Tennessee’s fall foliage is world-renown for its amazingly rich and diverse color. The brilliant greens of summer leaves changing to deep reds, browns, and yellows in fall is an amazing sight to see. Unfortunately, for an estimated 13 million Americans with red-green color blindness, the bright array of colors are significantly dulled or remain unseen.
Taking in the rich color of fall’s changing leaves impacts color blind individuals differently depending on their type and severity. Deutans (or those who suffer from deuteranomaly) have weak-green vision. As leaves change from green to red, yellow, and brown, deutans may have trouble distinguishing that the leaves have changed at all!
Protans (those who suffer from protanomaly) have weak-red vision. Red-weak vision might make a protan person struggle to distinguish red for from brown leaves, resulting in a monochrome view.
Luckily, EnChroma and the Tennessee Department of Tourism have made it easy for everyone to enjoy the brilliant colors of the Smoky Mountains! At 12 scenic overlooks across the state, visitors will find new viewfinders outfitted with EnChroma lenses—the same optical lens technology used in our EnChroma Color Blind glasses collection to bring bright, vibrant color vision to people with color blindness.
Check out this heartwarming video of a few Tennesseans’ first experiences with fall color!
You'll find color blind viewfinders at these Tennessee locations:
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area — South Rim Overlook
Region: East
A section of the Cumberland Plateau that has 125,000 acres offering scenic hiking, beautiful gorges and picturesque overlooks.
Region: East
Awe-inspiring views of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
I-26 Westbound Scenic Overlook, Unicoi County near Erwin
Region: East
Incredible views of East Tennessee’s stunning hills and gorgeous valleys.
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park — Poplar Lake (near the nature center)
Region: West
Bordering the mighty Mississippi, this 13,467-acre state park has varying terrain and impeccable beauty.
Chickasaw State Park, near Henderson
Region: West
Situated on some of the highest terrain in West Tennessee, the park’s 1,280 acres has an abundance of breathtaking views.
Lookout Mountain Tower — Blue Heron Overlook
Region: East
A crowning jewel of Chattanooga with beautiful vistas.
Standing Stone Park — Tea Room
Region: Middle
A rustic park covering nearly 11,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau, noted for its outstanding scenery.
South Cumberland State Park — Laurel Gulf Overlook
Region: Middle
Atop the Cumberland Plateau, this state park protects 25,000 acres of land and has 90 miles of hiking trails.
Fall Creek Falls State Park — Millikan’s Overlook
Region: East
A paradise of more than 20,000 acres sprawled across the eastern top of the rugged Cumberland Plateau.
Veterans/Clinch Mountain Overlook, near Rogersville
Region: East
Beautiful views of the foliage in East Tennessee and Cherokee Lake.
Highway 111 — Sequatchie Valley, Van Buren County
Region: Middle
A scenic byway in the southeastern part of the state that delivers exquisite views.
Cherohala Skyway — Lake View Overlook - COMING SOON
Region: East
Located outside of the Cherohala Skyway National Scenic Byway, the 5,400-foot elevation makes for memorable views.
Don’t forget to share photos of your colorful adventures with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Be sure to use #enchroma or @enchroma when you post! Happy exploring!
