Join Park Interpreter Scott Stegenga each week beginning October 1st for the South Carolina Mountain region’s fall color update.

Scott’s home is Table Rock State Park located on Scenic Highway 11, so he will have a front row seat to nature’s show of colors.

You can also check out our Table Rock webcam so you can see the color change for yourself!

The long spell of hot and dry weather finally broke during the last weekend of September. At least one third of the month saw highs at 90º or better making one think autumn would never show up in the mountains. With more normal temperatures arriving and a copious shot of soaking rain, it finally feels like fall.

With the change of the season, comes the gradual color change of vegetation. Decreasing amounts of daylight and lower temperatures will continue to slowly usher the foliage towards its brilliant peak around the end of October. Currently, the forest has not shown any major changes. The intense dark green of summer has faded some, but significant color change is isolated and scattered among individual trees. A few tulip poplars here and there have begun to show some yellow and the reds of the understory dogwoods and sourwoods are the main sources of color now.

The highly anticipated change will eventually gain momentum as the days of October slip away. For now, enjoy the yellow goldenrods, purple ironweed, and the other roadside flowers and few trees that are on display. These early changes are refreshing but the best is yet to come.

Article sourced from www.southcarolinaparks.com