Just because summer is over doesn’t mean your boating season has to be! While the water may be too chilly to get in for a swim, your boat gives you a front-row seat to one of the Southeast’s most popular fall activities leaf watching!

Fall in east Tennessee and southwest Virginia is world-renowned for its beautiful scenery as the leaves change. The lakes in the area are surrounded by forests, which means the center of the lake is one of the best places around to view the fall color.

Peak leaf color in Tennessee and Virginia

The famed Farmers’ Almanac says the prime dates for peak fall color in 2016 are October 12 28 in Tennessee and Virginia. This year’s season is a little longer than average — climate scientists believe that the hot summer combined with frequent dry periods will cause an extended “leaf season”, although the lack of rain may mute the colors a bit.

Leaf watching along undeveloped forest shoreline

When it comes to foliage, you can’t beat the lakes in east Tennessee and southwest Virginia. More than half of the shoreline on both Watauga and South Holston Lakes is made of undeveloped land in the Cherokee National Forest, meaning miles and miles of beautiful uninterrupted scenery for you and your guests to enjoy as you cruise around the lake.

The lakes are all located near popular leaf watching spots as well, like the Roan Mountain near Watauga Lake and Shady Valley near South Holston Lake. You can take your boat out, then take a hike so you can watch the leaves change on the water and on dry land. Pack a lunch, dress warmly, and make a day of it!

Use the Carefree Boat Club for all seasons!

One of the perks of the Carefree Boat Club is year-round access to our entire fleet of boats! You can take advantage of the full leaf season when you get right out on the water without the hassle of getting a boat in the water on a chilly fall day.