2025 Fall Foliage Forecast for New England
Well, today is 2 March and there are…
7 Days till Daylight Savings
18 Days till the 1st day of Spring
110 days till the first day of summer
And best yet 204 Days till the first day of Fall…!
Please read the whole article, but realize that was then, and now is well, now! (depending on when you read this. I have released my June update. Click here to read this update.
You should also check my forecast and report page to stay up on my articles as they come out. If you don’t want to “remember” to check back, you can sign up to receive “automatically” to your inbox, my reports, forecasts, and suggestions for scenic travels, best times for travel, or anything else that comes to mind. Other than that, please continue to read…
Conditions heading into Spring
I have been saying for years that having a balanced mixture of snow/rain/sunlight/temps is required to create what “I think” will result in a good outcome in the fall. What follows is my best guess, so take it with a grain or two of salt…
Ok, for the foliage forecast, this is the bad news to start with,
Drought
Our current status as of 2 March is what bothers me. We have had below average temps for Dec-Feb but that has not translated into snow and a deep snowpack. Yes, we have gotten snow but as of 1 March, 98% of New England is showing some level of Drought. Somewhere from Abnormally dry to Severe Drought. My info comes from NOAA.
In most years, I like to see New England get a nice constant snowfall creating a snowpack that will fill reservoirs and replenish the water table. So if we have a dry summer, we have reserves. As of right now, we should get some rain over the next few weeks according to NOAA, but the moist ground will dry fast if we don’t get weekly soakings.
*Note* Only NOAA provides this type of information and I want you to remember that they are the only ones who provide it…
According to NOAA, this spring is showing a slight chance of staying moist in a few parts of western New England but going into the summer and fall, NOAA says it could go either way with a long dry spell OR a more rainy summer, It’s just too early to call it right now.
Temps
This has not changed in the last 10-15 years and there is an above average chance for warmer than average temperatures through December. Nothing new there. As always it will depend on if and when the temperatures start to drop in August (GOOD) or Sept (NOT AS GOOD).
Insect damage
We didn’t have that much damage from insects in 2024 so I’m hoping that this will hold true through this autumn as well… Time will tell as it does with the rest of these things…
Hurricane season in 2025
Right now we are in the La Niña phase and if this was Aug-Nov, that would mean greater chances for stronger Hurricane activity off the Eastern seacoast. El Niño tends to reduce the impact of hurricanes and that in and of itself is a good thing.
The current La Niña is expected to weaken by April but not switch over entirely to El Niño which means it “MAY” stay ENSO Neutral (not going to define ENSO) This “Neutral” time means (to me) that hurricanes will be there but I don’t think it will be more than a few that we “have to worry about” on the east coast… So for now… we should be ok…
Here are a couple of articles that I find useful “a fall foliage primer for finding autumn colors in New England. ALSO, you should read my Art of Getting Lost.
Jeff’s Thoughts On The Upcoming Season
I feel the last two years have been less than stellar. 2024 was NOT horrible but due to the massive drought across much of New England, we didn’t get the colors where we expected to find them. The drone image above at the top of the article was made on 14 October, nearing sunset in Townsend, Massachusetts, and this image below was made on that morning of the 14th of October 2024 in Sudbury, Massachusetts (Wayside Grist Mill).
I won’t say I didn’t make ANY good shots in New Hampshire or Vermont, but my number of “Successful” shots was well below what I feel my average should be in NH, VT, and ME. The number of Drone images went up significantly (especially on the 14th of October). My most memorable shots were found in Massachusetts (Very unusual)
Also, I have looked for the Old Farmer’s Almanac and they say a moist spring, so YAAA if that happens, or is it? I’ll have to go buy a copy to see what they say for Autumn. The Severe Weather Europe website says in mid-March we will see a major disruption of the polar vortex, bringing a bunch of Cold air down into the Central or maybe northeastern US, and depending on the actual flow, could bring moist warm air up into New England. But it’s too early to tell as that is 10-15 days away…
For 2025, I think storms, insects, and even the temperature will all be within norms for this fall (fingers crossed). My BIG worry is going to be the amount of drought that we might sustain. Drought causes less color to arrive sooner due to stress, and if 2025 is like 2024, it might not be very bright. Our trees can handle a light drought, as that can intensify the colors, but there is no way to determine what is light or severe for any given tree.
Like I said before, I won’t know what we will get UNTIL we get it. This means I will be looking for reports at NOAA for current drought levels across New England. Even if it’s a rainy spring and that does remedy the drought issue, that will lead to other issues with fungus affecting the leaves…
No matter what happens, each event affects others throughout the year. When we get through with August, then I would hope to have a good idea, but for now, you have something to watch in New England… Is the rain staying on the plain in Maine? Or did it just not happen… I wish I could give you a brighter outlook, but for the moment, I think we can focus on this single event to gauge the quality of the fall…
Jeff Foliage Folger
Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage
Hi Jeff! I really like your website! I’m taking my mother (from São Paulo – Brazil) to New England to fulfill her dream of celebrating her 80th birthday. Our initial plan is to travel in early October, starting in Bar Harbor, then the White Mountains, Lincoln, Stowe, and ending in Massachusetts. I know it’s not possible to be certain which regions will be at their peak in foliage, but based on the annual average, is it possible to get an idea of the best route? I mean, where would be the best place to start? Our trip will last 10 days. I thank you in advance for your attention and for the information I’ve already received from reading your posts.
I will assume long miles driving are not the order of the day… So I might reverse your schedule. Instead of landing on the coast of Maine, I would land in New Hampshire where Manchester NH is an international airport. You might have to land at Logan or not depending on customs.
From there its a short drive north into Vermont’s NEK (Northeast Kingdom) Or north of the White mountains. The White Mtns. are probably a great place to make your first reservation (as a military guy, I call it a BOP or Base of Operations) Meaning you stay at the same place each night and just make short drives each day.
I would arrive 1-3 October and look for Harvest/Fall festivals going on in the nearby areas (Check my fall festival page) and also check with whoever manages your place of stay as they will have lots of great ideas as well.
Then explore between NH and VT and then toward the end of the vacation head to Maines Coast (I suggest Camden or Ogunquit) and fly home from Portland…
Hello Jeff! Amazing website. I’m planning to go to New England this year to photograph the foliage.
When can we expect your next forecast? Thanks! César
Soon I hope to see a midmonth drought report soon but as of this second the drought issues have been minimized for now. But!!!
This does not mean it won’t rear it’s ugly head later this summer…
There was also one in June and before the end of July I hope to see another… Maybe…
The drought issues are still looking good as of 8 July BUT!
This could change so keep checking back or subscribe https://jeff-foliage.com/subscribe/ and get notified anytime I post updates…
Hi Jeff. I am planning a trip to the Stowe/Smuggler’s Notch this fall (2025) for the foliage. I am wondering if you think we should go at the end of September or the beginning of October. I there are a ton of variables like drought etc… and and it’s not a perfect science but if it were you, when would you go? What week?
Thanks!
The first week in October is a “safe” bet. Some of my prettiest images of Smuggler’s Notch were on 8 October but at the same time the fall colors were sharing the trees with a light coating of snow… If you did 3-8 October, I think you’d be pretty well set. Barring tornado’s, hurricanes, drought, plague, insect infestation, or, or… well you get the point. Barring all the things you CAN’T control, leaves us with a good week or so when the colors should be very pretty…
Hi Jeff! I am planning a New England roadtrip this fall (2025) to see the fall foliage. Current stops include: Boston, Salem, Stowe, Smugglers Notch, Conway, and Lincoln. I plan to arrive in Boston on Oct 7 and fly out of Boston on Oct 16. Any tips on where I should start my road trip to maximize peak fall foliage viewing and efficiency?
Also do you believe October 7 – 16 is a safe bet? Or is September 22-October 1 better? Thank you for your time and I look forward to your next report. Have a great day!
Well, Danielle, I would say this is a good start. Coming into Boston is fine but don’t plan to stay there on day 1.
You will want to rent your car and head north to the White mountains and pick a location to stay. Read this article and the articles it leads to. Also this is an index of some beginning articles to read to give you an understanding of where you are heading.
But you will explore to the north and central NH/VT and you “should” see great colors for the 7-16 October dates. While we had some early color in 2020, I do not expect that to repeat.
You are coming into the Columbus Day Weekend and most lodgings with not allow you to break up your stay from 10-13 Oct. So plan on being some where comfortable that you enjoy and somewhere that is more the western White mountains to the eastern Vermont areas like the Northeast Kingdom.
After the 13th I might come down to Massachusetts to stay a couple nights. Salem can be done in a day. Its very walkable because the town is basically a mile across and if you come up on the train from Boston, there are no parking issues ($25-$50 for the day) I’m not sure what the train is ($10-$14 each way) but it will drop you near the center of town. There is also the Salem Ferry out of Boston and its a bit more but anytime I can travel by boat I will.
Take the last two days to explore Salem and Boston and then fly out… I hope this helps.
Good Morning Jeff,
My niece, along with my twin sister and I are planning to visit VT in October. My niece is from Florida and has never experienced fall in New England. I used to live in NH, but you are far more experienced in “when and where to visit” and “what to do” than myself. Do you have any suggestions as to where to visit or even stay. We are flexible. We will be driving from PA, so no worry of airport locations. Time of year, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that we pick the RIGHT time of the year for 2025. Your suggestions are truly appreciated.
Well Michelle, if New Hampshire is your goal and to show her the best of the mountains I would suggest 4 Oct till the 10th. This will give you some of the early colors at lower elevations and better colors at the higher elevations. in 2022 I stayed at Twin mountain where Routes 302 and 3 cross (right as you enter Crawford Notch).
This was great because I rolled out of bed and I was there…
But!!! its an hour and a half to drive over to Smuggler’s Notch VT so if you wanted to also head over there, then maybe get lodging a little further west toward the border???
A ride on the Cog rail can be exciting. I would go to the menu on my website and click on planning. (note if you actually click it you get a listing of articles but if you hover you get a drop down menu with a lot more...
Jeff, thank you for your reply. Southern VT, is our goal. See a little of this and a little of that. Any particular areas you would suggest to visit and stay in Southern VT? Thank You in advance for your reply.
Hi Jeff,
What a great site you have! My wife and I are coming into Boston to photograph a wedding and we decided to make a trip to see the foliage. We will arrive in Boston on the 4th of Oct. We’ll need to be back in Boston on the 9th. From Boston we planned to rent a car and head straight up to Stowe. Then go east towards Portland. Any suggestions on the best route and places to stay? Thanks!
I wish I could say I stayed in hundreds of places but I haven’t and I only rec, those places that I stay at. So go to this page and see if any match up. https://jeff-foliage.com/planning/inns-bbs-hotels-motels/
Route 15 in VT to Route 2 and follow it across NH into Maine to Bethel. Then make your way SE on any of a range of roads.
You can pick other roads coming across VT into NH and you will be equally happy. Pick up a Gazetteer in my amazon store For planning your trip.
Also check this page for articles that might suggest things you want to see. AND… This article on the art of getting lost… In my opinion, it’s a good place to start.
Good Luck
Bennington in a beautiful town and if you want a great breakfast place, got to Mendon VT near Killington (sugar and spice restaurant mendon vt) http://vtsugarandspice.com/
Jeff… Want to take a fall foliage train trip through New England in October ( no specific date yet but thinking early October). Any recommendations on specific train tours? What should we expect? Much thanks!
VELMA
Well I have done 3 train rides in NH, the hobo, The Conway Scenic, and the Cog Rail.
The Hobo down in Meredith NH is a short 30 min ride through the lakes region, and a nice relaxing ride.
The Conway Scenic out of Conway NH has several different rides on different trains and price points. We took the longer trip up through Crawford Notch and the turn around at Fabyan’s Station. Beautiful views as it crosses several rivers and passes over the Frankenstein trestle.
The Cog Rail out of Marshfield Station and takes you straight up the side of Mount Washington the train gets to about 36 degrees of angle and it is very tough to stand up against this angle but it can be done. But most people stay seated and it poses no issues. Only people like me who wanted to walk to the front to photograph things have to worry about it. Read this article about the Cog Rail.
This article is my travel page listing a bunch of different scenic trains in New England.
I’m really enjoying your website. I’m needing advice for planning a September Canada New England cruise out of Boston and pairing it with a day or two of driving for looking at fall foliage. Is it best to cruise first, then drive after, or drive first and cruise after? Are you aware if you actually see fall foliage at the cruise ship destinations, or should we plan to drive west or north from Boston for that? Do you have recommended pathways from Boston if we don’t have a lot of time? Thanks for your help.
Boston is both scenic and historical year round BUT!!! It does not get the fall colors till late October or November. Any where near the ocean means the fall colors arrive later in Oct/Nov. It really depends on the dates you plan to travel.
1-10 October we are talking NW Maine, the White Mountains of NH and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
10-20 Oct and you’re looking at Central Maine, central NH (Lakes Region), and central to southern Vermont. Also color is moving nicely into Massachusetts at this time.
So all in all, it really comes down to your dates as to where you will have time get to inland fall colors. I would recommend 15-25 Oct for locations along the Maine coastline or maybe into New Hampshire and then your ocean excursion
Hi Jeff! My husband & I are planning a 10 day trip through Massachusetts, Vermont, New York (my husband wants to visit Lake Placid), New Hampshire, and Maine to see the fall foliage. When would be the best dates to plan on coming?
1-10 Oct is a safe bet (I think) Lake Placid NY is a joker since I don’t watch NY. Check the “I love NY” website. But if you are starting in NY into VT then NH, then Maine and lastly MA.
This is a LOT of driving, and keep an eye on my posts to keep up on your plans. But remember most of the colors moves north to south… If you are planning on coastal Maine then that will also put a wrench in things since the fall colors turn last and later in the season…
We are planning a trip to New England this fall. We will be flying into Boston and spending the first night in Salem and then heading to Conway, NH, Lincoln, NH, Stowe, VT, Woodstock, VT, and then heading to Bar Harbor for several days before returning to Salem for a day before we fly out. Looking at the dates Sept 23 – Oct 11. Does this seem like a reasonable time to go? Also, we would like to break up the trip between Bar Harbor and Salem. Do you have a suggestion for where to stop?
Thanks so much.
I might drop it back a few more days. arriving around 28 Sept to 1 Oct might be better because Conway turns later (6-7 Oct) but Lincoln “should” be better by 1-3 Oct and Stowe and Woodstock are also in the 3-7 (Stowe) and 6-10 (Woodstock) AND then you have Bah Habah… (You have to say it with out the Rs…) Bar Harbar being on the ocean will start turning around 15 Oct to 25 Oct (the coast is always last)
I hope this helps
Coming from California to see the fall foliage as well as some historical sites…am thinking of starting in PHILADELPHIA for a few days and am open to driving for a few days of taking in the fall foliage …does this sound reasonable?Have been researching online and I am feeling overwhelmed!
Well, while the growing season is wonderfully loooong in California, Here in New England it is not. (Philadelphia is not New England and the next state is New York and then you get to New England) But the colors come to PA later in PA (mid October to November) You can drive up to the Adirondacks and in early October you should get a beautiful display of the fall colors…
I don’t specialize in PA (but I grew up there) or NY but I hear from people from time to time… Sorry I can’t help very much in these areas…
Hi Jeff, fab reading on your site! We are coming over from the UK from 4 – 18 October this year, first night will be Boston then pick up our rental car on 5th. We want to go to Cape Cod for a few days as always wanted to go there esp Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Current plan is Boston 1 night, Cape Cod 4 nights, Deerfield 1 night > Mohawk Trail > Woodstock VT 2 nights (day to Stowe), North Conway (or similar) 2 nights to do cog rail, Flume Gorge, Kancamagus Highway, then onto Portland 2 nights, Kennebunkport 1 night, back to Boston via Salem. Sorry if too detailed! Would this be better anti clockwise? Or going straight to Deerfield/Woodstock and do Cape Cod at the end? Thank you for even reading this!! PS I don’t mind long drives to see foliage
Hi Ian, Yes…
Oh you might want to know… 🙂
Coastal Maine and Cap Cod last… It “should” be about perfect but you might do the northern White mountains. The Kanc “can” start by the 1st but generally won’t end till the 10th. North Conway and Woodstock VT are more like the 7th till 15th-20th (It just is and don’t know why)
Historic Deerfield MA is 12-17 Oct for best colors…
So, counter clockwise. Boston, straight up to the White Mountains. Go back and forth between NH and VT, then Follow Route 2 over to Portland and down to Salem and out Route 2 the Mohawk Trail and back to Boston and fly home…
If… IF you were to listen to me (and I realize that this may be a bucket list item) I would leave Maine off. Going from Bethlehem NH to Portland would be like driving from London to Manchester on the M1 but not really because the M1 is 2 lanes (2 each way) (I think) and all of the roads from NH to ME are two lane (one lane each way)… A friend of mine lives in Manchester and tells me how hard it can be to get around…
So if you are sure you want to do Maine, do it, it just adds a lot of driving to the trip… Note on Salem, parking is tough and I would check the train either out of Boston ($10 each way) or find a town along the train route to park the car and take the train in and the train station is on the north central side of town and all the interesting things are roughly a half mile either way. You can check this link for Salem to get an idea.
https://www.hauntedhappenings.org/ and this one… https://hauntedhappeningssalem.com/
I hope it helps
Thank you! I will have to see if I can change our airbnb dates for Cape Cod. If I can’t what would you recommend doing in terms of itinerary? Really appreciate your input!
PS The M1 is 3 lanes wide each side!
So much for Google satellite earth view… 🙂
If you can’t change your dates, You have Lighthouses Nobska and Nauset are lovely, the three sisters (near Nauset) are nice but no longer over looking the ocean. Google and find Tuffy’s They are usually open till November. Tshirts and sweatshirts But! very well made… Oh and Highland Light, and Chatham Light (thats 5 and there are a total of 14) https://www.capecodlighthouses.info/
Near Chatham there is a wooden windmill. It’s the slow season and you will be “mostly” alone…
From there Head to Conway. I’ve only stayed at the Kearsarge Inn and it was very nice you can go through Hotels.com on my website (I’m an affiliate) https://jeff-foliage.com/thrifty-lodging/ and I get a few pennies… 🙂
I do the majority of my time between NH and VT and then the long drive on much SMALLER roads than the M! 🙂 and in a few hours you can be over in Portland and proceed South to Salem, Boston and home… Helpful?
Yes, very helpful, thank you! So you think with a base in the Conway locale we can see the usual suspects for leaf peeping? Woodstock, Stowe, Flume Gorge, Kancamagus, Cog etc? Maybe not Mohawk Trail or Deerfield?
Just remember its a 2 hr drive from Conway to Woodstock VT. (There is another Woodstock NH but it is different).
I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and there are always new places to find. (Even for me)
You could spend 3-4 days just in your NH locations.
Remember this you can drive the 2 hours to Woodstock but you have no idea of how many places, covered bridges, towns, state parks,you just skipped over…
For instance, the Kancamagus is 34 miles long and you can drive in 45 minutes but if you did that you missed the Loon Mtn gondola ride, a dozen trails, the Basin and rocky gorge, the lily pond, AND! the Albany coverd bridge… So. 45 minutes or an all day adventure… decisions, decisions.
Hi Jeff-
We will be flying into Boston on September 27 to see a patriots game on the 28th and then heading outon the 29th to hopefully catch foliage.. We fly back out of Boston on October 4th. We have no idea where to stay or go, but we did see you suggested a central home base and then do day trips. Don’t know if we can make it happen but these are the places we’d also like to maybe see while we are in the area. Acadia National Park, Gloucester, Salem, the coast of Maine, and a foliage train ride. None of these are have to’s just ideas since we are there – the main goal is to see some beautiful foliage and also the ocean. Any information will be appreciated!
well, early Oct, fall colors, and Ocean… don’t really work well together… Along the coast from Boston to Acadia and back will be amazing views, Lobster, lighthouses and more lobster… 🙂
But to have a chance of seeing really pretty fall colors (If you read my most recent foliage forecast) I don’t think it will be early… I suspect it will arrive in force in Northern New England the first week of October Dixville Notch (Route 26) would be a good location.
But You could Google Eustis Maine North west corner and they are usually early for the fall colors around the Bigelow Mtn Range… but that is about it… That is a LONG drive to get up that way…
Sorry I don’t have better info for you.
ThankS! That’s ok! What if we skipped Maine? Where should we stay for a central locataion with the best chance for great foliage?
For the 29th checking out on the 4th I would choose Somewhere between Carrol New Hampshire to Craftsbury Vermont. The center point between them is Saint Johnsbury VT. I stayed in Twin Mountain (Carrol NH) at the Allegory Inn, in Carroll, New Hampshire. Here is my article. https://jeff-foliage.com/2022/12/31/allegory-inn-in-carroll-new-hampshire/
What I didn’t say is that it was a 2 hour drive from there to Stowe and Smuggler’s Notch. It was wonderful to wake up and catch the dawn. This is Saco Lake at the AMC center.
That was only minutes from my Airbnb… But at the same time it was hours away from this (Smuggler’s Notch):
So if you choose St Johnsbury, you are more equidistant from both NH and VT…
Wow! Thank you so much for the info.
Hi jeff. We’re planning do a new englandfall foliage trip on sep 30-oct 6. Fly to boston late evening of sep 30th then drive the coastal area to maine. We also want to visit cape cod. Can you recommend a scenic coastal drive? From maine, drive down to vermont & NH. Can you recommend a good itinerary? We hope to see peak colors in VT & NH. Then spend a day in boston before flying out early morning of oct 6. Can you also recommend affordable hotels?
Hi Jeff. We’re going on a fall foliage trip & just wanna ask for some recommendations. We’re flying in to Boston evening of sep 30th. We’re planning to do a coastal scenic drive to Maine Oct 1st. We want to stop by Cape Cod also then maybe spend the night in Portland. Any recommendation for a scenic coastal drive to maine? From there, we will drive back to vermont & new hampshire for the fall foliage. Then back to boston maybe evening of Oct 5. We’ll spend a day in boston the 6th the fly out early morning of oct 7th. Do you think will be seeing a good fall colors in vermont & new hampshire by oct 3-4? Thank you.
Two emails but only one answer…
Ok Route 93 south to 3 and out onto the Cape. Route 6 on the Cape is the larger route but Route 28 (the southern route is not really any smaller. its a nice near coastal route. Check out Cuffy’s While out there. It will take a day or two to really explore the cape and you can check lodgings at this page on my Website. https://jeff-foliage.com/thrifty-lodging/
I stay in an RV once out on the cape and I don’t think I’ve stayed in anything but a motel my second time. Once you leave the Cape take 93N till you are North of Boston and then you can branch over onto Route 1. Route reminds me a “little” of Route 66 our west.
Route 1 will take you up past Salem and to Portsmouth NH and as you cross over into Maine on Route 1 you will be passing Kittery Maine and then some of the more scenic places on the Maine coastline. York, Ogunquit, Wells, Kennebunkport and others. ( York you have Nubble Lighthouse) and in Portland you have Portland light as well.
I would suggest heading to the Junction of Route 3 and 302 in New Hampshire. This junction is the head of Crawford Notch and you can head down into Crawford Notch on 302 south. Head west on 3 east over to the Cog Rail and Mount Washington, Route 3 west to Bethlehem and 3 West/south back to I 93 and use it to cut over to Vermont.
I stayed at the Allegory Inn (right near the Junction, click here for my write on them)
I hope this gives you some ideas but if you want some more, click this link to my locations by state. Here you can read articles centered on the state you are interested in.
Thank you so much.
Hi Jeff, your site is extremely helpful to our planning! We have a few questions, appreciate your help in advance.
We’re coming all the way from Singapore. Arriving into New York on 1 Oct and leaving from New York on 13 Oct. We understand Boston is a much better base, but we dont fancy a domestic transfer after an 18-hour ride.
Current plan is to pick up our car on 2nd Oct, overnight at Woodstock (1 night), Stowe (2 nights), Conway (2 nights), Bar harbour (2 nights), portland (1 night) and Providence (just for the Jac O lantern spectacular, 1 night), before heading back to New York. Our main highlights would be the fall foliage, well, any foliage would look great to someone living right on the equator. And the rationale of spending sometime in Maine is to visit all the lobster and seafood places. Plus we love the ocean.
1. Is it worth visiting Acadia and the coast if the foliage has not turned?
2. If we drop Maine, or just visit for seafood purposes, would it make sense to do anti-clockwise and attempt to time for better foliage at NH and VT?
3. Any suggestions to cut short the driving? Have plenty of long distance driving experience, but I guess anything would be tiring with a screwed up bio clock.
Thanks!
My friend and I were planning a trip to the Portland area for along weekend, maybe 4-5 days in October. We are of course wanting to see that beautiful fall foliage! Do you think around 10/9-10/13 is a good time or should it be just a little later? Thank you! Jenny
For Portland the later dates you have chosen will most likely be great. and if you want to drive west by northwest in Maine you will get even better fall colors
When wil you be publishing your next fall foliage update? Winter is over; the area has had rain. What are your thoughts? We are looking at an entire East Coast swing from Nigeria Falls all the was down to South Carolina, visiting ALL of the New England states, the original 13 colonies, and all the states in between. Thank you!
Just moved and unloading boxes (so MANY boxes) We are currently looking good but I will wait until July 15 because the last 2 years running, we’ve had torrential downpours around 10-13 July and I want to see if we go 3 for 3…
Hi Jeff! We’re flying into Burlington from Florida on Sept 22 and are flying out Oct 2nd. We plan on just driving and staying somewhere different about every night. I’d just head out across north Vermont and NH will we see great foliage? Where would you recommend we go arriving that early?
If the Farmers Almanac is correct, you are in luck and you should see good color as of the 25th. IF… IF the temps cool enough in early to mid Sept then the fall colors “COULD” come on early but If our lows stay in the upper 40s to low 50s then we won’t see the fall colors to later. For the first week I would just explore the Green or White mountains to see beautiful Mountains and landscape. There are tons of covered bridges and little towns to explore and I would suggest hitting my locations by states (Its why I write the articles… as references) https://jeff-foliage.com/locations-state/
Hey Jeff! I was planning a trip to Stowe (and hopefully a stop in Woodstock) the first week of October (1-5). It has been my dream to see the folliage. I am debating on changing the date to Ocdtober 10-15. Is that too late for folliage? Also, please send some scenic highways! We are not sure where we will stay yet (Maybe Burlington or Stowe).
Thanks
I think 2-12 is usually very nice in those areas… Stowe earlier and Woodstock later.
Just remember to dress for ALL sorts of weather, Here is Smuggler’s Notch on 8 Oct 2022
and just because someone like me says that it’s past peak… It does not mean that it is PAST PEAK… Woodstock 27 Oct 2024
Hello Jeff,
We are planning a fall foliage road trip this October from the 5th to the 7th. We will arrive in Boston on October 5th and head directly to Stowe, where we will explore the area and stay for the night. The following morning, on our way to Portland, we plan to visit spots in New Hampshire, such as Kancamagus Highway and Artist Bluff. We will spend the night in Portland on October 6th. The next evening, we will fly back to Boston.
My question is: Is October 5th to 7th a good time to see fall foliage along this route, and will this plan be too hectic? Thank you.
Yes…
I wish you had more time because you will be driving a lot of it… If you are flying out of Portland and that is your only reason to go there, then I would look at Manchester NH. It is centrally located and you can get major airlines out of there. Even international… Good luck
Thank you so much for your response. I totally get that things will be a bit hectic, and I’ll make some adjustments. Thank you for your suggestion. But I’m really curious—will we be able to see those beautiful fall colors along the route from October 5th to 7th? Oh, and I’m sorry about that typo earlier; I’ll be flying out of Boston!.
I have no reason at this time to think that you won’t see beautiful colors at this time
Thank you so much.
Hi Jeff, your site is extremely helpful to our planning! We have a few questions, appreciate your help in advance. You probably missed this message above, reposting this.
We’re coming all the way from Singapore. Arriving into New York on 2 Oct and leaving from New York on 15 Oct. We understand Boston is a much better base, but we dont fancy a domestic transfer after an 18-hour ride.
Current plan is to pick up our car on 3rd Oct, overnight at Woodstock (1 night), Stowe (2 nights), Conway (2 nights), Bar harbour (2 nights), portland (1 night) and Providence (just for the Jac O lantern spectacular, 1 night), before heading back to New York. Our main highlights would be the fall foliage, well, any foliage would look great to someone living right on the equator. And the rationale of spending sometime in Maine is to visit all the lobster and seafood places. Plus we love the ocean.
1. Is it worth visiting Acadia and the coast if the foliage has not turned?
2. If we drop Maine, or just visit for seafood purposes, would it make sense to do anti-clockwise and attempt to time for better foliage at NH and VT?
3. Any suggestions to cut short the driving? Have plenty of long distance driving experience, but I guess anything would be tiring with a screwed up bio clock.
4. Any other good halloween/pumpkin festivals to recommend? We dont necessarily have to go to Providence.
Thanks!
Well Woodstock is a lovely town (or village). This is a long drive (4-5 hours) and the Train is 6 hours.
Its almost 4 hours from Conway to Bar Harbor.
Its 5 1/2 hours from Bar Harbor to Providence, and another 3 hours from there to NYC…
I know you have taken all this into consideration but this sounds like a lot of self inflicted Pain. But if you are young 40s to early 50s, then it’s probably not a big deal. (I used to drive very long distances in my 40s to early 50s)
Bar Harbor is worth it even if the fall colors are not perfect. They will not be anything like what you saw in VT or NH but combined with ocean views and seafood. It is wonderful.
The locations you have chosen are great places to drive out from to explore. Visit my location by state articles to get some ideas on places to visit.
Also, check my Amazon affiliate page and pick up a New Hampshire/Vermont Gazetteer and a Maine Gazetteer to help plan routes.
If we fly into Boston on October 21st and rent a car for a few days, Is that too late to see the fall colours at their best? Or should we come Oct. 12 to 16th? Also, how many days should we plan on taking?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Well the 21st-23rd I would say you stay in and around Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. for the 12-16 dates you would be further north in NH and VT and Massachusetts…
Looking forward to a July 2025 update for the coming Foliage season.
Have you subscribed to my emails? I usually let my subscribes know more often… (but we just moved to NH and were getting the house ready for Winter) But one will be forth coming… soonish… But I just looked and you are a subscriber… watch your email for a bit later today…
Looking for a trip this fall for my wife. Can you send me the fall forecast please
Larry
Larry I see you signed up for my newsletters and you probably missed my last update for subscribers. I will send you that one out and I am working on my big update that I will put up on my website in the next few days…
Oh my goodness!! I just found your site and I’m excited to spend more time looking at all of your advice and experiences! I am celebrating my 50th birthday in New England this year with my mom and two daughters in law. I have a pretty good itinerary, but would love to hear your thoughts on timing. We fly into Boston from Kansas on Oct 7 and planning to do Boston Commons during the day, then head to York, ME. Eating at Fox Lobster House and then catching the sunrise in the morning and breakfast at The Goldenrod before heading to Jackson, NH. Explore Glen Ellis Falls, Jackson Falls and several covered bridges in the area before catching the 4:15 Conway Valley Train. Up early to drive the Kancamagus with all the sites, and making sure to do the Loon Mtn Gondola and Flume Gorge. Then up to Montgomery in the afternoon to catch the 5 covered bridges in the area before driving back down to east of Stowe and a night in a Yurt near Worcester. Saturday will be hitting the sites in Stowe (Mercantile, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Ben & Jerry’s and bridges) and then heading down to Woodstock and hopefully make it in time for the Sugarbush Farm. Spending the night in Springfield, then catching the Vermont Country Store before heading west to Bennington and popping over to NY (just to say we’ve been there)!!Planning to eat late lunch at Golden Eagle Restaurant on the Hairpin curve of the Mohawk, then Check out Mount Greylock Tower and Norman Rockwell Museum before ending down to Norfolk, CT for the night at an Airbnb. Monday will be hitting some sites in Connecticut – Heublein Tower, Sleeping Giant State Park, and ending up at Griswald Inn in Essex for dinner. I don’t have our final day planned, but we’ll head over to Newport, RI and do the Mansion tours, historic district and walk along the cliffs and end the day back in Boston to fly out VERY early on Wed morning! Whew, so excited, but is it doable, or did I plan too much??
Well, I do think you will want a vacation to help you rest up from this vacation. I normally consul people to relax a little more BUT you have some wonderful things scheduled. Is that the 2 hour or the 4 hour train trip… Either way ask the conductor where the best place to sit to see the Mont Omni Hotel when the train slows down to view it from an elevated position. There is a roadside position on Route 302 where you get a lower vantage point.
Ultimately you have to decide for yourselves what is too much…
I would love it if you get back from your trip and drop me a note here with whether you think you think you did too much OR it was just right…
Thanks for the reply! Yes, I’ll let you know how it goes! I did just the 55 min train ride and paid the extra to have the dome seating at the top. I think we have seats A1-A4. I will definitely ask about the Omni Hotel. My biggest concern is that since it’s Columbus Day weekend (and of course the best time of year to go for leaf peeking), we might have some major traffic issues. I’ll definitely try to let you know how it goes! I’m thinking that if we feel like we are running too much then we can knock off the Montgomery, VT leg of the trip, or even the Bennington leg. Let me know if you think of anything else!
DON’T get on I-93 on Friday out of Boston heading for the White Mtns and don’t get on I-93 on Monday (Columbus Day) coming back south… Both will try your patience. Travel up on Thursday or earlier and Tuesday or later and you will be fine. And remember this rule. Route 3 WILL drop you on I-93 when you least desire it to. So be careful on which roads you take. And if I don’t say this before, I highly recommend you to Pick up a NH/VT or Maine Gazetteer in my amazon store.
Hi Jeff! Just found your super helpful site. We are from the west coast, and will be seeing NE fall foliage for the first time.
Hi Kay and welcome, here are a few links to get you started.
https://jeff-foliage.com/beginning-your-foliage-journey/
https://jeff-foliage.com/locations-state/
https://jeff-foliage.com/art-of-getting-lost/
AND… I always suggest a Gazetteer which is my map book of choice.
I would do 3-6 Oct
Good Luck!
and just saw your other question…
the first day is busy but doable, maybe leave harts location off…
Hi Jeff! Just found your super helpful site. We are from the west coast, and will be seeing NE fall foliage for the first time, so excited! We only have 4 days. Our current plan is flying into Boston on a Thursday, pick up our car and drive to Conway to spend the first night. Friday we plan to drive Kancamagus Highway, Franconia Notch State Park (Flume Gorge, Echo Lake, Artist bluff, Cannon Mtn Aerial Tramway), maybe Hart’s location too. Saturday is Stowe, Smuggler’s Notch, Gondola, etc. Sunday is Woodstock. Monday we drive through Berkshires to fly out from BDL.
We can do either Oct 3-6 or Oct 10-13. Which weekend would you recommend? Also, is Day 1 too aggressive?
Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Jeff,
Great site you have here! My family are planning a loop road trip to New England this October 1-9. We’re starting in Boston and driving up to Stowe, then eastward through White Mountain and onto Portland, ME before we head back down the coast and ending in Boston. Would you say that the foliage in Stowe and White Mountain would generally be better toward the beginning or the end of these dates? If the former, we’ll do the route as originally planned. If the latter, we’ll go counter clockwise driving to Portland first from Boston. Thanks!
the coast will be last to develop so going the direction you are going is the best
Hello Jeff,
We are planning a trip to Lake Champlain, Woodstock and Stowe Vermont, driving through Kancamagus Highway and then on to Acadia park and up the coast to Boston. Right now the trip is planned for October 9th thru the 19th. But I’m wondering if I should move it up to arriving on the 5th. Will the fall colors still be good in Vermont and New Hampshire on the 12th 13th 14th 15th? Also didn’t realize it was Columbus Day weekend. Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated.
Janelle Bengali
As I just told someone else, once you are up in the White mountains or Vermont or Maine, Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend (CDW) travel is “fairly” easy… just DON’T drive on the highway on the Friday the 10th. There is a line of traffic from Boston non-stop or maybe I should say stop and go all the way up into the White Mountains. I suggest staying off I-93 or I-91 or Route 16 (All the main routes into northern New England…) I honestly don’t know about Route 100 in VT but I doubt its any better.
On this day drive the backroads if you are up here already… or wait till Saturday and the highways will be much better…
As you can see here on Oct 12th in Sandwich NH
and the was 7 Oct 2022 in Crawford Notch at Zealand Road (a bit early)
So it is quite impossible to say it will be better one week and lousy the next. I can say the 12th – 15th will or should be awesome but a storm comes in on the evening of said 12th with 50 plus MPH winds and rain and it the morning all is bright and clear and all the leaves on the trees are green and the colorful ones are in the next county…
All I can say is pick you days and if you come early (1-5) you should look a little further north but the DOES NOT mean the colors won’t be further south as well… Here is 6 Oct in Crawford Notch on Route 302
I would read these articles
https://jeff-foliage.com/2020/03/08/top-10-fall-foliage-things-to-do-in-new-england/
https://jeff-foliage.com/2019/09/21/finding-peak-fall-foliage-in-new-england-2/
https://jeff-foliage.com/art-of-getting-lost/
https://jeff-foliage.com/2023/12/21/tips-for-creating-your-autumn-vacation-itinerary-for-new-england/
Thank you Jeff. I appreciate your response. I think I will keep my original dates of October 9th to the 19th and head out of Boston to Vermont on Sunday the 12th.
Hi Jeff,
Thank you so much for sharing ALL your incredible insight and guidance!! I recently discovered your site as I start to plan our trip to Vermont & Maine in October. Currently plan is:
Arrive Burlington Friday, Oct. 11th. Stowe for 3 nights (exploring Stowe and all the great suggested areas around Woodstock) then drive to Acadia Nat’l Park for 4 nights before flying back out of Bangor on the 19th – stopping somewhere along that route for 1 night to break up the drive and be able to take our time and explore en route. Any suggestions for the route from Stowe to Acadia and, perhaps, some good mid-points to look for lodging for the 1 night?
Originally, was hoping to do Oct. 4th – 12th, but finding better lodging choices for the later week. Was hoping to get your thoughts on if you think we should try and make the 4th-12th option work or if the 11th-19th will still give us a good shot at seeing some fall magic around Stowe and Woodstock at the beginning of the trip.
Thank you kindly for the advice!
it should work and you could stop in Bethlehem NH (2 hours east of Stowe. or Bethel Maine (2.5-3 hrs)
From Bangor you also have Camden or Bangor, throw those names into the search on my site to see what I’ve written about them.
Routes are immaterial as they all are nice. I don’t have a particular favorite.
Good luck
Much appreciated! I’m enjoying getting lost in reading about all the various options on your site – really invaluable.
I would like to receive your updates on Fall Foliage for October, Thank you!
you signed up on the 29th and I sent out my most recent Newsletter
Jeff,
Found your site as I was beginning to plan our trip to Vermont and it has proven invaluable. You have truly compiled a wealth of information.
Based on what I have learned, our current plan is as follows:
Arrive in Albany early Friday 10/3 and drive to an Airbnb in Wheelock, Vt near Lyndonville for a four day stay.
From that base we plan to visit the NEK of Vermont and the White Mountains (Crawford Notch/Kancamagus) areas of New Hampshire.
On 10/7 we will relocate to another Airbnb near Bristol, Vt for 7 days. While there we plan to visit the Stowe/Smugglers Notch/Mad River/Warren/Waitsfield areas.
On 10/14 we will relocate to The Manchester View hotel for three days before returning to Albany for return. While there we will visit the Molly Stark/Kelley Stand areas.
We hope to travel as many backroads as we can and have purchased the Vermont/New Hampshire Gazetteer to assist in planning.
Would appreciate any thoughts or recommendations you have regarding this itinerary. If you have any specific backroads or sites in these areas to recommend it would help my planning.
Thanks for all you’ve already shared with your great site!
I think You’ve done pretty good so far. My Vermont Gazetteer is in Vermont till tomorrow… But When in Lyndonville, look for Darling Hill Rd and Heavens Bench read this for ideas https://jeff-foliage.com/2021/02/07/scenic-drive-darling-rd-to-burke-vermont/
Near stowe is this loop to explore: https://jeff-foliage.com/2022/10/04/explore-a-hidden-scenic-drive-in-vermonts-nek/
Thanks for the feedback. I pretty much figured you had the Vermont Gazetteer memorized!
Some things I do have set to memory, there are routes that are well driven and I think of them as old friends… But there are so many roads I have never taken and I will either use a gazetteer to plan it or I’ll wait to have Lisa ask me if we have gone this way and if not, then turn!!! 🙂
Hi Jeff,
Planning a quick trip to Boston and a day trip to Salem in October (won’t be driving around unfortunately as won’t have time) Hoping to see some fall colors…. Do you think around the 23rd of October would be a good time? Or the week before? Which would be our best bet to see some peak fall foliage ? Thanks 🙂
Boston and Salem tend to be later due to their proximity to the ocean. If you stay in Boston, you can take the ferry up to Salem… If the weather is nice, the ride is wonderful… If taking the train, you can take it up to Rockport and get a ride into town and that is a wonderful walk as well…
Hi Jeff, hope you’re doing fine!
I’m from France and I dream of visiting NE during fall for the colours and the culture.
I read that colours this season should be early and brief…
Unfortunately, my vacations date only allows me to come to mid/late October (18th-29th).
Then, I would like to ask you if you think I should take the bet of coming this year, or should I wait another year with some others conditions?
Thank you!
Take good care.
Bonjour!
We have a lot of confusing signs from the trees so far. I just drove the White Mtns of New Hampshire (NH) and while a fully turned tree was not seen there was enough color changing to catch my attention. I would say it could go a couple of ways.
1. it comes in and drops early weeks early and the season is over much sooner (we call that the Debbie Downer)
2. It does a slow-burn, Slow to develop and it still will be here by your dates and maybe more trees are bare by that time but still quite pretty.
The jury is out on which way it goes… (I’ll know in November)
An added wrinkle is the new admin is being difficult to visitors and I apologize for that but nothing I can do about it.
It is what it is… Waiting “could” be better…
hello,
I want to go to Vermont and Newham shire for fall foliage on 10/12/25 – 10/15/25 or 10/18/25 – 10/22/25, are these days are good time to go, please let me know. thank you.
You had me wondering where New Hamshire was and was this a shire in Vermont? 🙂
then I figured you mean New HamPshire and we missing the “P”… I would go earlier as it sounds like you might be wanting the mountains… The downside is finding a place to stay on the Columbus Day Weekend. This is the busiest weekend in New England so you better get working as soon as you read this…