Popular spots for viewing New England fall foliage

When Should I Visit These Popular Locations?

I travel around New England each fall and I have to admit that I’m always finding new “popular” fall foliage destinations, some of which I have listed below. If you need some more ideas try a touring book like Backroads of New England by Kim Beckius which you will find in my Amazon store.

Stone Machine Shop at the Enfield Shaker Museum is an outdoor history museum and historic district in Enfield, New Hampshire. this village was the 9th of 19 Shaker communities to be established in this country.

One of the reasons for not doing all the popular spots is that EVERYBODY wants to do the popular spots, and I’m more interested in seeing the spots less traveled. I’ve spent years making it a habit to travel the back roads of New England. Give me a dirt road any day.

These dates I’ve stated are the best case. The dates could be earlier or later or non-existent depending on the following factors:

The weather once the leaves are turning
Climate from the preceding winter, spring, and summer
Rainfall amounts
Sun received
Stress, disease, or insect infestations

reflection of Echo Lake along Route 100 in Tyson Vermont — Echo Lake Reflection in Tyson Vermont. We were driving along Route 100 and heading for Ludlow Vermont when I spotted Echo Lake and the wonderful sill reflection.

So in these areas peak foliage can last anywhere from only a few days up to a few weeks! (A few weeks because a few of them stretch from Northern Vermont to Massachusetts). So I will put the dates I think you will see good color at these locations. And somewhere within those dates, this location should be peak color somewhere.

Interstate-91 (VT) 25 September – 25 October: (it passes through the North East Kingdom and down through MA) An interstate? Don’t scoff! The traffic can be terrible on narrow roads. If you like your foliage viewing wholesale, cruise I-91 from Brattleboro to Newport. You’ll be overwhelmed with gorgeous terrain, from the gentle Connecticut River Valley to the sloping hills of the Northeast Kingdom.
Vermont Route 100 25 September – 25 October (Same dates as 91): Route 100 winds the length of Vermont from Readsboro to Newport, plying the Mad River Valley for a stretch. It’s the major north-south route through the center of the Green Mountains, and it’s surprisingly undeveloped farmland along most of its length. You won’t have it to yourself, especially along the southern stretches on autumn weekends, but as you head north, you may leave the crowds behind
Route 302 (NH) 27 September – 4 October – passes through this scenic valley, where you can see the brilliant red maples and yellow birches high on the hillsides in a tapestry of fall colors. In fall with Mount Washington, in the background, you may be lucky to see it dusted with an early snowfall.

Stunning beauty of Bash Bish Falls in Massachusetts — The photo captures the stunning beauty of Bash Bish Falls in Massachusetts. View in my Gallery.

North Conway New Hampshire 4 October-15 October while you are visiting this area make reservations to take a train ride from the Conway station to Fabyan’s train station in Crawford Notch.
Bash-Bish Falls State Park 5 October – 15 October (MA): Head from the comely village of South Egremont up into the forested hills of the southwest corner of Massachusetts. The roads, which change from macadam to gravel to dirt and back again, wind between crimson clouds of sugar maples and white birches feather-stroked against banks of black evergreens. The payoff is a three-state view from a promontory above a 50-foot cascade notched into a bluff, with carpets of russet and gold stretching all the way to the Hudson River
Walden Pond State Reservation (Concord, MA): 15 October -25 October Walden Pond is hidden from direct view of Route 2 near Lexington and Concord. The woods are where Henry David Thoreau built a small cabin and lived from 1845 to 1847. When the leaves are turning and the trees are reflected in the water, it’s hard to imagine why he left.
Mount Auburn Cemetery (Cambridge, MA):10 October- 25 October More than 5,000 trees spread across Mount Auburn’s 175 acres. Each deciduous specimen changes color on its own schedule, and at the peak of foliage season, each seems to be a different shade of red, orange, or gold.
Camden (ME) 17 October- 30 October: The dazzling fall colors that cover the rolling hills are reflected in Penobscot Bay on the east side, and in the lakes region on the west. Ascend the peaks (mount Major) for views out to the color-splashed islands in the bay. Autumn usually comes a week or so later on the coast, so you can stretch out your viewing pleasure.
The Litchfield Hills (CT) 20 October – 25 October: Route 7, running south to north through the rugged northwest corner of Connecticut, roughly along the course of the Housatonic River, explodes with color in the weeks before and after Columbus Day. Leaves drift down to the water and whirl down the foaming river.