CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Thursday marked the Autumnal Equinox–when the sun is directly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length–which signifies the first day of Fall.
Fall ushers in chillier temperatures, shorter days, and a phenomenon that is synonymous with the season: the leaves changing color.
Beginning in late September, leaves shed their natural green color and fade into breathtaking hues of red, purple, yellow, and orange.
“The sun angle gets lower, you get less sunlight, so they’re not producing as much chlorophyll and as that fades that’s what causes the change in the color,” Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Josh Marthers explained.
And while other states may be better known for their autumnal landscapes, South Carolina’s Upstate still boasts an impressive display.
According to the State Parks Department, fall colors typically peak in South Carolina in late October and often appear more brilliantly and last longer than in other parts of the United States.
Even so, Lowcountry residents will need to travel further upstate if they want to experience South Carolina’s fall foliage in all its glory.
“We do have a little bit of a higher sun angle, we stay milder in the winter, our trees are a little different and it’s mostly climate-driven,” Josh said.
So where do sightseers have the best chance of finding fall foliage in the Palmetto State? Take a ride along Scenic SC Highway 11, also known as Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, as it winds through the southernmost parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
These are the best places (in no particular order) to go leaf-peeping, according to South Carolina State Parks:
Caesars Head State Park
- Greenville County
- Distance from Charleston*: 243 miles
Chester State Park
- Chester County
- Distance from Charleston: 171 miles
Devils Fork State Park
- Oconee County
- Distance from Charleston: 251 miles
Jones Gap State Park
- Greenville County
- Distance from Charleston: 237 miles
Keowee-Toxaway State Park
- Pickens County
- Distance from Charleston: 244 miles
Kings Mountain State Park
- York County
- Distance from Charleston: 211 miles
Musgrove Mill State Historic Site
- Laurens County
- Distance from Charleston: 175 miles
Oconee State Park
- Oconee County
- Distance from Charleston: 267 miles
Oconee Station State Historic Site
- Oconee County
- Distance from Charleston: 259 miles
Paris Mountain State Park
- Greenville County
- Distance from Charleston: 216 miles
Poinsett State Park
- Sumter County
- Distance from Charleston: 96.4 miles
Table Rock State Park
- Pickens County
- Distance from Charleston: 238 miles
*Charleston Vistors Center on Meeting Street
You can keep an eye on the fall foliage conditions in the Upstate with the live Table Rock webcam.