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When does Peak Fall Foliage arrive in October? — 18 Comments

  1. Before I moved to New Hampshire, I used to love to vacation on MDI/Bar Harbor area around the second weekend of October. That way if color was not peak yet or past, there was still pretty things to see and lots to do. Of course, I lucked out most of the time with some great foliage. Wish I could say the same for my visits since living here. But I can’t complain, I can find foliage by taking a drive. And these blogs always help. 🙂

    • Well Michelle, you were doing perfect trip planning procedures. You picked you time period but because fall color is never a guarantee you also picked a location with lots of activities and nearby along the coast you have so much to see and do. I know so many folks focus in on having to find color that they lose sight of what a vacation is all about… Having fun, relaxing and enjoying oneself. How many times do you talk to someone who just came back from a vacation and they say “I need a vacation from my vacation”?
      This to me means they went and treated the vacation like a job or a mission and wrapped so much into it that all the activities wore them out… But that is another article… 🙂

    • And you are right in the heart of it… There are many days when I have to get up at 3AM in order to get on the road and push to get up where the color is early in the season… I’m envious..

  2. Before I moved to New Hampshire, I used to love to vacation on MDI/Bar Harbor area around the second weekend of October. That way if color was not peak yet or past, there was still pretty things to see and lots to do. Of course, I lucked out most of the time with some great foliage. Wish I could say the same for my visits since living here. But I can’t complain, I can find foliage by taking a drive. And these blogs always help. 🙂

    • Well Michelle, you were doing perfect trip planning procedures. You picked you time period but because fall color is never a guarantee you also picked a location with lots of activities and nearby along the coast you have so much to see and do. I know so many folks focus in on having to find color that they lose sight of what a vacation is all about… Having fun, relaxing and enjoying oneself. How many times do you talk to someone who just came back from a vacation and they say “I need a vacation from my vacation”?
      This to me means they went and treated the vacation like a job or a mission and wrapped so much into it that all the activities wore them out… But that is another article… 🙂

    • And you are right in the heart of it… There are many days when I have to get up at 3AM in order to get on the road and push to get up where the color is early in the season… I’m envious..

  3. Jeff we are arriving in Hancock Massachusetts on oct 5th thru 11th. Is that a good time for the slow burn you speak of this fall? Please advise if driving in to Vermont and New Hampshire would be better. Thanks for all you do.

    • I think you will find some nice color around North Adams but unless we get lucky on weather and temps it will be limited. I think you will want to drive up Route 7 and by the time you hit Manchester and points North, it should be looking very nice. Also, try Route 125 over the Green Mountains to Route 100.
      Last year the color was just arriving in Woodstock VT by the 6/7th and was blazing just north of that. But I think all along the spine of the Green Mtns you should see color at the higher elevations. I would look for roads in the gazetteer (for Vermont) click the link to pick one up… And here is a shot of Danby Vermont on Route 7.

  4. Jeff we are arriving in Hancock Massachusetts on oct 5th thru 11th. Is that a good time for the slow burn you speak of this fall? Please advise if driving in to Vermont and New Hampshire would be better. Thanks for all you do.

    • I think you will find some nice color around North Adams but unless we get lucky on weather and temps it will be limited. I think you will want to drive up Route 7 and by the time you hit Manchester and points North, it should be looking very nice. Also, try Route 125 over the Green Mountains to Route 100.
      Last year the color was just arriving in Woodstock VT by the 6/7th and was blazing just north of that. But I think all along the spine of the Green Mtns you should see color at the higher elevations. I would look for roads in the gazetteer (for Vermont) click the link to pick one up… And here is a shot of Danby Vermont on Route 7.

  5. Hi Jeff,

    We’re starting to plan our trip and thinking about Burlington, VT over to Pittsburg, NH and Connecticut Lake the 2nd week of October but we can be flexible. We’d love to see moose, which we know is a crap shoot, but heard the chances were better near Connecticut Lake. Do you have any suggestions? We’re totally open.

    Thanks so much for what you do. I’ve been following you for several years and really appreciate the great pics and information. Enjoy the coffee I just sent you. 🙂

    • Hi Nanci, you provided some different info from the contact message… I’m still thinking that the fall colors in the 1st CT Lake are will be strong in the first week (1-5 Oct) and this is because the 1st CT Lake area used to be 24 Sept to 29 Sept for their best colors. so I’m dropping it back to 28 Sept to 4 Oct depending on the actual weather and temps that we get up there in the nose bleed section of NH.
      For Moose, you need to be up at dawn or dusk as they don’t do much during the day. Also for a more likely spotting, hire a guide through the local NH guide services to have a better chance.

      Happy Foliage travels!

  6. Hi Jeff,

    We’re starting to plan our trip and thinking about Burlington, VT over to Pittsburg, NH and Connecticut Lake the 2nd week of October but we can be flexible. We’d love to see moose, which we know is a crap shoot, but heard the chances were better near Connecticut Lake. Do you have any suggestions? We’re totally open.

    Thanks so much for what you do. I’ve been following you for several years and really appreciate the great pics and information. Enjoy the coffee I just sent you. 🙂

    • Hi Nanci, you provided some different info from the contact message… I’m still thinking that the fall colors in the 1st CT Lake are will be strong in the first week (1-5 Oct) and this is because the 1st CT Lake area used to be 24 Sept to 29 Sept for their best colors. so I’m dropping it back to 28 Sept to 4 Oct depending on the actual weather and temps that we get up there in the nose bleed section of NH.
      For Moose, you need to be up at dawn or dusk as they don’t do much during the day. Also for a more likely spotting, hire a guide through the local NH guide services to have a better chance.

      Happy Foliage travels!

  7. Hi Jeff,

    First, your blog is amazing and has so much detailed and useful information. Thanks for the work you put into it.

    We’ll be in the Portland area October 12th and 13th and will be driving back to Boston on the 13th. With one day to see foliage on our drive back, we’re pretty ambitious on how much we want to see but aren’t sure what’s realistic. Any ideas on what your ideal road trip from Portland to Boston would be to see color, visit some small towns and engorge ourselves on cider donuts? Do you think driving as far as Vermont is feasible in one day? Or would you focus more on New Hampshire? Thanks!

    • If you are catching a plane out of Boston then it would help to know what kind of timeline we are looking at.
      Next, the problem with trying to head to Vermont (always a favorite plan by the way…) Is that there are no East-West highways. There are 2 lane roads that zig-zag east to west and if you open up google maps (or a gazetteer, click here to get one asap) and you will find that Route 25 will head west into New Hampshire. Right before you get to the NH border you will pass Porter ME and Route 160. Make the left and visit the Parsonfield-Porter covered bridge. Then continue back on Route 25. It brings you out onto Route 16. If you have time you can head North into Conway NH and catch lunch.

      I don’t know how fast the colors will develop this year but if it goes slow you could head up 16 to Jackson (another Covered Bridge) or go on Route 302 through Crawford Notch and follow this over to Route I-93 and zip down to Boston. You are doing this travel on Columbus day weekend so it should be smooth sailing on the highway home. You will also see fall colors most of the way to Boston (at least some).

      Happy Foliage travels!

      There are a lot of variables here that I won’t know until late October and I’m looking back at the past… 🙂
      I hope this helps…

  8. Hi Jeff,

    First, your blog is amazing and has so much detailed and useful information. Thanks for the work you put into it.

    We’ll be in the Portland area October 12th and 13th and will be driving back to Boston on the 13th. With one day to see foliage on our drive back, we’re pretty ambitious on how much we want to see but aren’t sure what’s realistic. Any ideas on what your ideal road trip from Portland to Boston would be to see color, visit some small towns and engorge ourselves on cider donuts? Do you think driving as far as Vermont is feasible in one day? Or would you focus more on New Hampshire? Thanks!

    • If you are catching a plane out of Boston then it would help to know what kind of timeline we are looking at.
      Next, the problem with trying to head to Vermont (always a favorite plan by the way…) Is that there are no East-West highways. There are 2 lane roads that zig-zag east to west and if you open up google maps (or a gazetteer, click here to get one asap) and you will find that Route 25 will head west into New Hampshire. Right before you get to the NH border you will pass Porter ME and Route 160. Make the left and visit the Parsonfield-Porter covered bridge. Then continue back on Route 25. It brings you out onto Route 16. If you have time you can head North into Conway NH and catch lunch.

      I don’t know how fast the colors will develop this year but if it goes slow you could head up 16 to Jackson (another Covered Bridge) or go on Route 302 through Crawford Notch and follow this over to Route I-93 and zip down to Boston. You are doing this travel on Columbus day weekend so it should be smooth sailing on the highway home. You will also see fall colors most of the way to Boston (at least some).

      Happy Foliage travels!

      There are a lot of variables here that I won’t know until late October and I’m looking back at the past… 🙂
      I hope this helps…

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