A common understory tree along the Blue Ridge Parkway - a Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum) in full bright yellow fall color growing next to the trail down to Crabtree Falls.
The Striped Maple is actually a more northern tree found in New England and Canada, with its range extending south along the Appalachian Mountains on the cool, moist mountain ridges. The leaves turn a bright yellow for fall color.