 No other national park offers fall colors as remarkable as those in the Smokies. One reason is the Park's amazing diversity of deciduous trees as well as other deciduous plants. As summer ends, the green pigments in leaves deteriorate, giving the oranges and yellows a chance to shine; the sugars in leaves break down, and the reds and purples come through. With over 800 square miles, containing many roads and hiking trails, the Park is easily traversed. Color displays start as early as mid-September in the higher elevations and continue through early November at lower elevations.
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