It’s time to start planning your trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway and mountains of North Carolina to see the annual color show the leaves put on. But how do you know when to go and where leaves will be at their best? Predicting leaf color is a difficult task, but Dr. Howie Neufeld and Michael Denslow of Appalachian State University created this map to show us when and where leaves should be at their peak throughout North Carolina’s mountains.

This year, it looks like mid-October will be the best time to hit the Blue Ridge Parkway and take in the fall color. The highest peaks–Mount Mitchell and Grandfather Mountain–will show their brightest colors earlier, but spots like the Linn Cove Viaduct, Doughton Park, Moses Cone Manor, and the mountains around Asheville and Brevard should be spectacular then.

As you plan your trip to the North Carolina Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway to see the fall colors, use this map to help you figure out the best times to visit, and keep your eyes peeled for more on where to stay and what to do when you hear the mountains calling.