One of the best parts about Knoxville is its proximity to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the fall especially, the area is at its absolute best, displaying a warm palette of colors, much to the enjoyment of us all. This past weekend, we took advantage of a warm and sunny Sunday and took a scenic drive through the mountains.

Fall weather has been allusive this year but it finally came along. We took a drive to Townsend, stopping for fresh apples at our old friend Wilford, who has been selling delicious “non-plastic” apples, sweet potatoes, and honey from his truck on the side of the road for years. We drove up the scenic Foothills Parkway, noticing the colors gradually become more intense with height. Although not at their brightest yet, the colors were definitely showing.

We ventured through the woods to the edge of the rocks at Look Rock and had to bundle up in fleece jackets as the wind picked up.

We walked through the Look Rock Campground, which closed in 2012 and found it very enjoyable. A quick Google search showed good news: $215 million of newly approved funding would be allocated to backlogged maintenance in the Smokies, including at the Look Rock site.

Look Rock Campground