Taking a road trip from Tampa to New Hampshire, Vermont, and some other locations along the way. I've never been, so I am hoping for some must-see spots and any other information I need to know.
People with more location-specific information than I can provide will step in to share, I hope. (My area of fall color expertise is actually California's Sierra Nevada and a few other places in the America West.) But we (finally!) photographed New England color a few years back, giving ourselves a week or so in New England. I'll share a few thoughts to get you started.
First, I'm afraid you may be getting started a bit late on your planning unless you are already within driving distance of the color. I'd jump on trying to make reservations immediately, and don't be surprised if you have a hard time getting them in some of the most popular locations... unless you are willing to pay dearly and/or drive a bit.
When we went, given that we were flying in on a fixed schedule, we did some research ahead of time to find try to figure out the ideal time to be there. It was a bit confusing and, in fact, a couple of locals finally jumped in here at FM to set me straight on the likely schedule for the color. (We were planning a mid-October visit, and I was advised to go earlier — which turned out to be the right idea for where we based ourselves.)
Speaking of that, also because we were going for the first time and could not be super-flexible at the lost moment (unlike with California's Sierra Nevada, where I can go on a moment's notice) we picked a super-popular place where color was fairly certain as our base — we stayed at the west end of the Kancamagus Parkway. Yes, it is extraordinarily popular and crowded during the color peak, but a) there are reasons that it is so popular, b) you can go out very early (sunrise and earlier!) and the crowds won't have built quite yet, c) you can poke around in various backroads and escape the crowds, and d) you can do some fascinating driving loops further out from here.
As to timing — and here I'll defer to the local New England experts who want to chime in — on our visit the peak color there was on October 7. Literally, that day. It was excellent for a few days before that and still quite good afterwards, but it visibly peaked on that date.
Now, the timing of fall color is never a sure bet, and weather variations can move things a bit, but if I were going back and focusing on that specific area, I go right around that date.
Finally, there are some online sources that purport to track the development of the color each season. (Just google and you'll locate them.)
NH - the peak will vary from White Mountains and north compared to the lower part of the the state.
Peak tourism is usually Columbus Day weekend - but for the Whites that is usually a few days past peak.
For some things it is a little better to be a few days past peak - leaves on the Ground, for others it is better to be just prior to peak - full trees.
Make certain you plan your days on the Kancamagus Parkway to avoid weekends at all costs. That road is absolutely a must see with multiple photographic points of interest but just becomes a complete parking lot on Saturday and Sunday.
Lower half of the state like the Lake Winnipesaukee area which also gets nice fall color will peak at least a week after the Whites I would say.
Many places in the US you might travel to photograph foliage when you get there are more photographers than tourists. NH will be the opposite. Has a long history as a tourist destination to "leaf peep" and close to Boston so it attracts big crowds and pricing for lodging and the like will be high and booked in advance.
Thanks so much for your information,Dan...we are heading out next weekend, so I'm hoping we will be good.
gdanmitchell wrote:
People with more location-specific information than I can provide will step in to share, I hope. (My area of fall color expertise is actually California's Sierra Nevada and a few other places in the America West.) But we (finally!) photographed New England color a few years back, giving ourselves a week or so in New England. I'll share a few thoughts to get you started.
First, I'm afraid you may be getting started a bit late on your planning unless you are already within driving distance of the color. I'd jump on trying to make reservations immediately, and don't be surprised if you have a hard time getting them in some of the most popular locations... unless you are willing to pay dearly and/or drive a bit.
When we went, given that we were flying in on a fixed schedule, we did some research ahead of time to find try to figure out the ideal time to be there. It was a bit confusing and, in fact, a couple of locals finally jumped in here at FM to set me straight on the likely schedule for the color. (We were planning a mid-October visit, and I was advised to go earlier — which turned out to be the right idea for where we based ourselves.)
Speaking of that, also because we were going for the first time and could not be super-flexible at the lost moment (unlike with California's Sierra Nevada, where I can go on a moment's notice) we picked a super-popular place where color was fairly certain as our base — we stayed at the west end of the Kancamagus Parkway. Yes, it is extraordinarily popular and crowded during the color peak, but a) there are reasons that it is so popular, b) you can go out very early (sunrise and earlier!) and the crowds won't have built quite yet, c) you can poke around in various backroads and escape the crowds, and d) you can do some fascinating driving loops further out from here.
As to timing — and here I'll defer to the local New England experts who want to chime in — on our visit the peak color there was on October 7. Literally, that day. It was excellent for a few days before that and still quite good afterwards, but it visibly peaked on that date.
Now, the timing of fall color is never a sure bet, and weather variations can move things a bit, but if I were going back and focusing on that specific area, I go right around that date.
Finally, there are some online sources that purport to track the development of the color each season. (Just google and you'll locate them.)
We are making plans to leave on the 28th of Sept, and we will do everything we can to avoid the weekends since we really don't have a schedule other than arriving in due time. Interesting about tourism in NH. Thanks so much for the insights and suggestions.
mreynolds767 wrote:
G Dan's advise is spot on.
NH - the peak will vary from White Mountains and north compared to the lower part of the the state.
Peak tourism is usually Columbus Day weekend - but for the Whites that is usually a few days past peak.
For some things it is a little better to be a few days past peak - leaves on the Ground, for others it is better to be just prior to peak - full trees.
Make certain you plan your days on the Kancamagus Parkway to avoid weekends at all costs. That road is absolutely a must see with multiple photographic points of interest but just becomes a complete parking lot on Saturday and Sunday.
Lower half of the state like the Lake Winnipesaukee area which also gets nice fall color will peak at least a week after the Whites I would say.
Many places in the US you might travel to photograph foliage when you get there are more photographers than tourists. NH will be the opposite. Has a long history as a tourist destination to "leaf peep" and close to Boston so it attracts big crowds and pricing for lodging and the like will be high and booked in advance. ...Show more →
We were actually shocked by the crowds of “leaf peeper” when we were there. I’m more used to photographing in places where a big crowd is maybe 20 people! (Though I have seen more in one place in the Eastern Sierra on a few occasions.)
The characterization of the Kancamagus Parkway as being a parking lot on weekends seems right on to me. We scheduled our visit for a series of weekdays, but left as the peak weekend was beginning… and it was utterly insane.
But, you know, there are some things that maybe are worth doing once even if the crowds are nuts: visiting Venice, watching the sunset from the Piazzale Michelangelo, New England fall color, etc…
I can speak a little on Vermont. The best time of year annually is over Columbus Day weekend, but know that more motel reservations in that state are made on that week-end then any other time of year. Thus, if you can work around it, the spots to see are found in the northern part around the capital Montpelier, the northeast kingdom, and then I would recommend travelling on Route 100 (which transverses the middle of the state and bisects the Green Mountains), and then take side roads east and west from there. Colors usually take a week or so to be at peak, with the northern part being earlier than the southern part. I would assume NH would be pretty much the same at that time of year.
gdanmitchell wrote:
We were actually shocked by the crowds of “leaf peeper” when we were there. I’m more used to photographing in places where a big crowd is maybe 20 people! (Though I have seen more in one place in the Eastern Sierra on a few occasions.)
The characterization of the Kancamagus Parkway as being a parking lot on weekends seems right on to me. We scheduled our visit for a series of weekdays, but left as the peak weekend was beginning… and it was utterly insane.
But, you know, there are some things that maybe are worth doing once even if the crowds are nuts: visiting Venice, watching the sunset from the Piazzale Michelangelo, New England fall color, etc…...Show more →
I agree...sometimes you just have to do it. Thanks
kcook11 wrote:
I can speak a little on Vermont. The best time of year annually is over Columbus Day weekend, but know that more motel reservations in that state are made on that week-end then any other time of year. Thus, if you can work around it, the spots to see are found in the northern part around the capital Montpelier, the northeast kingdom, and then I would recommend travelling on Route 100 (which transverses the middle of the state and bisects the Green Mountains), and then take side roads east and west from there. Colors usually take a week or so to be at peak, with the northern part being earlier than the southern part. I would assume NH would be pretty much the same at that time of year....Show more →
All good advice from those commenting. I'll add something different.
1. Very elevation dependent, even 1000 feet. Near peak now 2000-3000 feet in northern areas. The spine of the Green Mountains (North to South) in Vermont (rt 100 has been suggested which runs in that spine.) The White Mts of NH (Kancamagus Highway, or "Kank", has been suggested runs through there.)
2. Mt Sunapee Ski Area in southern NH and Killington Ski Area in VT offer chairlift rides. Gondola in the case of Killington. There are several skia areas in the Whites of NH, some may also offer chairlift rides. Stowe, in north central VT, rt 100, may offer rides. Easy access off I-89.
3. Higher elevation areas will be cooler than the valley floors. Figure 10-20 degrees.
4. The early color has been muted. The dry summer caused chlorophyll production to taper off earlier. We may be going into a more brilliant, typical phase shortly.
5. I prefer the word "plateau" vs "peak." There will be good color, depending on how you like it (early with lots of green, or later with lots of brown, beeches and oaks turn tan and rust color later in October) for two or three weeks.
6. I hike and bike in central NH and VT and you could write a book on the areas that have beautiful views with no one around. Maybe allow some time to get off the beaten path (think dirt roads) in the mountainous areas.
I live in Massachusetts, but also photograph extensively in NH, VT and ME.
As Dugaut indicated, the concern with New England fall foliage in 2025 is the severe drought this summer, which has stressed the trees. Severe drought often affects foliage in one of two ways.
First, you might get the "Brown and Down" effect, where the trees are so stressed that the leaves show muted, brown colors, and the leaves drop very quickly. Even in these types of years you might still find pockets of good color, especially in trees near bodies of water, or at higher elevation.
Second, drought might cause the trees to turn earlier than normal, and the colors are very vivid, but they don't last long. This happened in 2020, and I've seen some early reports for this year that speculate that 2025 might be like 2020. If that is the case, you are looking at good color in late September (9/26) thru early October (10/07) in the northern tier on ME/NH/VT. This lines up with your arrival dates.
The warnings about "leaf peepah" tourists (especially the Kanc on weekends) are real. You can avoid most of the tourist crowding if you are north of Rt. 2 in VT/NH/ME. Locations like the Northeast Kingdom of VT (St Johnsbury and north to Canada ), the Connecticut Lake region of NH near Pittsburg, NH, and Dixville Notch NH are very scenic without most of the crowds, and they are the earliest turning parts of NH and VT. Given the drought, these areas are a safer bet for your late September, early October timeframe.
A good resource on all things New England foliage is :
dugaut wrote:
All good advice from those commenting. I'll add something different.
1. Very elevation dependent, even 1000 feet. Near peak now 2000-3000 feet in northern areas. The spine of the Green Mountains (North to South) in Vermont (rt 100 has been suggested which runs in that spine.) The White Mts of NH (Kancamagus Highway, or "Kank", has been suggested runs through there.)
2. Mt Sunapee Ski Area in southern NH and Killington Ski Area in VT offer chairlift rides. Gondola in the case of Killington. There are several skia areas in the Whites of NH, some may also offer chairlift rides. Stowe, in north central VT, rt 100, may offer rides. Easy access off I-89.
3. Higher elevation areas will be cooler than the valley floors. Figure 10-20 degrees.
4. The early color has been muted. The dry summer caused chlorophyll production to taper off earlier. We may be going into a more brilliant, typical phase shortly.
5. I prefer the word "plateau" vs "peak." There will be good color, depending on how you like it (early with lots of green, or later with lots of brown, beeches and oaks turn tan and rust color later in October) for two or three weeks.
6. I hike and bike in central NH and VT and you could write a book on the areas that have beautiful views with no one around. Maybe allow some time to get off the beaten path (think dirt roads) in the mountainous areas....Show more →
Great information! I was thinking about getting off the main roads and doing some exploring; however, I wasn't sure if I should take our bikes, but now I think it is a must. Thanks so much!
Ed,
I am thinking we might head out a bit earlier, so we will have more flexibility there. I pray it is not a "brown and down" year. Thanks for the info and the link.
Ed McGuirk wrote:
I live in Massachusetts, but also photograph extensively in NH, VT and ME.
As Dugaut indicated, the concern with New England fall foliage in 2025 is the severe drought this summer, which has stressed the trees. Severe drought often affects foliage in one of two ways.
First, you might get the "Brown and Down" effect, where the trees are so stressed that the leaves show muted, brown colors, and the leaves drop very quickly. Even in these types of years you might still find pockets of good color, especially in trees near bodies of water, or at higher elevation.
Second, drought might cause the trees to turn earlier than normal, and the colors are very vivid, but they don't last long. This happened in 2020, and I've seen some early reports for this year that speculate that 2025 might be like 2020. If that is the case, you are looking at good color in late September (9/26) thru early October (10/07) in the northern tier on ME/NH/VT. This lines up with your arrival dates.
The warnings about "leaf peepah" tourists (especially the Kanc on weekends) are real. You can avoid most of the tourist crowding if you are north of Rt. 2 in VT/NH/ME. Locations like the Northeast Kingdom of VT (St Johnsbury and north to Canada ), the Connecticut Lake region of NH near Pittsburg, NH, and Dixville Notch NH are very scenic without most of the crowds, and they are the earliest turning parts of NH and VT. Given the drought, these areas are a safer bet for your late September, early October timeframe.
A good resource on all things New England foliage is :
We’re currently in the Bennington/Manchester area of Southwest Vermont (mainly for non-photographic reason) and when we were out this morning between the two towns and especially along route 7… a bit to my surprise there were already pockets of early color.
Dan, what you are likely seeing are swamp maples in low lying wetland areas, which always turn early around this time in September. If you are seeing turning colors outside of wetlands, then maybe we are in for a Fast Burn year with an early turn.
If you are still in the Bennington area, I highly recommend shooting sunrise on Rt. 9 at the Hogback Mountain Ski area overlook just east of Wilmington VT. This is one the few roadside spots in New England with "out west" style grand landscape views. The view looks south over endless mountain ranges and valleys, which at this time of year can have side lit fog early in the morning
Ed McGuirk wrote:
Dan, what you are likely seeing are swamp maples in low lying wetland areas, which always turn early around this time in September. If you are seeing turning colors outside of wetlands, then maybe we are in for a Fast Burn year with an early turn.
If you are still in the Bennington area, I highly recommend shooting sunrise on Rt. 9 at the Hogback Mountain Ski area overlook just east of Wilmington VT. This is one the few roadside spots in New England with "out west" style grand landscape views. The view looks south over endless mountain ranges and valleys, which at this time of year can have side lit fog early in the morning...Show more →
Ed, Still in Bennington for about another 24 hours — we head back toward Boston tomorrow (Sunday). I may just try to get up very early tomorrow and see if I can locate that spot you mention.
I don’t really know how to interpret the color situation here in Vermont and the rest of the New England area. (Ask me about West Coast aspens and I have a lot more to offer!) Some of the color I’m seeing is in lowland areas – it is pretty sparse, but clearly things are just beginning to turn, with an occasional tree being fairly colorful. From a distance I’m also seeing some patches of developing color up on higher mountain slopes.
I wish I had more time for landscape photography on this visit, but we’re actually here for a wedding — so I came with minimal “big” camera gear and even less time to use it! But I did get out for some apple cider donuts and Vermont cheddar this morning!
Dan if you give Hogback a try, it is right on Rt. 9, a few minutes east of Wilmington. It is at the Hogback summit, there is a big gift shop with a viewing platform with railings, with an expansive view to the south. You can't miss it
If you get morning valley fog at sunrise, it can be a spectacular location, sort of like the Smokie Mountains.
Ed McGuirk wrote:
Dan if you give Hogback a try, it is right on Rt. 9, a few minutes east of Wilmington. It is at the Hogback summit, there is a big gift shop with a viewing platform with railings, with an expansive view to the south. You can't miss it
If you get morning valley fog at sunrise, it can be a spectacular location, sort of like the Smokie Mountains.
Well, we did get to briefly see Hogback on our way back from Bennington to Boston today —quite a panorama!
We visited in 2019 and started our tour in the White Mountains on October 7th. We hit the peak perfectly and had an amazing week!
We found a VRBO in Lincoln, NH, and we were able to visit many sites in NH and VT. Franconia Notch State Park was beautiful and the Flume Gorge hike is a MUST SEE! Diana's Bath's near North Conroy was another place we remember well. There are a number of covered bridges in the area worthy of visiting.
In VT I understand that local traffic has reached a tipping point and you may find roads leading to Jenne Farm (south of Woodstock) and Sleepy Hollow Farm (north of Woodstock) closed to leaf-peepers (check on these though because they are worth seeing).
There is a page on Facebook that is a wealth of information on the fall foliage in those areas and is pretty much updated hourly by locals. I used it to plan our trip and I strongly recommend following it for a bit of useful information:
After spending a week near Lincoln, NH, we drove east to the coast of Maine and stayed in a VRBO in Ellsworth, placing us near Acadia NP. We spent another week along the coast driving as far north as Campobello Island, New Brunswick (Roosevelt Campobello International Park) and visited lighthouses there. Take your passport as you'll be back and forth between the US and CA. We finished out trip by following the coast back to Boston.
There are others here who have already replied about timing of your trip and I can't add anything else. Lodging will be your big thing this late and so the best of luck to you. I hope you make it as the two weeks we spent there were a treat!
PS: What everyone says about weekends is true. During our trip, from Monday to Thursday, it seemed that we had so much of the area to ourselves or other small groups. Otherwise we avoided weekends and did our laundry and visited shops in town on those days.
CDalessandro wrote:
We are making plans to leave on the 28th of Sept, and we will do everything we can to avoid the weekends since we really don't have a schedule other than arriving in due time. Interesting about tourism in NH. Thanks so much for the insights and suggestions.
