Essential Tips for New England Fall Foliage Adventures
Maybe this should be titled. “Leaf Peeping in New England: What to Consider Before You Go“
New England is preparing for the Leaf Peeper Irruption! Webster defines an irruption as a sudden sharp increase in the relative numbers of a natural population that is usually associated with a favorable alteration of the environment. You may be wondering what this means for you, October is coming and so are all the other leaf peepers in the world. We are ALL hoping that this October is a “favorable alteration of the environment“…
Do you have your list ready?
So YOU HAVE prepared your lists (or have you?) you have your plane tickets, you’re ready to board the train, rent your automobile, or drive from wherever and arrive in New England… Now what?
Currently, you have only about 30 days to get here and you should have some ideas of what to do and where you want to go. Consult your gazetteer to plan your route, and read my articles for ideas of what you would like to see.
These are some suggestions that are popular and if you plan to include them in your travel plans then you may need to schedule them now. Things like the scenic train and gondola rides fill up months ahead of time
Here are important things to consider when making your plans.
Highways, A quick way to travel but is it the best way?
Some things Like a drive up through Franconia Notch are tough during the fall. The shot above was on CDW (Columbus Day Weekend) and I took that shot at around 2 mph. You can’t schedule your drive through this Notch except to try to NOT do what Jeff did and DON’T go through there between 10AM to 4 PM. I don’t mean just on CDW but on any weekend between 20 Sept and 12 October. Yes, this is a primary way to get up into the White Mountains, It’s also wonderfully scenic. Those two reasons mean you should find alternate routes if you are trying to drive North at 10AM-3PM…
For all the traffic moving up into northern New England (VT/NH/ME) from Massachusetts and points south, there are just 4 major arteries (highways) to head North or South on. You have from West in Vermont to East in Maine, Route 7 and I-91 in Vermont (VT), I-93 in New Hampshire (NH), and I-95 in Maine (ME). If you have visited New England before you are wondering “Why doesn’t he mention Routes 100, 16, and Route 1?” It’s simple, I always love to take 16 because all of you are on 93… 🙂 (I mean it)
Smaller Scenic Routes
Route 100: Actually these routes are smaller roads with one lane going north and one heading, well you get the idea. Also, you have to get to them. Vermont’s Route 100 actually doesn’t cross the Massachusetts border. You would head west to Shelburne Falls MA and then head North on Route 112 towards Colrain… just watch out you might get side-tracked because you drive by the Arthur A. Smith covered bridge… But I digress. You continue North into Vermont where you will arrive in Jacksonville VT. Here is where Route 100 becomes the fabled Route 100.
Route 16: I often take I-95 from Salem, North to NH, and then just before the Maine border I catch 16 towards the White Mountains. This is normally a great ride with lots of great stores and towns to pass through. It reminds me of Route 66 a bit.
Route 1: If I am not in a hurry I will travel up Route 1 (the coastal Route into Maine. Route 1 is one of the Grand Daddies of all the Routes in America. You may say that it’s only 40 or 60 years old but in reality, General Washington traveled on Route 1 between Boston and Trenton NJ both before and after the Revolutionary War. The road was extended to Fort Kent in Northern Maine and stretches all the way South to Miami FL. It was completed as a “Highway” in 1926. (there is your history lesson)
You may ask, what about Route 12, 30,142, or any other numbered route? Well, there are no other routes that go from the border of Massachusetts to Canada without changing their number a few times. So you can see why travel during the CDW can be so hard. There are so few “main” routes to head north or south. I also happen to think you will have more difficulty from the 1st of Oct through the 20th as well. Consider yourself warned.
Scenic Trains in New England
If you like to let others do the driving, there are many opportunities. You will find Scenic trains you can take throughout New England.
I’m not talking about taking Amtrak between New York and Boston. I’m talking about the ones that provide scenic journeys for 1-4 hour trips. If you want to get on the Conway scenic train or the Cog Rail then you should make your reservations now.
Cog Rail: Here is the link to the Cog Rail where you can make your reservations online. Don’t do what I did and look at the Cog Rail (on Pikes Peak, a whole different mountain). For those who want to be on the steam train? There are only one or two trips per day on the steam engine. The rest of the trips are with bio-diesel engines.
Conway Scenic Train: Here is the link to the different trains that leave the train station in North Conway NH. They have anything from a short 11-mile round-trip Valley route, up to the 60-mile round-trip Mountain route. You need to do your own check to make sure your preferred date and time are available.
Hobo Railroad: The Hobo RR is linked here and they have four different stations. They have stations in Lincoln NH, Meredith NH, Weirs Beach, and Laconia NH. Only the Lincoln station is in the mountains. The other three are down in the lakes region and usually, the fall colors will come there later.
White MT Central RR: This is actually Clarks Trading Post with a link to it here. So it’s only 2.5 miles and 25 minutes and the wolfman will chase after the train shooting his blunderbuss rifle trying to scare you off his property, at least that is what he thinks… Yes, this is aimed at the kids, and having taken my kids and grandkids there, it’s well worth your time. You’ll have to wait till September before the October dates open up and the entry fee to get in will get you first come, first ride access.
There are many more, visit my Trains of New England page.
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National Parks
New England doesn’t have big Parks like out west but Acadia is of a size to provide days of exploring. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument covers 87,563 sq. miles and will give you days or weeks to explore. We also have lots of Historic National parks. I’m not going to list ALL the National Historic Sites. But I will point out a few and give you some links to look for in your travels.
Salem Maritime NHS: Ok, I linked to this one because I used to work there as a seasonal Park Ranger. It’s not the Largest but it was the first National Historic Site in the country. (1938) As of right now the historic buildings are available but check at the visitor center on New Liberty Street to see if the Rangers are giving tours and what the status of the Friendship is (seen below)
Marsh-Billings NHS: The Marsh-Billings National Historic Site info can be found here. If you leave Woodstock Vermont and head North you will come to it on your way to Pomfret VT.
Acadia National Park: The Acadia National Park link is here. Traveling up into Maine should be a more relaxing experience but check their website for closures. There was a storm on June 9th and several roads, Carriage routes, and trails were closed.
Why mention National Parks?
National parks across the nation have been standing room only for the past couple of years. Places of natural beauty like our National Parks are going to be very popular this fall. You can check out the new NPS app for checking all the NPS sites in the country here.
Also, There are 2 scenic locations, the Jenne Farm and Sleepy Hollow Farm. Both are closed to visitors. The other places that get a ton of visitors (especially on the weekends) should be avoided at all costs. Like the “The Kancamagus Highway on the weekend“… Only do it at dawn or dusk… Ok, change that, don’t even do it at dusk… do it while most people are sleeping still!
Ok, we’ll close this out, maybe you have to thoughts on this? If so, leave a comments below.
Jeff Foliage Folger
Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage
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As ever, your wisdom and advice are greatly appreciated Jeff. We have been using your site for the planning of our upcoming trip and it has been an invaluable source of information and ideas. Just wanted to thank you
thanks, I try… 🙂