Front-Row Seats to October
The Smokies' greatest show, from your own skybridge.
Every October, the most-visited national park in America turns every shade between gold and fire — and millions drive up to see it through a windshield. Excalibur guests watch it happen from the hot tub, walk into it on the private trail, and photograph it from a skybridge with nobody else on it. Peak color rolls down the elevations for weeks, so mid-October mornings here are the postcard.
Fall is also reunion season, retreat season, and the best hiking of the year.
Fall is also reunion season, retreat season, and the best hiking of the year. Things to do in Gatlinburg →
The season
- Mountain-view hot tub in sweater weather
- Skybridge and private trail in full color
- Firepit nights
- Dollywood Harvest Festival nearby — confirm current dates at dollywood.com
- Peak color typically mid-to-late October — exact timing varies by year and elevation
Peak color timing at the lodge's elevation is typically mid-to-late October, with color running weeks either side. Exact timing varies year to year — confirm current conditions with Sky View Rentals or the National Park Service.