Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway: Last Call for Fall Color in North Georgia
Most of the country is done with fall color for the year. New England is bare, the Midwest is past peak, and the high country out West has already turned brown. But the show moves south before it ends, and this week it is sitting in North Georgia. If you want one more ride through red and gold this year, Georgia State Route 348, the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway, is the road to be on, and this week is the week to be on it.
The Georgia Forestry Commission's November 4 Leaf Watch report put northeast Georgia in the middle of peak color above 3,000 feet, with 99 percent of the leaves changed up high and the lower elevations entering peak right behind them. The commission named the Richard B. Russell Parkway one of its picks for the week. That window does not stay open long.
The road
The Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway runs from GA 75 south of Helen up through the Chattahoochee National Forest to GA 180. Together with the GA 180 leg, it forms the Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway, about 40 miles of mountain road and a designated National Forest Scenic Byway. There is no commercial clutter up there. It is pavement, forest, overlooks, and one gap after another.
The climb tops out at Hogpen Gap, 3,450 feet up, where the Appalachian Trail crosses the highway and the overlook looks out over ridge after ridge of hardwood forest. Tesnatee Gap, at 3,138 feet, is the other big stop on the road. Near the north end, GA 180 takes you to the spur for Brasstown Bald, at 4,784 feet the highest point in Georgia, where the observation tower looks into four states on a clear day.
Georgia 348 at Hogpen Gap, the high point of the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway. Photo: Thomson200 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
The color report right now
Here is where things stand as of the Forestry Commission's latest report. Northeast Georgia above 3,000 feet is in the middle of peak. Below 3,000 feet, about 85 percent of the leaves had changed and the valleys were entering peak, with sheltered spots holding near peak. Northwest Georgia was running a little behind, at about 70 percent changed, with its peak expected within the week.
What that means on a bike: the high country along GA 348 is showing its best color right now and will fade first, while the valleys on the way up and the northwest corner around Carters Lake and Ellijay come on strong this coming weekend. One caution that matters more than any forecast: wet leaves on mountain pavement are as slick as ice in the curves. After a rain, treat every leaf-covered corner like it is out to get you, because it is.
Fall color at Carters Lake in northwest Georgia, where peak is arriving this coming weekend. Photo: Tamparitus / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Make it a loop
GA 348 does not have to be an out-and-back. It ties straight into the best riding in the state. Run it north to GA 180, drop down through Wolfpen Gap to Suches, and come back on GA 60, US 19/129 and GA 75 through Helen. That is Six Gap country, and if you have a full day, the two rides together are about as good as North Georgia gets. We covered that loop in our Six Gap Featured Ride.
If you miss Georgia
The color keeps moving south after Georgia peaks. The Gulf South, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the south Georgia low country, is forecast to peak around Saturday, November 14 through Tuesday, November 17. And the last show in America is in Texas: at Lost Maples State Natural Area in the Hill Country, the park's November 3 report had the famous bigtooth maples still mostly green and waiting on a cold front. In recent years that peak has slid toward Thanksgiving, so Texas riders may get their color when everybody else is looking at bare trees.
Richard B. Russell route map
Use the Google Maps route below as a starting point for planning your ride. It starts in Helen, runs GA 348 over Hogpen Gap and Tesnatee Gap to GA 180, and finishes at Brasstown Bald.
Open the Russell route in Google Maps →
Route disclaimer: This map is provided for general trip-planning purposes only. Google Maps may change the route or direct riders onto roads different from the Richard B. Russell Scenic Highway. Before riding, review your route, check current road closures and weather, and follow posted signs and traffic laws. Do not operate navigation controls while riding.
Before you ride
Allow half a day for the byway with stops, a full day if you loop it with Six Gap. It is noticeably colder at 3,400 feet than it is in the valleys, and the gaps hold fog in the morning. Expect leaf-peeping traffic braking for overlooks, and watch for deer at dusk. Ride it this week if you can. Fall color in the high country is a short show, and this is the last week of it.
Have you ridden the Russell in the fall?
What is your favorite overlook, lunch stop, or stretch of the road? Share your recommendations with the Biker Nation family.
Biker Nation Featured Rides are researched travel guides, not firsthand ride reviews. Route details, road conditions, and business hours should be verified before traveling.
