Autumn is officially here, but most leaves haven’t changed color — yet.

If you’ve already peeped a few red, yellow, and orange leaves in Charlotte, they’re only going to become more bountiful. According to Smoky Mountain’s fall foliage predictions, leaves in the Mecklenburg County area are starting to lose their chlorophyll — the compound responsible for their green color. This transition will give us a few weeks when we can see the foliage before it hits the ground.
Here’s an anticipated timeline of when Charlotteans can expect to see the most colorful foliage:

Week of Sept. 29 — the first signs of changing leaves are expected
Week of Oct. 6 — trees get patchy with color
Week of Oct. 13 — more colors appear on trees
Week of Oct. 20 — Charlotte approaches peak foliage
Week of Oct. 27 — peak fall foliage expected
Week of Nov. 3 — Mecklenburg County is past its peak, leaves are likely on the ground

If you want to go leaf peeping, you still have time to plan your trip before the leaves fall. The foliage tends to be on full display along the city’s hiking trails, with Crowder's Mountain and Lake Norman State Park being noted as particularly scenic. Parks also make great places to catch the leaves, especially local spots like Freedom Park.

Of course, Charlotteans have the benefit of being close to Boone, Blowing Rock, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, which make perfect leaf peeping destinations.