forest giants created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo hide among the trees, waiting to be discovered as you explore the grounds.
A Tennessee garden club leader once told me the edible garden section is particularly worth visiting in fall, when unusual fruit trees and berry bushes offer both beauty and inspiration for home gardeners.
7. Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia
Fall brings a magical transformation to this urban oasis, especially in the Japanese garden where momiji maples burst into crimson splendor. The garden’s annual scarecrow display adds whimsy to the seasonal beauty, with dozens of creative garden-themed characters dotting the landscape.
The woodland area showcases native Southern plants in their autumn dress – Tennessee wildflower experts particularly praise the garden’s collection of native asters and goldenrods that peak in early fall.
Evening visits offer a special experience during the garden’s fall light shows, when artistic illumination brings a new dimension to the changing foliage and garden sculptures.
8. Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia
Thomas Jefferson’s historic home and gardens offer a unique fall experience where history and horticulture intertwine. The vegetable garden, one of the most famous in America, transitions beautifully to fall with heritage pumpkins, winter squashes, and late-season herbs.
Walking the grounds in autumn, you’ll discover how Jefferson’s experimental approach to gardening shaped American plant culture. Many Tennessee master gardeners consider this a must-visit to understand Southern gardening traditions.
The surrounding forest views from the mountaintop property showcase the rolling Virginia countryside in its full autumn glory – a landscape that inspired one of America’s most famous garden designers.
9. Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains, this botanical garden shines in autumn when Japanese maples, black gums, and sweetgums paint the landscape in brilliant colors. The garden’s unique setting on a peninsula jutting into Lake Hamilton creates stunning reflections of fall foliage.
A Tennessee garden writer friend insists the koi-filled streams and waterfalls become even more magical when framed by autumn colors. The garden’s impressive collection of camellias begins blooming in late fall, offering flowers when most other plants are dormant.
Don’t miss the children’s garden with its whimsical treehouse architecture that blends perfectly with the woodland setting – it’s just as enchanting for adults as it is for kids.
10. Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
This former rice plantation turned sculpture garden offers a coastal take on autumn beauty. While the fall color may be subtler than mountain destinations, the ancient live oaks draped with Spanish moss create a hauntingly beautiful scene against the golden autumn light.
The formal gardens transition to cool-season annuals in fall, with Tennessee garden experts often praising their creative use of ornamental cabbages, pansies, and native grasses. My favorite discovery was the native garden section showcasing coastal plants rarely seen in traditional gardens.
The sculpture collection, set against changing seasonal backdrops, takes on new dimensions in autumn – the perfect marriage of art and nature in a uniquely Southern setting.