new hampshire fall tour

Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee

Great North Woods

Merrimack Valley

White Mountains

Fall foliage in new hampshire 2024, nature bursts into color in the granite state.

New Hampshire delivers its colorful fall foliage earlier in the season, peaking as early as mid-September. In the White Mountains , take a scenic drive along the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112), between North Conway and Lincoln, NH . A bit further north are the Franconia Notch and Crawford Notch state parks , where vistas are magnificent. Moose can be spotted in the Great North Woods region. In the Lakes region , crystal lakes add some blue to the view near Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Squam . Be sure to take a camera and pose with one of the state’s picturesque covered bridges . <-- Back to Foliage in New England

Essential Resources:

• New Hampshire Foliage Map (Old Farmers' Almanac)
• New Hampshire State Map
• Great Things To Do in New Hampshire - foliage train trips, harvest sales, seasonal events and scenic drives.
• Pick your Own Farms - Stop off for fresh apples, veggies, cider, pumpkins, baked goods and more!.

Foliage Driving Routes in New Hampshire

White mountains region :, the kancamagus highway/route 112 -- 34 miles.

Points of Interest :

• Kancamagus Scenic Byway
• Sabbaday Falls , on the Kancamagus Pass, drops 40 feet into a small emerald green pothole the opens as a slide into a 20-foot horsetail into a tight gorge. Stop to look and have a picnic; no swimming, though! The falls is well-marked, off Route 112 (Kancamagus Highway) between the towns of Lincoln and Conway.
• Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway at Cannon Mountain in Franconia is an 80-passenger cable car that takes visitors to the 4,080-foot summit of Cannon Mountain. On a clear day, you can see the mountains of four states and Canada! At the summit, you'll find spectacular scenic walking paths, an observation deck, café and a bar. Open through late October. Check website for schedule and fees.
• Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves , North Woodstock (603-745-8031). One-mile walk through wooded mountains with plenty of wooden walkways, stairs, bridges, scenic outlooks. Small caves and passageways are aside the trail; you can avoid cave exploration if you prefer.
• Rocky Gorge Scenic Area , Conway
• Antique Shopping . The town of Bethlehem, just 20 miles north of Lincoln, is a fertile area for antique shopping. One local favorite, in operation since 1992, is Hundred Acre Wood on Main Street in Bethlehem . A couple of barns are packed with almost anything you can name, from Mickey Mouse Club-era toy cars to license plates of the United States. Fun browsing. Continuing a little farther to the northwest, Littleton is home to Purple Peacock , good for a solid hour of poking about. Littleton also provides nourishment at Chutters , which claims to have the world’s longest candy counter, mostly of glass jars of penny candy. Perfect snacking when you are shopping for old-time gems. Shifting to a southwesterly direction, you are headed toward Sugar Hill and Applewood Antiques, at 580 Route 117 and right next door to Polly’s Pancake Parlor , another dining bonus to keep you energized for the hunt. If you had headed southward from Lincoln from the start (none of these towns is far from each other), you would bump into the lovely town of Woodstock and Arnold’s Antiques on Main Street. Bric-a-brac, antique jewelry, and glassware galore.

Pinkham Notch Loop -- 100 miles

Points of Interest:

• Mount Washington Auto Road , Route 16, Pinkham Notch in the White Mountains National Forest (603-466-3988).
• Crawford Notch State Park , Route 302, Harts Location in the White Mountains National Forest (603-374-2272).
• Town of Jackson and Jackson Covered Bridge is a beauty, and it resides right in the heart of the town geographically and culturally. Great for photographers and painters. A town covered bridge dance is held here every summer. This town had fun gifts shops and restaurants.
• Cider Co. on Route 302 in Bartlett.is a delightful stop is your love apples, cider, and good food generally. Enjoy the restaurant and café and market, and even apple pressing on the weekends.

Lakes Region

Lake winnipesaukee loop -- 75 miles.

• Mount Washington Cruises on the M/S Mount Washington from Weirs Beach (603-366-5531). Cruise this beautiful lake during foliage season and watch the glorious colors glide past you.
• Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough . Wonderful home and garden tour at a 1920’s-era Craftsman-style mansion high in the mountains.
• Funspot , in Weirs Beach - "The world's largest arcade" founded in 1952, featuring classic attractions & video games, bowling, mini-golf and more. Great alternative for the beach on a rainy day! (603-366-4377)
• The Old Country Store , Moultonborough (603-476-5750). Kids and adults love to browse and buy vacation mementos at New England's genuine country stores.
• Wright Museum of WWII History , Wolfeboro (603-569-1212)

Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region

Connecticut river route near lebanon loop -- 70 miles.

• Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, Wheelock Street, Hanover (603-646-2808)
• Packard Hill Covered Bridge , Riverside Drive over the Mascoma River, Lebanon (603-271-3483)
• Northern Recreational Rail Trail , Lebanon / Enfield / Canaan / Grafton (603-271-3254). Twenty-three miles of hard-packed walking and biking trails.

Great North Woods Region

Moose alley -- 75 miles.

• Happy Corner, Pittsburg-Clarksville, and River Road covered bridges, Pittsburg
• Northern Outlet of New England , 61 Main Street, Colebrook (603-237-8544)
• The Poore Family Homestead Historic Farm Museum , 438 Fish Pond Road, Colebrook (603-237-5500)

Merrimack Valley Region

Concord to loudon to pittsfield loop.

• Leave Concord on Loudon Road / Route 9 and turn onto Route 106 north toward Loudon
• In Loudon , pick up Route 129 north through Loudon Center and into Lower Gilmanton . You then pick up Route 107 though Pittsfield
• South of Pittsfield , turn onto Route 9 West and return to Concord

• Dimond Hill Farm , 314 Hopkinton Road, Concord (603-224-0602)
• Lindt Chocolate Shop , Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord (603-228-3900)
• League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Concord Gallery , 36 N. Main Street, Concord (603-228-8171)

Monadnock Region

Mount monadnock loop.

• Stonewall Farm , 2442 Chesterfield Road, Keene (603-357-7278). Lots to do here on 120 acres that are open to guests: borrow an exploration pack and do activities while hiking the trails; watch your kids play in the nature playground. there are farm animals to visit and foods to taste and buy at the farm store. Mountain biking and cross country skiing trails are open in season.
• Muddy Moose Restaurant and Pub at 2344 White Mountain Hwy in North Conway has a rustic feel, with knotty pine walls, hearty beers, and all the basic, rib-sticking foods for mountain appetites. Nice for families with kids, too.

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21 Fall in New Hampshire Things to Do 🍁 2024 Fall Foliage Info

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• 21 Fall in New Hampshire Things to Do 🍁 2024 Fall Foliage Info - January 28, 2024

There is so much to enjoy about fall in New Hampshire: the perfect weather, the most gorgeous colors surrounding you in nature, and of course, fall fun and festivities.

Yes, there are so many fantastic NH things to do in the fall, like taking a fall foliage tour on the Conway Scenic Railroad, hiking Artist Bluff in Franconia, biking through peak fall colors in the White Mountains, booking a haunted hotel room, and so much more!

Fall is the ultimate fan-favorite of New Englanders and tourists who flock to this region, for very good reason. Summers are hot and muggy, winters are freezing, and spring is muddy as can be.

Fall in New Hampshire, however? That’s just right!

I am here to tell you why visiting New Hampshire in fall needs to be on your bucket list! I’m going to share my favorite fall activities and NH places to go in the fall.

Table of Contents

When is the Best Time for New Hampshire Fall Foliage?

Great question! Fall foliage in New Hampshire typically begins in late September at the Northern most tip of the state, but if you’re aiming for peak colors, aim for a little later!

“Peak colors” are these hues at their most vivid and this varies from year to year based on natural conditions such as weather, but early to mid-October is generally a safe bet for when to expect to see gorgeous autumn colors in NH. 

Color typically begins in the Great North Woods and progresses north to south down the state, starting in higher elevations first, but you can follow a real-time fall foliage tracker here.

As a loose guide for peak colors in NH, you can typically expect timelines like this:

Great North Woods – Late September to early October, typically over by October 5th

White Mountains – Early October, typically over by the second week of October

Dartmouth/Sunapee – Early October, typically over by the second week of October

Lakes Region – Mid October, typically over by the third week of October

Monadnock – Mid to late October, typically over by around October 20th

Merrimack Valley – Late October, typically over by October 25th

Seacoast – Late October and the last spot for NH peak colors, typically over by Halloween

Even outside of peak colors, New Hampshire fall foliage is a stunning visual backdrop for all the awesome things to see and do while visiting the Live Free or Die State!

Fall in New Hampshire: Things to Do

1. put your boots on and go pick some apples.

Fall fun doesn’t have to wait until the pumpkins are ready! Kick the season off with a trip to one of the dozens of apple orchards in New Hampshire and bake a delicious pie or cook up some warm apple cider with your haul. September in New Hampshire is a good time for apple picking.

If you’re in the southern part of the state, don’t miss out on a trip to Alyson’s Orchard , one of the most popular in NH.

Located near Walpole, this farm and event venue spans 450 acres, boasting not only 37 varieties of apples, but peaches, blueberries, pears, and more. You can find a list of their apples and estimated times they will be ready for harvest on their website , which comes in especially handy if you have a favorite!

You can also visit some goats and let the (human) kids burn some energy on the playground to complete your visit. Pumpkins are available as well later in the season.

Located near the village of Contoocook, Gould Hill Farm is a quick 15-minute drive west of Concord. Offering a whopping 77 different varieties of apples, you’ll be sure not to go home empty-handed.

Gould also offers PYO (pick your own) peaches and blueberries, has a store where you can pick up other tasty treats, such as ice cream and maple syrup, and for the adults in your party, stop by the Contoocook Cider Company for a tasting of their hard apple cider!

Apple picking is one of those wholesome fall activities in New Hampshire that are just perfect for romantic day dates, fun family excursions, or a contemplative day out alone; it just checks all the boxes for New Hampshire fall fun!

2. Get outside and go explore the mountains

You’ll be happy to know that you don’t need to buy a plane ticket out west to hike and get beautiful mountainous views – we have them here too. We have the White Mountains , and other smaller mountains all around the state.

Once you get to the top, you’ll be awed by the stunning views beneath you. The trees turn to red, orange, yellow, or green – one of the most beautiful fall views in New Hampshire.

If you’re looking for where to stay in New Hampshire in the fall, consider renting out a White Mountains cabin.

Can you get more quintessential fall in New Hampshire than a cozy little cabin nestled in the mountains, surrounded by blazing fall foliage? Nope, didn’t think so.

There are different hiking levels of difficulty, so make sure you check those out before you choose your destination. Here are a few of my favorite New Hampshire hiking trails. 

• Mount Major – Alton, NH
• Artist Bluff – Franconia, NH
• Franconia Ridge Loop – Franconia Notch State Park, NH
• Mount Chocorua – Near Conway, NH

3. Take a drive along the Kancamagus Highway

In the fall, the colors are breathtaking, so leaf-peeping is an absolute must. There are pull offs on the side where you can stop to take it all in, too!

4. Have breakfast at Polly’s Pancakes – an essential Fall in New Hampshire activity

You have to have seen real maple syrup at the grocery stores and maybe this is where you’ve seen hints of New Hampshire since normally it’s plastered all over the bottle.

I’m sure you know that maple syrup is kind of New Hampshire’s thing, and if you’re a pancake person who also enjoys pure maple syrup, then you cannot miss Polly’s . It’s been a family-owned restaurant for decades.

While it is a bigger place, the small town family vibe still exists. Their menu consists of several options including the ability to mix and match your pancake choice. There is real maple syrup and maple syrup butter on the table waiting for you – for free. Can it get any better than that?

5. Bring out the child in you and head to the fair

Fairs aren’t the most glamorous, but you’ll have a blast seeing all the locals, eating tons of fried dough and hitting up your favorite childhood rides. I personally used to love going to the fairs to meet up with friends, eat and play games.

Don’t be afraid to spend a dollar or two to try and win a stuffed animal! Also get out of your comfort zone, smile, laugh and be a kid again. Some of the best fall fairs in NH are:

• Sandwich Fair
• Deerfield Fair
• Hopkinton State Fair

If you’re a beer fan and looking for things to do in New Hampshire in October, don’t miss NH Brewfest, an annual festival in Portsmouth .

6. Visit the Castle in the Clouds

One of New Hampshire’s remaining “castles,” Castle in the Clouds was built in 1914 as an extravagant, state of the art country estate that encompassed 6,300 acres of beautiful terrain.

Touring the mansion and hiking and exploring the gorgeous grounds and pond are fun to do any time, but come fall, this majestic castle is gloriously situated amid some spectacular fall foliage. Expansive views are found all around the property, and what better way to take in peak colors than to do so from a classic New England castle ?

7. Get lost in a corn maze

For some, fall activities are not complete until you’ve wandered around a corn maze for a few hours. Whether you’re going during daylight hours with the family or at night for a spooky, flashlight-guided experience, New Hampshire has a ton of corn mazes to keep you busy!

If you’re looking for somewhere to keep the family busy all afternoon long, Beans and Greens Farm, near Gilford, is just the place. The corn maze is one of the best in the state and changes yearly.

If you scroll to the bottom of this page , you can see maze images of years past to get an idea of what to expect. You can meander your way through the day or opt for a nighttime run for even more of a challenge. Beans and Greens Farm has tons of other fun events and activities and plenty of produce and homemade goods to take home as well!

The Maize at Sherman Farm is another popular fall attraction in the Granite State. Their maize maze changes each year as well with a new design each year, with past years including themes such as “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, “Alice in Farmland”, and “Patriots Superbowl Champs.”

After your fun on the farm, be sure to grab some ice cream, cut flowers, or other meat and dairy products before heading home.

8. Go on a Fall Foliage Cruise

New Hampshire has some lovely lakes, and taking a lake cruise is a fantastic way to take in the fall foliage views!

Experience Squam offers a great guided lake tour of Squam Lake as autumn colors are taking over the trees that surround it. If you’d prefer a nice meal along with your tour, check out a brunch or dinner tour with Mount Washington . Enjoy the local fare while you take in the stunning fall foliage that surrounds Lake Winnipesaukee, one of the most beautiful places in all of New Hampshire.

9. Enjoy NH fall festivals

Autumn feels even more invigorating and lively at a good, old-fashioned fall festival, doesn’t it? You’ll find no shortage of fall festivals in New Hampshire, ranging from pumpkin festivals to Oktoberfest celebrations!

You can find a pumpkin or fall festival going on somewhere pretty much every weekend in October. Start with the Milford Pumpkin Festival on Columbus Day Weekend, which features live entertainment, a giant pumpkin contest, a variety show, and great raffle prizes.

If you can’t make it that weekend, head over to the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival in Laconia. This fair is jam-packed with activities for kids young and old, including pumpkin bowling, duck derby, zombie walk, and, the cherry on top, a 34-foot tower of jack-o-lanterns!

What could be better than spending a fall weekend in the White Mountains? You can do just that by heading to the White Mountains Oktoberfest at the Loon Mountain Resort outside of Lincoln .

They offer something for everyone, so bring the whole family or plan an entertaining adults-only weekend with your friends. Oompah music, beer gardens, games, and more await in this absolutely breathtaking fall setting.

Be sure to get to the Loon Mountain Oktoberfest early while supplies last of their commemorative glass boots. Because really, who doesn’t want a glass boot to drink out of?

Be sure to check this list of New Hampshire fall festivals for even more fun around the state and specific dates.

10. Chase some waterfalls then have a picnic

NH has some amazing waterfalls that will keep you busy for hours. Many of them are just short walks from the parking lot and don’t require extensive hiking.

Turn off your phone, pick a waterfall, grab a sandwich and go have a picnic under it. Just make sure to pick up all your garbage and not leave anything behind. Here are some stunning waterfalls you can visit:

• Diana’s Baths – Conway
• Glen Ellis Falls – Pinkham Notch
• Beede Falls – Sandwich
• Profile Falls – Bristol

11. Stay at an epic Airbnb

Airbnbs are my jam. Not only am I helping and supporting local businesses, it also makes me feel more at home than a hotel would. I also love that I am able to pick and choose the type of place I want to stay at.

For example, I could stay at a treehouse, a house in the mountains or a luxury cabin. Here are a couple I’ve stayed in and recommend for where to stay in NH in fall.

 I wrote all about my technology free Treehouse weekend experience here and my weekend getaway in a rustic cabin in Jackson NH here!

More to choose from here: 10 Awesome Spots for the Best New Hampshire Airbnb Stay

12. Explore charming towns and cities 

There are a lot of cute towns and cities that are perfect for wandering about after exploring the outdoors. They all have shops, good restaurants, or entertainment nearby. These are a few of my favorites.

Littleton – this small town in my eyes is a hidden gem. With a population of a little over 5,000 people, you wouldn’t think there would be much there. However, it has the sweetest downtown with a river running alongside it. It also has a historic covered bridge to visit.

Portsmouth – this may be an obvious one, but it cannot be missed. Portsmouth is in a great location on the border of Maine and Massachusetts. The downtown has a generous variety of options to do, see and eat. It is also right next to Rye, which is a beautiful town on the ocean. I would add driving along the water to your driving route to see all of the mansions.

Jackson – I recommend staying in this town for at least one night. It has incredible restaurants, and a quaint downtown area. It’s close to several mountains for hiking and a central location to explore more of the white mountain locations.

Meredith – Right on the lake, Meredith has transformed its downtown to satisfy the summer owners. It is beautifully redone with all-white exterior, shops, and delicious restaurants nearby.

13. Take a ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad

Looking to relax back and see some of the most spectacular fall foliage in New Hampshire? Then hop aboard the Conway Scenic Railroad , offering the best scenic train rides in New Hampshire!

There are many ways to get out and do some New Hampshire leaf peeping, but a fall ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway is one of the very best!

14. Get a birds-eye view

Yes, the autumn colors in New Hampshire are absolutely gorgeous from the ground looking up, but how about the view from above? For those looking for a nice adrenaline rush to go along with their fall foliage views, there are activities like hot air ballooning or ziplining .

This ziplining experience in Charlestown offers dramatic views of Morningside Flight Park.

If you’re looking for something that puts you high enough to see the tops of the trees without the heart racing heights and speeds, check out a scenic chairlift ride at Cranmore Mountain Resort. They also have a mountain coaster, which is another fabulously fun way to zip through the fantastic fall colors! 

15. Pedal, Paddle, and Hike!

Available through Great American Bike Tours, Pedal, Paddle, & Hike is perfect for those looking for adventure among the NH fall foliage! Exactly as it sounds, this fun fall activity includes pedaling on a bike, paddling in a kayak, and hiking through the woods, all with knowledgeable NH guides.

This package includes glamping, meals, and bike rental, and they pick you up either at the Manchester Regional Airport or the Pemi River Campground, and drop off is where you were picked up.

This isn’t your grandma’s fall foliage tour, but it could be yours if this sounds like a good way to explore New Hampshire in autumn!

Click Here to Check Prices & Book!

16. Tour NH covered bridges

Is there anything more picturesque than a New England covered bridge? I’d venture to say yes, there is, and it’s a covered bridge surrounded by peak fall foliage!

There are so many beautiful covered bridges in New Hampshire, add these to the list of places to go in New Hampshire in the fall!

• Honeymoon Bridge, Jackson NH
• Blacksmith Bridge, Cornish NH
• Bath-Haverhill Bridge, Bath NH
• Saco River Bridge, Conway NH
• Flume Covered Bridge, Lincoln NH
• Bartlett Covered Bridge, Bartlett NH
• Albany Bridge, Albany NH
• Henniker Bridge, Henniker Village NH

17. Visit a pumpkin patch

One of the simplest yet sweetest autumn activities, be sure to visit a pumpkin patch when visiting NH in the fall!

Riverview Farm , located on the banks of the Connecticut River south of Hanover, like many others on our list, is a great place to visit even before you venture out looking for the perfect pumpkin. Stock up on blueberries, apples, and apple cider earlier in the season and come back in October for a hayride to find the perfect carving pumpkin!

If you prefer something a little more laid back, you’ll quickly fall in love with quaint McQuesten Farm in Litchfield. After you’ve taken a good ole fashioned hayride and picked the perfect pumpkins, say hello (and feed!) some farm animals.

If that’s not reason enough to go, the fall foliage is said to be some of the best in the state in this area.

Known as the oldest single family-owned farm in the country, Emery Farm has been around since 1655! There is plenty to do and see before and after the hayride to the pumpkin patch, including a corn maze, cafe, and even a few cute farm animals that you can meet for yourself!

If you’ve never tried an apple cider donut, do yourself a favor and pick some of these up too before you go!

18. Stop by some spooky/haunted places

Being settled for such a long time in the grand scheme of modern America, New Hampshire is full of history, interesting encounters, and, well, spooky places. From widowed pirate wives to the wandering spirits of children, you’ll find an abundance of creepy ghost stories and haunted sites around the state !

If you’re a fan of Ghost Hunters or just ghost tours in general, you will love New England Curiosities . Roxie, the owner, is based out of Portsmouth and gives varying tours around town and in other New England locales, such as “southern Maine’s ghost coast”. There are trolley tours and grave tours as well, amongst many others.

Looking to do a little ghost hunting on your own? Consider booking a self guided haunted walking tour like this one in Portsmouth !

Check out more of the most haunted places in New England !

19. See your favorite lake surrounded by NH fall foliage

When you picture a lake in the middle of peak fall colors, what do you see? Most of us immediately see the reflection of those vibrant autumnal colors in the water, and it’s always a lovely sight.

Bonus points if you decide to rent a canoe or kayak and get out on the water!

20. Stay in a haunted New Hampshire hotel

Did you know there are a few haunted hotels in New Hampshire that have recorded paranormal activity?

Omni Mount Washington is a gorgeous place to stay in the Granite State, but if you book Room 314, you might find yourself face to face with the female ghost who is said to remain in residence here.

Find more haunted hotels in New Hampshire and beyond here!

21. Hidden Gem Fall Foliage in NH (Editor’s Note)

Of course, there are the always popular fall foliage destinations like pretty much anywhere in the White Mountains or the Lakes Region, but how about what lies between? That’s right, I’m talking about Plymouth, NH, where I (Amy) went to college and fell in love with New Hampshire in the fall!

You’ve got views at picturesque Smith Covered Bridge, gorgeous fall foliage hikes up Plymouth Mountain, and all the regular fun of this cute little college town !

I recommend hiking the Rattlesnake Trail if you can because if you can make it to the top, you’ll be rewarded with 360 degree views. Whew, it’s BEAUTIFUL!

Once you’re done taking in those lovely autumnal views? Head to Biederman’s for some much deserved sustenance; it’s a must visit in Plymouth, trust me!

New Hampshire Fall: Don’t Miss Out!

There are so many ways to get out and enjoy the grandeur of fall foliage New Hampshire is known for and as far as New England fall foliage options go, NH is always on the top of the list. New Hampshire in the fall should absolutely be on your bucket list!

Have some great fall fun leaf peeping, New Hampshire style!

As always, if you’re looking for things to do in NH this weekend or what to do in New Hampshire today, check out a NH events calendar to see what’s happening during your New Hampshire fall visit.

New Hampshire Fall Foliage 2023: When and Where to Go

New Hampshire Way contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

New Hampshire Fall Foliage is upon us! It’s officially the most beautiful time of year in the Granite State!

Are you looking to come to experience fall foliage in the White Mountains , around New Hampshire’s lakes, or just looking for some lovely small towns? We’ve got you covered. Everywhere in New Hampshire is at its best during the fall months.

After more than 30 years of experiencing fall colors in New Hampshire, here are our opinions on when to visit and where to go.

This post was most recently updated in September 2023.

Table of Contents

Best Time for New Hampshire Fall Foliage

New Hampshire is home to some of the most spectacular fall colors anywhere in the world. However, it doesn’t hit the whole state at the same time. Autumn leaves first change in northern and high altitude regions first (Great North Woods followed by the White Mountains) before cascading their way down south (hitting the Seacoast last as late as late October).

In general, early October is an excellent time to visit. Mid-October is good, too.

Take a look at our New Hampshire fall foliage guide below to know when it’s the peak time for leaf peepers. It’s worth noting, however, that these dates are approximate, and not exact. There are a million different reasons why it might come a little earlier or later. However, they should give you some good general insight, especially since you should book fall getaways in advance.

If you arrive and you find that the views aren’t what you expected, don’t despair! You don’t need to go far. New Hampshire is a small state and you can go from corner to corner within a few hours. If the autumn colors haven’t quite hit yet, head north. If the colors are slightly past their prime, head south.

New Hampshire Fall Foliage Dates 2023

The map above shows the dates that foliage is forecast to hit this year. Keep in mind that the official foliage tracker can vary a bit based on different weather factors.

Great North Woods  (including Dixville Notch, Berlin, and Milan Hill State Park): Best fall foliage from October 2 to October 10.

White Mountains  (including North Conway, Lincoln, Franconia, Mount Washington, and the White Mountain National Forest): Best fall foliage from October 9-13.

Dartmouth-Sunapee  (including Lake Sunapee and Hanover ): Best fall foliage from October 8-14.

Lakes Region  (including Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake, and Plymouth): Best fall foliage from October 8-19.

Monadnock  (including Keene, Peterborough, and Mount Monadnock): Best fall foliage from October 8-19.

Merrimack Valley  (including Manchester, Concord , and Nashua ): Best fall foliage from October 20-25.

Seacoast  (including Portsmouth, Dover, and Hampton Beach): Best fall foliage from October 20-31.

Best Places to See New Hampshire Fall Foliage

So you want to go to the best of the best places to witness New Hampshire fall colors? We’ve got you. Here are some of the best places to view fall foliage in New Hampshire.

Artist’s Bluff

If you want an easy hike but still want to experience an amazing view, Artist’s Bluff should be your first stop. This rock ledge is in Franconia Notch State Park, right off Route 93, and offers a stunning view of Echo Lake, set against the beauty of the White Mountains.

Even better? This overlook offers its gorgeous views without being too tough of the hike. The loop journey is about 1.5 miles, making it a quick and easy journey. Just past the ledge is a spot where you’ll need to climb a bit, but the rest of the hike is relatively smooth.

If you’re looking to take in New Hampshire’s fall foliage with the whole family, or just want to enjoy the best payoff for your time investment, Artist’s Bluff can’t be beat. We recommend staying in nearby Lincoln, which has easy access to tons of gorgeous fall foliage spots.

More on Lincoln, NH:

• 27 Epic Things to Do in Lincoln, NH
• 7 Best Lincoln NH Hotels and B&Bs
• Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Lincoln, NH

Kancamagus Highway

The Kancamagus Highway is arguably the most beautiful scenic drive in a state full of beautiful scenic drives. A winding stretch of road takes you right through the White Mountain National Forest, running from Lincoln to Conway along the Swift River. You’ll climb to an elevation of 2,855 feet while you twist through mountain views, each more stunning than the last.

The Kancamagus Highway is only an hour’s drive — but the real magic is in the stops along the way. You’ll find everything from waterfalls, gorges, and mountain hikes to historic sites and covered bridges. If you’re driving the Kanc one-way, you can see a lot of it in half a day; you can see quite a bit more with a full day! Just be sure to pack a lunch, as there are zero stores, hotels, or gas stations here.

While there are some hairpin turns, the Kancamagus isn’t dangerous or particularly difficult to maneuver. It’s well-maintained and easy enough to maneuver that driving through to enjoy some of the best fall foliage viewing that New England has to offer shouldn’t be a problem for most motorists. We do recommend that you look out for the occasional reckless Instagrammer who stands in the middle of the road to get the perfect fall foliage shot.

Dixville Notch

Dixville Notch is famously the little town that votes right after midnight in the Presidential Election, but wise New Englanders know Dixville Notch is one of the best early foliage destinations in the Granite State. You’ll see the most brilliant fall colors here in late September.

Dixville Notch State Park offers 127 acres of stunning sights to hike and explore, which includes two brooks and a breathtaking gorge. You don’t have to walk far before you’re able to start taking in the natural beauty of the mountain setting – after trekking a mere 0.1 miles, you can visit Baby Flume, an 18-foot waterfall with three drops. There are also more cascades and a pool further on. The whole area offers nonstop opportunities to view the changing colors of the fall foliage in their full glory. 

The Great North Woods is a more sparsely populated part of New Hampshire, but you’ll find more amenities in the town of Berlin (pronounced BER-lin).

Lake Winnipesaukee

New Hampshire’s largest lake is typically a summer destination with lots of beach and boat time — but it’s also a beautiful place to visit in the autumn months for New Hampshire fall foliage. In fact, a lot of Winnipesaukee regulars say that Winnipesaukee is at its best during this time of year because it’s much quieter and less crowded.

If you do visit in fall, one great way to take in the beauty of nature as the leaves change color is to board the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. This old-fashioned train departs from Meredith and Weirs Beach, providing a gorgeous view and a rail journey that lasts just a couple of hours. You can also visit the Castle in the Clouds mansion, take a scenic cruise, hike with views over the lake, or hit up one of the many New Hampshire breweries close to the lake.

We recommend basing in Meredith during the fall months. This is an upscale and beautiful town with lots of good restaurants, and it stays more active in the fall months than more summer-driven towns like Weirs Beach.

More on Lake Winnipesaukee:

• 23 Fun Things to Do in Lake Winnipesaukee
• 17 Best Lake Winnipesaukee Hotels & B&Bs
• A Guide to Weirs Beach, Lake Winnipesaukee’s Fun Town
• 11 Best Wolfeboro NH Restaurants

North Conway

North Conway is the epitome of small town charm in the White Mountains, and one of the most popular destinations in the state of New Hampshire. North Conway is worth a visit any time of year, but in autumn, North Conway is at its best and most beautiful. There are so many wonderful places surrounding the town.

Some of our favorite outdoor foliage destinations near North Conway are the view from Cathedral Ledge, the waterfalls at Diana’s Baths, the views along the Conway Scenic Railroad, the covered bridges along the Saco River, and the drive up the Mount Washington Auto Road. There are plenty more activities like shopping at the best outlets in New Hampshire , perusing the candy counter at Zeb’s General Store, or visiting Cathedral Ledge Distillery.

North Conway is close to the end of the Kancamagus Highway , and you can drive all the way to Lincoln and back in a single day. You could easily do a longer hike here, like Mount Chocorua, or the easier, flatter Franconia Falls trail.

Finally — if you’re looking to plan a fall trip to North Conway, book it VERY early. This is peak travel time. We booked our October weekend trip in July and honestly, a lot of the good B&Bs were already sold out.

More on North Conway:

• 31 Fun Things to Do in North Conway, NH
• 17 Best North Conway Hotels and B&Bs
• Our 5 Favorite North Conway Bed and Breakfasts
• Best Restaurants in North Conway, NH

The Monadnock region of southwest New Hampshire is often overlooked by visitors to the Granite State, but it’s full of delightful treasures and absolutely beautiful in the fall. The region gets its name from Mount Monadnock, one of the most climbed mountains in New England that is a treat for both beginners and experienced climbers. We love fall foliage views from the summit.

Not up for a climb? Go on a road trip through Monadnock’s country roads and you’ll see towns plucked from a Norman Rockwell painting. We are particularly big fans of Peterborough with its many antique shops; Chesterfield with its lakeside scenery; Fitzwilliam with its beautiful town common; and Jaffrey Center with its adorable 18th century homes. Keep your eyes out for covered bridges and bed and breakfasts.

The funky college town of Keene makes a great base for exploring the Monadnock region, but any bed and breakfast in the countryside would also work.

More on Monadnock:

• 22 Best Things to Do in Keene, NH
• 12 Best Restaurants in Keene, NH

Mount Washington 

If you want to stand on top of New Hampshire, heading up to the top of Mount Washington! This is not only the tallest of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, as well as the crown of the Presidential Range, but it’s the highest peak in the Northeast United States.

While Mount Washington has fewer and fewer trees the further you go up, you still experience plenty of fall foliage in the low-growing scrubs and grasses. The weather can often be awful, but if you get a clear day at the summit, the views are incredible.

So how should you experience Mount Washington in the fall? You can drive up on the Mount Washington Auto Road, earning yourself a “This Car Climbed Mount Washington” bumper sticker. It’s definitely a unique New Hampshire activity! However, the best way to enjoy the sights is on the Mount Washington Cog Railway . This old-fashioned train was an engineering miracle of its time, the first mountain-climbing railway ever, and remains the second steepest in the world. 

Mount Washington is a popular hiking destination, though we recommend it only for experienced, prepared hikers.

Mount Washington is located fairly centrally in the White Mountains. North Conway makes a great base, and it’s close to the start of the Mount Washington Auto Road.

Piscataqua River

If you’d like to just sit back and glide along a river while taking in beautiful fall colors, a foliage cruise along the Piscataqua River would be a great fit for you. These boat trips cast off in Portsmouth and are available starting in the middle of September and run through the weeks of October. You’ll head upriver with New Hampshire on one side and Maine on the other.

The views are primarily of untouched nature as the land along the route is largely undeveloped. These cruises are an opportunity to witness some of the most beautiful fall foliage colors in a relaxed setting, so the journey is sure to be a hit for any leaf-peeper. 

Portsmouth makes an excellent base for the Piscataqua River, and we think it makes an underrated fall getaway in New Hampshire while everyone else is up in the White Mountains.

More on Portsmouth:

• 27 Fun Things to Do in Portsmouth, NH
• Where to Stay in Portsmouth: Hotels You’ll Love
• 9 Best Portsmouth NH Restaurants
• 10 Best Bars in Portsmouth, NH

New Hampshire Fall Festivals

Finally, New Hampshire is home to some terrific fall festivals that coincide well with the foliage dates. We highly recommend pairing your foliage trip with one of these festivals!

Milford Pumpkin Festival  (Milford, NH): October 6-8. Enjoy live music while you browse wares from local crafters and artisans. Plus lots of pumpkin and halloween-related activities for good spooky fun. 

New Hampshire Brewfest  (Portsmouth, NH): October 14. Those over 21 can enjoy this adults-only celebration of craft beer. 

Warner Fall Foliage Festival  (Warner, NH): October 6-8. Music, a market, and rides will entertain at this festival’s 73rd year. There will also be a 5k and a fun run!

White Mountain Oktoberfest  (Lincoln, NH): October 7-9. Take a trip to Bavaria without ever leaving New England, and enjoy German beer, brats, and games! 

Fall Foliage Festival  (Waterville Valley, NH): October 7-9. This is the festival for outdoorsy folk, as it begins with a ski and snowboard swap and goes on to include multiple runs, a hike, and the opportunity for bike and boat rentals.

New Hampshire Poutine Fest  (Merrimack, NH): October 14th. Experience Franco-American culture by sampling a whole lot of poutine. There’s also activities for kids, music, and beer. 

RiverFire Festival  (Berlin, NH): October 15th. This is a truly unique and special experience, full of adventures that range from helicopter rides to an ATV Poker Run, and ending with a display of fire on the river that you’ll never forget. 

Keene Pumpkin Festival  (Keene, NH): October 21st. A family-friendly event held by a local non-profit.

New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival  (Laconia, NH): October 27-28th. Carve, paint, or even bowl pumpkins at this Halloween celebration. 

Planning Your New Hampshire Fall Foliage Trip

If you’re heading for the White Mountains, we recommend flying into Manchester, NH. If not, Boston is another good option, especially if you’re arriving from abroad, and it only adds an extra hour from Manchester.

Rent a car as early as possible. Since COVID, there have been rental car shortages, and there’s no way you can do a fall foliage trip in New England without a car. Public transportation is sparse and limited. We recommend using RentalCars.com for your car rental.

The two best bases we recommend to stay in are North Conway and Lincoln , which both have lots of hotels and great restaurants, but give you easy access to the White Mountains. Have fun!

More New Hampshire Fall Fun:

• 23 Best Things to Do in New Hampshire in the Fall
• 12 Must-Visit New Hampshire Fall Festivals
• 12 Fun Pumpkin Patches in New Hampshire
• 7 Best Haunted Houses in New Hampshire
• 29 Apple Orchards for the Best Apple Picking
• 9 Fun-Filled Corn Mazes in New Hampshire

Best of New Hampshire:

• 50+ Best Things to Do in New Hampshire
• New Hampshire’s Best Breweries
• 7 Best Outdoor and Indoor New Hampshire Water Parks
• 13 Best Beaches in New Hampshire
• 30 Unforgettable Things To Do In The White Mountains, NH

Have you been to New Hampshire in the fall? Any recommendations?

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About the author.

Kate McCulley

9 thoughts on “new hampshire fall foliage 2023: when and where to go”.

Where was the first picture taken that says “Outstanding fall foliage in the White Mountains”? Thank you!

Hi KR, this was taken along Wachipauka Pond on the Appalachian Trail — however this area is no longer allowed to be droned. I think this was taken before the drone laws went into effect.

I’m wondering if the foliage was late this year?

This year the White Mountains were gorgeous in early October. Right on schedule.

Hi! I’m near Concord and the leaves are past their peak – is Monadnock area still pretty? Out of state company this weekend :o)

Just came across your website. My son and I are looking for an area in NH and lodging to photograph fall color the first week of October 2023. We’d prefer a location away from the crowd & a reasonably small B & B. I wonder if you can suggest anything?

Thanks you.

Hi Pete! You should know that fall color is an extremely busy time in New Hampshire. While the White Mountains have the most to see (and arguably the best photography options), this is the busiest part of all. You can see somewhat fewer crowds further north in the Great North Woods (Dixville Notch is busiest but Milan Hill State Park and other areas along Route 26 should be nice. You can even head up further north than that if you’d like.

Another option: the Monadnock region in the southwest. I personally love this part of the state, it’s much cheaper, and it gets fewer crowds. If you’re looking for Americana-style photos with old farmhouses and covered bridges, this area is good for that.

BUT — keep in mind that fall color doesn’t hit everywhere at the same time. It’s earlier in the north and in the mountains, and later in the south. So keep this in mind when planning.

My other tip is to book the B&B ASAP. Like, now. Last year I booked the Sugar Hill Inn in May and there were only midweek one-night stays available. Things book out fast during foliage season!

Hi Kate! My fiancé and I are planning our wedding in NH as it is a special place to us. We hike there and even got engaged that’s why we want to tie the knit here as well! We would love to get married on our anniversary- Sept 22nd. What region/places do you recommend for foliage on that date? Also we were maybe considering an alternate date because we would love a Mountain View in our pics with some foliage, so what do you also recommend for dates and location for that?

Thanks I’m advance and I really enjoyed this article it was extremely informative and written so well.

Hi Crystal —

September 22 is pretty early for foliage in the White Mountains. Two years ago I hiked Artist’s Bluff in Franconia on that date and there was a small patch of red in one section, but the vast majority of foliage was only just beginning to turn.

You may want to look further north. Dixville Notch or Milan Hill State Park might have a bit more color then, though I don’t think it will be QUITE the vibrant foliage you’re hoping for. Good luck!!

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• Know Before You Go
• Visitor's Guide

Ultimate New Hampshire Fall Foliage Road Trip Guide

Top Tips for Chasing the Fall Foliage in New Hampshire

When To Visit New Hampshire for Fall Foliage

How to get to the white mountains region of new hampshire, best scenic drives & hikes to add to your fall foliage route.

• Click here to get a full self-guided tour of the Kancamagus Highway.
• Click here to book a camping,hiking, and brewery experience along the Kancamagus Highway  

• Coos Motor Inn
• The Lancaster Motel
• Tall Timber Lodge
• Cabins at Lopstick

Franconia Notch State Park

• Franconia Inn
• Woodstock Inn Brewery
• Inn at Sunset Hill
• The Chandler at White Mountains
• Omni Mount Washington Resort

Crawford Notch State Park

Other Adventurous Things to Do in the White Mountains Region

• Take a ride on the iconic Conway Scenic Railroad
• Rent a Kayak or Canoe and enjoy the foliage from the water
• Ride a zip line or rent some ATVs to add some adrenaline to your leaf peeping
• Check out one of the 54 Covered Bridges throughout the state
• Try some apple cider or go apple picking!

Where To Stay During Your New Hampshire Fall Adventure

• North Conway Mountain Inn
• Kearsarge Inn
• Red Elephant Inn Bed & Breakfast 

Dining & Restaurants Near the White Mountains

The Kancamagus Highway | The Ultimate New Hampshire Fall Foliage Drive

Of all the New England fall foliage drives, none is more well known (or mispronounced) than the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.

By Jim Salge

Sep 27 2022

The Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) in New Hampshire is a classic fall foliage route.

Driving the Kancamagus Highway (aka “The Kanc”) in Fall

SEE MORE: How to Take Your Best New England Fall Foliage Photos The Most Beautiful Places in New Hampshire Driving the Kancamagus Highway in Winter

As a former meteorologist at the Mount Washington Observatory, foliage reporter Jim Salge is a keen observer of the progression of the seasons in New England. He uses his knowledge of weather, geography and climate to pinpoint the best time to visit various New England locations to find the best light, atmosphere, and most importantly, color.

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15 Best Stops During A New Hampshire Fall Foliage Road Trip

• Activities and Interests
• Destinations
• Fall Travel
• New Hampshire
• Road Trips In The U.S.
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Our scenic New Hampshire fall foliage road trip will focus on stops in the majestic White Mountains. The northern tier of New Hampshire is renowned for its 48 summits towering above 4,000 feet. You will see some spectacular leaves as they change colors.

The length of this road trip is approximately 138 miles, plus extra milage for some side excursions. While this is a beautiful drive year-round, the fall is magical with the scarlet, crimson, bright orange, and golden yellow foliage dazzling along the roadway.

This itinerary is for a week-long trip. We will spend two nights in Franconia, one night in Lincoln, two nights in North Conway, and two nights near Mount Washington.

1. Franconia

Assuming you arrive late in the day after a long drive, you might want to relax and enjoy your hotel’s amenities and rest up for an exciting day tomorrow. If you arrive earlier and want to head out for some sightseeing, go north to Littleton to visit the covered bridge.

Franconia will be your home base for two nights. The Mittersill Alpine Resort is my favorite place to stay. It is close to Franconia Notch State Park and within a half-mile of White Mountain National Forest .

Other excellent options include Lovett’s Inn and Restaurant and The Franconia Inn .

2. Bretton Woods

Our leaf-peeping adventure will take you on a 25-minute drive on Route 3 to Bretton Woods. This drive takes you through the spectacular White Mountain National Forest. While watching for the fall foliage, keep a lookout for moose.

You can ride The Mount Washington Cog Railway to the summit, which is the highest point in the northeast. The Cog is considered to be the first mountain-climbing railway in the world. Your ride to the top takes approximately 45 minutes, and once there, conditions may be very different than they were below, so be sure you have a jacket.

The train stays for an hour to give you time to explore the visitor center and the rooftop observation deck. There is also a cafeteria, which is nice if you are hungry, plus two gift shops and a museum. Plan three to four hours for this visit.

If you didn’t grab lunch at the summit, once you descend Mount Washington, you can enjoy pizza at Catalano’s At The Cog or a meal at The Grill at Bretton Woods . Plan 3–4 hours for this visit.

3. Crawford Notch State Park

Next, we will head for Crawford Notch State Park , where you will see more fall foliage. If you want some exercise, there are easy and difficult level trails for hiking.

Then we will head back through White Mountain National Forest on Route 3 to Franconia, where you can enjoy a delicious dinner at The Horse and Hound Inn or the Sugar Hill Inn .

4. Franconia Notch State Park

We will get an early start and head southeast on Route 18 from Franconia to the Franconia Notch Parkway, an impressive eight miles of breathtaking beauty on Route 93.

You will climb past mountain lakes, ravines, and peaks. West of the highway is Franconia Notch State Park.

Be sure to visit The Basin at Franconia Notch State Park, a massive 20-foot-wide hole in the granite that’s been shaped by the area’s beautiful natural water features. It is a short walk from the highway on flat ground.

A great way to see the area’s beauty is to take the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway to the mountain’s 4,180-foot peak. It is a short five-minute ride. At the top, you will find an observation tower with a panoramic view of four states and Canada.

5. Flume Gorge

Back on Route 93, go south for about 12 minutes, then take Exit 34 A to the Flume Gorge visitor center. From there, a shuttle carries visitors to the entrance of the gorge.

There is a brook running through the 8,000-foot gorge, between the granite walls. There are hiking trails and two covered bridges, meaning abundant opportunities for leaf-peeping and photographing the natural beauty.

We will head back on Route 93 South for the 12-minute drive to Lincoln to spend the night.

In Lincoln, enjoy dinner at Seven Birches Winery . If time permits, you might want to visit Clark’s Bears and the White Mountain Central Railroad . Or splurge on a two- to three-hour Pemi Valley Moose Tour . Spend the night at Loon Mountain Resort .

7. Kancamagus Highway And Pass

Before heading out for the day, I highly recommend you pack a picnic lunch or snack to take with you and eat breakfast before leaving. This stretch of road is gas station- and restaurant-free.

Head out on Route 112 East for 34 miles on the stretch known as the Kanc (officially the Kancamagus Highway, but referred to as the Kanc by locals), one of the highest roadways in the Northeast and one of the prettiest during autumn. As you leave Lincoln, you quickly climb over 1,000 feet in less than 10 miles. As you corkscrew past birches, beeches, and maples to an elevation of 2,900 feet, the brilliant leaves blaze against the green pine trees.

You will pass some beautiful waterfalls, and when you reach the highest point on Route 112, you will be at Kancamagus Pass. From the pass, you have the most dazzling view. There, you can see 11 mountain peaks named after American presidents.

8. Sabbaday Falls

Continuing on Route 112/the Kancamagus Highway, our next stop is just a few miles down the road. Sabbaday Falls — three levels of water cascades — is an excellent place for your picnic lunch. They have short beginner trails for would-be hikers to enjoy the marvels of nature as they walk through the woods.

9. Rocky Gorge Scenic Area

The Swift River’s erosive power has sculpted the Rocky Gorge Scenic Area . To say it is beautiful is an understatement. Stop for pictures. The trail to the falls is a paved walkway. There is a footbridge that crosses the gorge. There is also a covered bridge you will pass through to go back to Route 112, which runs beside the Swift River all the way to Conway.

10. Conway/North Conway

Conway and North Conway are both quaint villages that are full of New England charm. Think covered bridges, waterfalls, small shops, and inviting inns.

The road, Route 16, between the two villages is laden with shopping opportunities and fast food chains. When you get to North Conway, you will have a fantastic view of Mount Washington.

We will spend two nights in North Conway. I recommend The White Mountain Hotel and Resort .

A highlight here is an old-fashioned scenic railroad and the Crawford Notch Train , which tours through the valley. What a great way to view the leaf masterpiece without worrying about driving. Choose between the Valley Train or the Notch Train. (I recommend the Notch Train through Crawford Notch.) Dogs are welcome to travel with you on the train.

A few other things to do include an easy hike in the forest to a beautiful waterfall known as Diana’s Baths . The Mount Washington Observatory Weather Discovery Center provides guided tours and exhibits that are worth your time, too.

Enjoy meals at Peach’s or the Beef and Ski Restaurant and Pub .

11. Echo Lake State Park

When you leave North Conway, follow the River Road west to the 400-acre recreation area known as Echo Lake State Park . This sparkling turquoise lake is fed by surging streams and springs. The crimson and bright orange foliage reflects in the lake, and it is beautiful.

A colorful drive leads to the 700-foot-high rock formation known as Cathedral Ledge within the Cathedral Ledge State Park . There are plenty of easy walking trails and waterfalls to view within the park .

12. Jackson

Heading north on Route 302 then 16A to Jackson is a scenic drive with excellent views of Mount Washington. The village of Jackson looks like a Christmas card. It has a skating pond, dozens of country inns, and a covered bridge. You might want to make a quick stop and visit a quaint shop, or just continue to Pinkham Notch.

13. Pinkham Notch

En route to Pinkham Notch, the highway climbs to the scenic area that gives you spectacular views of Mount Washington and breathtaking fall colors.

If you enjoy an easy hike, you can meander through the forest following the 0.4-mile out-and-back Glen Ellis Falls Trail , which leads to an 80-foot waterfall crashing into the Ellis River.

14. Mount Washington Auto Road

Hopefully, you enjoyed a ride to the top of Mount Washington on the Cog Railway when you visited Bretton Woods.

For a different perspective, the Mt. Washington Auto Road makes the mountain accessible by car. The road is open from May to October, weather permitting. It spirals eight miles up the mountain’s eastern slope. You can drive or take a chauffeured van to the top. The view from the peak is fantastic, and you can see parts of the Atlantic Ocean, Canada, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. 

Pro Tip: Be aware there are sometimes fierce wind gusts.

15. Shelburne

Spend the final two nights of your road trip at the Mt. Washington Bed and Breakfast . You’ll be treated to a beautiful view overlooking the Androscoggin River and Reflection Pond. Things to do nearby include canoeing and kayaking, hiking, golfing at a half dozen golf courses, and fishing.

Nearby, you will find Moose Brook State Park and Milan Hill State Park . Both are ideal spots to hike, enjoy a picnic lunch, and see vibrant masterpieces of foliage painted by Mother Nature.

• Weather: It can be one temperature when you start up a mountain and different weather conditions at the top. Early winter storms can hit as well, so dress in layers and be sure you have enough clothes to stay warm. If driving, throw a blanket in the trunk. 
• Shoes: It is essential you have quality walking/hiking shoes for most of the areas. Skip the sandals.
• Driving: When driving in the mountains, be on the lookout for wild animals. A moose or other animal could be crossing the road. There are no guard rails on many narrow roads, so drive a bit slower than usual and stay alert.
• Snacks: Keep some snacks in the car in case you are running a bit late for your next meal. Some of the roads do not have gas stations or restaurants.

Robin O’Neal Smith is a freelance and travel writer. A young baby boomer, Robin and her husband have traveled throughout North America, many of the Caribbean Islands, and Europe. She loves cruising and inspiring others to live their dreams of travel. Follow her travels on her personal site where she discusses travel, food, and more!

New Hampshire Fall Foliage Driving Tours

In the fall, color-changing leaves transform New Hampshire into a vibrant wonderland and a dream destination for a road trip. Many scenic roads throughout the state are beautiful at any time of year, but in the fall, they shine as green hues shift to bright red and orange ones. There are many routes to take in the state where you can enjoy the fall season at its best while driving under New Hampshire's charming covered bridges and keeping your eyes peeled for moose.

Kancamagus Highway

TripSavvy / Lauren Breedlove

If you plan only one fall driving tour, make it New Hampshire's National Scenic Byway with the tongue-twister name: the Kancamagus Highway. This exhilarating road through the White Mountain National Forest is the most superb scenic drive in all of New England and a beloved fall foliage route. The Kanc, as the locals call it, connects the towns of Conway and Lincoln and while you can expect bumper-to-bumper traffic on peak travel days, you can make the most of it by taking this drive slowly and pulling over often to appreciate the scenery.

Moose Alley

bilbowden / Getty Images

Moose Alley, the nickname for the stretch of Route 3 that runs from Pittsburg, New Hampshire, to the Canadian border, is one of the best places to see moose in New England. The road takes you through the wild and pristine Great North Woods, which is worth seeing whether you spot a moose or not, especially when the colors start to shift for the fall. When moose-spotting remember to drive very slowly and if you do see one, pull over to the side of the road and do not approach it.

Mt. Washington Valley Waterfalls

Danita Delimont / Getty Images 

Although waterfalls are reliably at their most dramatic in the spring when the snow begins to melt, fall can be a wonderful time to visit and photograph these shimmering cascades framed by the rich reds and golds of autumn leaves. With more than a dozen accessible waterfalls, New Hampshire's Mt. Washington Valley is the perfect destination for a fall waterfall tour. If you're driving along the Kancamagus Highway, you could even stop for a short hike to Sabbaday Falls. Other beautiful New Hampshire waterfalls to mark on your map include Glen Ellis Falls, Crystal Cascade, Thompson Falls, Arethusa Falls, Flume Cascade, Silver Cascade, Ripley Falls, Jackson Falls, and Diana's Bath.

Connecticut River Byway

Thomas Roche / Getty Images 

Trace the path of the Connecticut River, which forms the boundary between New Hampshire and Vermont, and enjoy changing colors as you visit small New Hampshire towns on this scenic drive. Choose a town like Walpole, Charleston, or Claremont to stop for lunch, and be sure to also stop for a visit  Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park , which is just past the extra-long Cornish-Windsor Bridge. If you want to, you can keep going along the Great North Woods Ride after you pass Groveton, another 120 miles through the Mahoosuc region.

The Lakes Loop

Denis Tangney Jr. / Getty Images

For 134 miles of breathtaking water and foliage views, you can start this route in Meredith and follow the shoreline of Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's largest lake. Then follow the route to Wolfeboro and continue north through the picturesque small towns like Conway, Union, Farmington, and Rochester. Be sure to visit Castle in the Clouds , a mansion in Moultonborough open four tours, for aerial views of Lake Winnipesaukee and leaves.

The Sunapee Loop

The Sunapee Loop in southwestern New Hampshire takes you around sparkling Lake Sunapee and to a picture-perfect town worth visiting in the fall. The petite village of Washington, New Hampshire, is one of the prettiest you'll find in all of New England and it is also the first town in America to name itself after George Washington. The three classic white buildings on Washington Common continue to serve vital community functions, including one of New England's oldest town halls still in use.

The 10 Best Places to See Fall Foliage in New Hampshire

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New Hampshire's Kancamagus Highway: The Complete Guide

The Best Places to See Fall Colors Near Boston

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Autumn Journeys

In Search of Fall Colors: A Long Drive on New Hampshire Roads

A novelist looks back on her past as she reveals her favorite autumn spots — and finds some new ones — in her home state.

Credit... Greta Rybus for The New York Times

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By Joyce Maynard

• Published Oct. 3, 2021 Updated Oct. 10, 2021

I was born and raised in New Hampshire, and though I have lived many places over the years, I have set nearly every one of my novels in my home state. I give the towns fictional names. But in my head, as I write, I carry pictures of the real places that inspired them and of the seasons in which my stories unfold.

Seasons — and the changing of the seasons — are such a central aspect of New England life — never more so than in the fall, when the leaves explode in their final blaze of glory right before the air grows bitterly cold. It’s a cycle I have loved and cursed. Every time October approaches, I feel my heart crack a little with the oddest combination of joy and loss, a last hurrah before the serious business of winter settles in.

As a native of the state, I’m well acquainted with the annual pilgrimage of out-of-staters heading north to witness the turning of the colors. Most travelers in New Hampshire head to the White Mountains, and there’s no getting around the fact that the foliage puts on a spectacular show there. The problem is that on a peak leaf weekend, traffic on the legendary Kancamagus Highway may be more reminiscent of a Los Angeles freeway than some quiet road in a poem by Robert Frost.

What I’ve learned from six decades of foliage seasons is that there are many other spots where you can take in the spectacle. So this year, a few weeks before the leaves started turning, I went on a reconnaissance mission with my partner, Jordan, revisiting places from my past and scoping out new ones, designing an alternative approach to a tour that promised to offer as much glorious foliage and a lot fewer people and cars.

Driving companions: Road-trip songs, E.B. White and an old gazetteer

We set out just as the sun was coming up — with a playlist featuring old road-trip songs (“America,” by Simon & Garfunkel; “Fast Car,” by Tracy Chapman and an obscure, but beloved, favorite, “When Fall Comes to New England,” by Cheryl Wheeler ). Having learned that Jordan had never read E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web” — set over the course of a New England summer and fall — I brought along a copy to read aloud as he drove. And I didn’t forget my trusty New Hampshire gazetteer, which proved to be a wise choice considering how often we fell out of cellphone service on those back roads I favored.

Our guiding principle was simple: Stay off major highways whenever possible.

Anywhere deciduous trees are found — and in New Hampshire that means oak, maple, birch, aspen, ash — you’ll get dazzling color. If there’s elevation thrown in, you can expect broad, sweeping vistas, but I’m just as partial to those tucked-away places where what knocks you out is a single magnificent tree or a glimmering view across a pond or lake, or a path through the woods with a red and golden canopy overhead. Lowlands provide another way of taking in the fall colors. Don’t ever rule out marshes.

We started out in the area known as the Monadnock Region, named for the mountain that dominates the horizon around the towns of Jaffrey, Dublin and Peterborough — home of MacDowell, where I wrote my novel “Labor Day.” I’ve climbed Mount Monadnock’s 3,165 feet many times — swearing every time I do that this will be my last ascent, until I reach the summit and take in the view, at which point all pain is forgotten.

But in foliage season, the trail can get crowded. So we opted for the far less taxing trek up Pack Monadnock — a steep, brisk, 40-minute climb with almost equally great views from the lookout tower at the top, where in the fall the horizon stretches below in a wide carpet of color dotted with farms and lakes I know from a lifetime of New Hampshire swimming.

In the lovely small town of Hancock (home to New Hampshire’s oldest inn, The Hancock Inn — a great launching place for biking or hiking, or taking advantage of the Inn’s excellent croquet course), you’ll find a terrific general store, the Hancock Market, where you can get the makings of a fall picnic (don’t miss Orchard Hill bread if they’re not sold out).

From downtown Hancock, past Norway Pond, it’s just five minutes to the trails at Willard Pond Wildlife Sanctuary , where the light shining through the leaves provides a kind of stained-glass effect as luminous as anything Tiffany ever created. Once, arriving at dusk, I was met by a moose — a definite possibility in the fall in these parts.

Another great Hancock option: the Harris Center, with miles of trails to explore and guided walks throughout the fall, led by a naturalist, focused on the quest for mushrooms or salamanders, hawks or minerals (check out their website for dates). Keep an eye out for strange-looking painted animals, made from old tree stumps and branches, left there by a local woodcarver.

From Hancock, we checked out another favorite spot on Route 123 in Stoddard: Pitcher Mountain, where it’s a quick half-mile to the top. If you were here in July or early August, you’d want to bring a bucket for blueberries. No berries on Pitcher Mountain in October, but you can see for miles.

A half-hour east along Route 9, is a town most out-of-state travelers would bypass, Hillsboro, inspiration for my first novel “Baby Love,” written not long after the birth of my first child. As was true all those years back, Hillsboro’s main street offers nothing in the way of charming cafes or antique shops. But the place deserves a closer look.

Just a few miles up Center Road you come to another world: the antique village of Hillsborough Center, with its one-room schoolhouse and the very small, very old church where I got married the first time at age 23, back in 1977. Come October, the place, with its one-room schoolhouse and old colonial houses and 200-year-old stone walls — looks like a scene from an autumn postcard. Beside it, there’s a cemetery with gravestones dating back to the 1700s. Bring along butcher paper, masking tape to secure it on the stone, and a piece of charcoal and make yourself a rubbing.

Back roads, waterfalls and lakeside walks

A good fall drive calls for exploring back roads, preferably with no particular sense of where they’re going. I’ll direct you to one of my all-time favorites. A few miles farther along Center Road, you’ll find Gleason Falls Road (no longer tar, but dirt). Turn left a mile or so down onto Beard Brook Road and you’ll come to a stone arch bridge and waterfall — a place I memorialized it in another novel, “Count the Ways.” I used to bring my children to sail paper boats down the brook — just as the children in my novel do. Even in October, the water continues to race over the rocks, and the leaves on either side of the brook are ablaze.

From Gleason Falls we made our way north along Beard Brook Road toward Bradford to a half-mile walk along planks through a bog that leads to a lookout built years ago by a troop of Boy Scouts. Leaves from trees growing in a wetlands area turn red before the rest, so this one’s a great spot to visit early in the season, with the lookout tower at the end of the walk.

Less than a half-hour’s drive away, the town of Warner, home to a telephone museum, a couple of sweet cafes, a great bookstore and a market with local crafts and organic produce. Warner is home to a wonderful annual Fall Foliage Festival (alas, canceled this year). Ten minutes out of town, you’ll find the entrance to Mount Kearsarge State Forest Park. Drive partway up, then take the last half mile to the top on foot (about 2,900-feet elevation) for what I consider the best bang-for-your-buck view in a hundred miles.

Wending our way north to Kezar Lake, we arrived in the lakeside village of Sutton just as the church bell was chiming noon. The lovely, romantic old Follansbee Inn sits on the shores of the lake. It’s a three-mile walk around the lake, with views across the water guaranteed to provide spectacular fall views, with the mountain beyond every step of the way. The afternoon we were there, we spotted a couple of loons. (More important, we heard them. The call of a loon is like nothing else on earth, particularly when an eagle is after her young.)

A number of lakes occupy the area, but the one that dominates is Winnipesaukee — a 72-square-mile expanse of water with more than 250 islands. We followed a road that led us around the western lakeshore, past a lineup of attractions that looked straight out of our 1950s and ‘60s youth — bumper cars, an old-school arcade, mini golf and a hot spot called Pop’s Clam Shell, with a long line out front. It takes little imagination to project what this stretch of road would look like in the fall, with colors stretching across the horizon and reflected in the water.

The final round of fireworks

We made our way to Holderness, on the shores of the lake many in the state consider its greatest jewel: Squam Lake, immortalized in the movie “On Golden Pond,” starring Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn. This is an old New England summer community of grand estates. For $180 an hour for a group of up to 12, you can hire a private boat for the Fall Foliage tour, where you’re likely to catch sight of migratory birds heading south, along with mergansers, blue heron, cormorants and possibly a bald eagle. Long ago, when my children were young, our family camped overnight on one of these islands. Their father and I wrote a children’s book called “Campout” inspired by the experience.

Time. Always at our heels. It was midafternoon, with a whole other side of the state to check out, so we decided to take the highway I’d been trying to avoid, Route 93, as far as Plymouth, then cut across the state to Orford on the Connecticut River — the dividing line between New Hampshire and Vermont. The drive south is particularly lovely when the leaves reach full color, and you can look across the river to Vermont.

It was just after 5 p.m. when we reached the Saint Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish — a town I lived in once, in another lifetime and wrote about in my memoir, “At Home in the World.” It was the summer home of the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and the center of a group known as The Cornish Art Colony.

What draws me back are the grounds — 370 acres broken into intimate spaces with gardens and reflecting pools and majestic cedars. But the part that knocks me out every time are the gilded bronze statues by Saint-Gaudens in the gardens. One, a larger-than-life-size sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, stands on a high pedestal, positioned in such a way that when a person stands beneath it, Lincoln seems, uncannily, to be looking her directly in the eye.

The estate overlooks a glorious sight — a full view, dead ahead, of Mount Ascutney. I can still remember how, in the fall, that swath of land leading up to the mountain’s highest point lights the sky on fire.

If it were earlier in the day, this might have been the moment to take in the covered bridge leading into Windsor, Vt., or visit Riverview Farm in Plainfield, N.H., where you pick up a bag of apples or gourds and navigate the corn maze they build in the fall. No time.

The stretch of Route 12 from Cornish, going south, is one of my favorites in the state, with the kind of vast, sweeping views foliage seekers typically travel north to find. It was 6:30 p.m. when we reached Walpole — a town whose profile has been greatly elevated by the presence of the filmmaker Ken Burns. In the general store, there is an unusually fine array of cheeses and takeout — great for filmmaking crews and fall foliage picnics. Just down the road is a perfect place to consume these items: Alyson’s Orchard, where you can buy a half dozen or more varieties of apples, or pick your own and eat them in the orchard (possibly with that good cheese) looking out to the red and golden hills.

For Jordan and me, the hour was closer to dinner than lunch, so we headed back into my onetime home of Keene (I wrote my novels “Where Love Goes” and “To Die For’’ there) — known as the town with America’s widest main street. A couple of years back, the city funded a project to paint murals on the sides of brick buildings featuring highlights of Keene’s history. My favorite is the portrait of Jonathan Daniels, who grew up a few houses from the one where my children and I once lived. Daniels was shot in Alabama in 1965 while participating in a Civil Rights action.

I still remember the town’s Pumpkin Festival. Every Halloween the residents would join forces to create a Guinness-world-record number of carved pumpkins that volunteers would set up with flickering candles on scaffolding throughout the square. But my favorite part came later — sometime around midnight on Festival Night — when I’d walk back into town alone to take in the sight of all those glowing jack-o’-lanterns with nobody else around. No pumpkin festival this year, because of Covid, but organizers promise it will return.

It was past 9 p.m. when we got back to the little cottage on a dirt road where I spend my summers now, a house I’d be locking up in a week or two, when the nights got too cold. Jordan and I had covered almost 400 miles since we headed out that morning, and I was feeling the weight of endings. Days getting shorter. My November birthday looming. Another year winding down.

I looked out at the lake on which my little New Hampshire summer cottage sits, with its solitary loon. The crickets were chirping, which made me think about the chapter of “Charlotte’s Web” I had just finished reading out loud in the car.

“Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year — the days when summer is changing into autumn — the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change,” wrote E.B. White. “‘Summer is over and gone,’ repeated the crickets.”

White got it right. Every autumn brings a small death, marked by the most glorious explosion of color, like the final round of a fireworks show before the sky goes silent. The good news: the seasons keep turning. Come spring, new leaves will sprout and we’ll begin the cycle again, if luck is with us .

Joyce Maynard’s most recent novel is “Count the Ways,” the story of one family’s four decades on a New Hampshire farm.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

An earlier version of this article included a caption that misstated the name of a farm in Plainfield, N.H. It is Edgewater Farm, not Edgefield.

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New England Wanderlust

Connecticut , Fall , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , Vermont  ·  June 7, 2023

The PERFECT New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary: 3, 5, 7, 10 & 12 Day Options! (2024)

There’s a reason why New England is world-famous for fall foliage, and if you’re looking to plan the most amazing New England fall road trip, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve been traveling throughout this region for over 15 years, and have done quite a few fall foliage road trips and even more fall getaways. It took me a while, but I’ve finally put together the perfect itinerary for you based on real experience.

This post details the best places to visit in New England during fall foliage season that are worth the hype, the best times to plan your road trip, and also, which places may not be worth your time. So, you can rest assured that you’re truly seeing the best of the best with my itinerary.

This itinerary is also geared toward first-timers and those looking to find the best foliage spots . If you’ve experienced New England in the fall season before, many of these locations and tips may already be familiar. However, I’ve also sprinkled in some insider tips, so it’s still definitely worth reading 😉

During this trip, prepare to see idyllic countryside landscapes, blazing fall color, beautiful covered bridges, charming towns, general stores, epic overlooks and hiking trails, and so much more. Basically, you’ll get your fill of New England charm right from the start, and it won’t stop until the trip is over. Sound good? Then let’s get started!

New England Wanderlust contains affiliate links, and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from any purchases you choose to make from our links, at no additional cost to you. For more information, please refer to our  Privacy Policy .

Tips For Planning A Trip To New England In The Fall

There are some important things to know before you begin to plan your perfect New England fall road trip, so let’s get that out of the way first 😉

The first thing you need to know is that foliage will peak in the northern areas first, then peak in the southern areas later . For that reason, I recommend that you start in the north if you can, especially for a longer trip, but it’s not always necessary for shorter trips.

If you’re planning a bucket list 2-week adventure, starting in the north is a good call because peak foliage can begin to diminish quickly, depending on the season and climate patterns. However, if you’re traveling for closer to a week, this won’t be as important.

I go into peak foliage times in each region in a bit, so definitely be sure to read that through, too!

Another important thing to know is that you should anticipate all kinds of weather. I’ve done many fall road trips through this region, and have had warm, sunny days, and trips where it rained almost every single day. I’ll go more into what to pack for this trip at the end of the post to help you prepare, but this is a good thing to be aware of.

Also, book in advance . I can’t stress this enough. Hotels and accommodations book out well in advance for fall foliage season in prime areas, and these prime areas are where you’ll be heading! If possible, begin to book your hotels at least 6 months in advance, but even 8 months is better. For reference, while I began to plan my Vermont fall road trip for the 2023 season, my favorite place to stay in Stowe, VT was fully booked during peak foliage weeks – in FEBRUARY. Yep, February.

Offline Google Maps! I can’t tell you how important this is! Even as recent as a fall 2022 road trip, I barely had service through much of New Hampshire and Vermont. I spent a lot of time just driving around hoping my service would come back, or asking people for directions the old-fashioned way. I usually offline maps, but totally forgot that trip, and it was a harsh reminder that this is a must-do.

Lastly, prepare to pay . Yes, the sad truth is that peak foliage season in New England is expensive, and it won’t be your most budget-friendly trip ever. There are ways to keep costs down, and I’ll go more into that later in the post as well, but generally speaking, this is an expensive time to visit New England – at least, where the foliage is the best 😉

What Is The Best Time To Visit New England For Fall Color?

In a nutshell, the last week of September, or the first week of October. However, it does vary depending on where you’re heading.

As mentioned before, the colors will begin to change in the northern regions first, and then the southern regions will follow later. Most people will choose to visit Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont during their New England fall road trip (and spoiler alert: this is also where I’ll be suggesting you go!), so this timeframe works very well for these areas.

The central part of Vermont will often peak right around Indigenous People’s weekend in October, and for a getaway to popular towns like Stowe and Woodstock, this is the perfect weekend to plan your trip.

Massachusetts often peaks right around Indigenous People’s weekend as well, with southern MA peaking a week or so later.

The greater Boston area, and Connecticut will peak mid-late October, depending on the year.

How Many Days Do You Need In New England In The Fall?

The great thing about New England in the fall is that you can easily do a weekend getaway and still pack a lot in, or you can plan an epic 12 day road trip for the ultimate adventure. And either way, it’s going to be incredibly memorable.

If you’re coming in from a distance, especially if you’re flying in, I would say 10 days is a great option, 12 days is even better, and 7 days is also wonderful. Of course, with 12 days, you’ll be able to see so much or plan extra time in some places. But even with 7 days, you’ll get to see quite a bit.

If you’re local to New England, and don’t have 10 days, 7 days is again a nice sweet spot. 5 days will also work in this case. And, as mentioned, even a weekend away will allow you to experience some of the best this region has to offer in the fall season.

The great thing about the best places for fall foliage are located in some of the smallest states, so you can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Best Places To See On A New England Fall Road Trip

While every New England state has something special to offer during fall foliage season, for the purpose of seeing the absolute best spots, I recommend sticking to Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire and Vermont . And flying into Boston.

Because these areas offer the most spectacular displays of foliage, most picturesque scenery, tons of things to do, and they’re all reasonable close to one another, allowing you to maximize your time.

Here’s why I don’t necessarily recommend states like Connecticut or Rhode Island if you have less than 10 days – they’re further away from the best places to see in the fall.

I truly love every single New England state, and I do really enjoy Connecticut in the fall. However, it’s so far west that you’ll spend more time driving to get there, and possibly forgoing some really spectacular places in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

If you have 10 days or more for a New England fall road trip, then I would highly suggest you consider adding in the Litchfield Hills regions of Connecticut , which you’ll see I included in my itinerary. It’s also very close to The Berkshires region, so you can combine it with that part of the trip, depending on how much time you have. However, with less than 10 days, I personally don’t feel like it’s worth it. Especially for first-timers.

If you’ve already seen some of the places I’m recommending in this post, then definitely try to swing over to Connecticut and experience a new area during the fall!

If you have less than 10 days, you may even want to focus all your time on Vermont and New Hampshire. The reason for this is because some of the best places for fall foliage in Maine are further north. I think places like Acadia National Park are very worth seeing (and you’ll see I’ve incorporated it into some of my itineraries!). However, if you prefer a slower pace and less driving, Vermont and New Hampshire are the absolute best places to see .

Some Things To Know About My Itineraries

They all begin in Boston , assuming that’s where most people will fly into if visiting from a distance. If you fly into a different airport, or are driving in, you can easily adjust your plans as needed.

They’re done in true road trip style , meaning there’s a lot of driving, and mostly 1-night stays. There are some places I recommend 2 nights in, but you can adjust this based on your preferences. If you want to stay longer in one place, definitely go for it!

I give you options! Of course, I stand by all my suggestions ☺️ However, I know everyone has different travel styles and speeds, so I encourage you to to tailor this to what you think you’ll enjoy the most. I’ve given you suggestions on how to adjust the itinerary based on your preferences.

10 Day New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary From Boston

Okay, let’s get into my perfect New England fall road trip itinerary options! We’re beginning with my suggestions for an incredible 10 day adventure.

10 Day Road Trip Overview

Day 1 : Arrival In Boston Day 2 : Explore Boston Or Take A Day Trip To Salem Day 3-4 : Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park + An Optional Stop In Salem Day 5 : Jackson, NH Day 6 : Franconia, NH (Driving The Famous Kancamagus Highway To Get There!) Days 7-8 : Stowe & Woodstock, VT Day 9 : The Berkshires and/or Litchfield, CT Day 10 : Back To Boston + A Stop In Sturbridge, MA or Litchfield, CT

Breakdown Of The 10 Day Itinerary Option

Day 1: Arrival In Boston Take this time to arrive, get settled, and maybe take in a few sites around the city! Have some time on your first night here? Jump down to Day 2 for some suggestions on what to do!

Where To Stay In Boston:

• Luxury : The Langham
• Splurge : Boston Harbor Hotel
• Moderate : Revere Boston Common

Pro Tip On Fall Foliage In Boston : Foliage peaks later than the rest of the places listed in this itinerary – usually mid-late October. So while you probably won’t see peak foliage in Boston if you plan your trip for peak foliage in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, it may catch a glimpse of it on your back if you’re planning a longer trip! Or, you can leave the airport to immediately begin your drive to Maine, and plan to stay a night or two in Boston before you have to fly out.

Day 2: Explore Boston

Boston during the fall season has so much to see and do, but here are some highlights to consider if it’s your first visit:

• Public Gardens (very scenic garden area with a beautiful pond and pedestrian bridge (also makes for lovely photos!). This is a good spot for fall foliage in the city, too.
• Newbury Street for shopping
• The North End for history and food
• Beacon Hill for charming cobblestoned streets at the famous Acorn Street
• Take a food tour if it works with your schedule. There’s incredible food to be had in Boston, and taking a tour with a local expert is a great way to sample lots of delicious things in a short amount of time!

Click here to check out my post on the best Boston food tours!

Day 2: Optional Day Trip To Salem

If you would prefer to take a day trip to Salem, rather than stopping on your way to Acadia National Park, this is a great option! And really, there’s no right or wrong choice here – it just comes down to which you prefer.

Salem is an easy day trip from Boston without a car because of this convenient ferry! Click here to check out the Boston → Salem Ferry!

Psst! I have some helpful guides including planning the perfect Salem, MA day trip , and the best time to visit Salem if you need more information 😉

Day 3: Drive To Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is one of the best things to do in New England year-round, so this is definitely a must if you’ve never been. It also offers some really wonderful foliage, and fall is my personal favorite season to visit for this reason.

This drive from Boston to Bar Harbor takes about 5 hours without stops, which is why I usually suggest you make a pitstop to break up your journey. I actually have some posts on stops you can make along the drive, so be sure to check those out below.

But since Salem is really the ultimate fall destination in Massachusetts, I suggest you pick that as a stop on the drive 🙂

Bar Harbor is the town adjacent to Acadia National Park , and where most people will choose to stay when visiting. Once you arrive, take some time to get settled, and then head out into downtown Bar Harbor to explore this charming seaside town, visit the shops, and grab a great dinner!

Where To Stay In Bar Harbor:

• Bayview Hotel . An oceanfront boutique hotel with awesome views. Perfect for a splurge on your trip!
• Bar Harbor Villager Motel . Clean, updated and spacious. Also, walkable to everything in town.
• Little Fig Hotel . A cute, modern boutique hotel walkable to town.

Here are some posts that will help you further plan this portion of your trip:

• Best Stops To Make Driving Boston To Portland, Maine
• Best Stops To Make Driving Portland to Acadia National Park
• The Perfect Acadia National Park Itinerary (read this one for more information on Bar Harbor and things to do!)
• Best Time To Visit Acadia National Park

Day 4: Explore Acadia National Park

Even in just 1 day, you can visit some of the best places in the park, and also some really wonderful fall foliage spots. Here how I suggest you plan your day:

If you’re up for it , starting your day with sunrise at the top of Cadillac Mountain is always incredible! It’s one of the first places in the U.S. to see the sunrise, depending on the time of year, and starting October 7 through March, it’s the very first spot in the country to see the sun come up. This will be great for fall foliage, too. You can also choose to do this the following morning before leaving.

Next, head to the Jesup Path scenic walk , which is especially beautiful in the fall season.

Then, park at the Sand Beach parking lot , and walk the Ocean Path for incredible views . This is 1-mile each way, but offers some of the most iconic views in the park, including the Otter Cliffs and Thunder Hole. It’s also flat and easy, making it very relaxing. Have your camera ready for this one!

For a more advanced hike with awesome foliage views, you can do the Beehive Trail from Sand Beach lot, too.

Continue on Park Loop Road to Jordan Pond House for lunch , and enjoy the views of the pond and mountains. You can also choose to walk around the pond if you have time after lunch.

For more foliage views, hike the Bubble Rock Trail after lunch.

Day 5: Drive To Jackson, NH + Spend The Night

Without stops, this drive takes about 4 hours and 15 minutes.

One stop I suggest making on the way if you enjoy local craft beer is the Oxbow Beer Garden in Oxford , ME . It’s got a very cool outdoor setting, and they have fantastic craft beer.

I recommend spending the night in Jackson because it’s a longer drive from Bar Harbor, and there are some fun things to do in the area. Also, there’s a very scenic drive called The Kancamagus Highway that’s stunning in the fall season with foliage, and I want to make sure you have time to drive it. But more on that in Day 6 🙂

Here are some fun fall things to check out in Jackson:

• The Cog : This mountain railroad takes you to the summit of Mount Washington, the tallest peak in New England! It’s about 45 minutes from Jackson, but you’ll drive through Crawford Notch State Park , which is very scenic, and The Cog is simply incredible in the fall season. If you leave Bar Harbor early enough and have time to do this, I highly recommend it!
• Honeymoon Covered Bridge & Flossie’s General Store
• Glen Ellis Falls
• The cute town of North Conway

Where To Stay In Jackson:

• Christmas Farm Inn (this place is super cozy!)
• The Inn At Thorn Hill & Spa

Option To Stay In North Conway : North Conway is only about 12-15 minutes from Jackson, so you can really stay in either. I think Jackson has better hotel options, and it’s a bit closer to The Cog, which is why I suggested you stay there. But either town works for your New England fall road trip!

Here are some fun things to check out in North Conway if you choose to visit:

• Cathedral Ledge Distillery
• Ledge Brewing Company (between North Conway and Jackson, technically)
• The cute downtown area and Zeb’s General Store (one of my all-time favorite general stores!)
• North Conway Scenic Railroad

Day 6 – Drive The Kancamagus Highway To Franconia, NH

The Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) is a scenic drive that’s regarded as one of the best drives for fall foliage, so this is something you’ll definitely want to do on your New England fall road trip. It connects the towns of Woodstock and Conway, so you can easily start this drive just a few minutes from Jackson or North Conway.

For this day, I suggest you get up early to make sure you have time to explore Franconia Notch State Park after driving The Kanc.

Tips For Driving The Kanc:

• Remember earlier in the post when I said you’ll lose cell service in much of New Hampshire and Vermont? Well, this is one of those drives where there’s no service, so offline your maps before starting!
• There are no bathrooms or gas stations on the drive, so plan accordingly.
• The Kanc takes about 45 minutes one-way without stops, but you’ll want to budget about 2 hours to make some stops at the overlooks.
• During the fall season, especially on weekends, it’s possible traffic could slow down as people try to pull in and out of the parking areas. Plan for some slower traffic.

Pro Tip : Before hopping onto The Kanc, there’s a great little place called Cheese Louise just before the entrance to The Kanc, and this is an awesome place to grab some food before the drive! Especially on a chilly, fall day, a grilled cheese sandwich totally hits the spot, right? 😍

Stops To Make On The Kanc (in order from Conway to Woodstock):

• Albany Covered Bridge
• Rocky Gorge Scenic Area (parking can be found at 44.0016667175862, -71.27716637107925)
• Sabbaday Falls
• Sugar Hill Scenic Overlook
• CL Graham Wangan Overlook
• Hancock Overlook (this one is right at the famous hairpin turn – can’t miss it!)
• Lincoln Woods Trailhead – Scenic suspension bridge over the river that’s not far from the parking lot.

🍁 Before hopping on The Kanc, consider downloading this great audio tour to enhance your drive – Click here to check out this audio tour!

There are also tons of hiking trails along The Kanc , so if you’re looking to squeeze in a hike on the drive, this is something to consider. But if you don’t have extra time, I would suggest moving on to Franconia Notch State Park, and only doing hikes along The Kanc if you’re able to add an extra day in.

After The Kanc, your next stop is Franconia Notch State Park . And this is where most of the top things to do are , especially in the fall season .

Flume Gorge is one thing I recommend you do if you can only pick one attraction. Flume Gorge is a very fun 2-mile loop trail that takes you over 2 covered bridges, and through the granite gorge. Along the trail, you’ll have some really gorgeous spots to admire the fall foliage, too.

Not sure if this is right for your itinerary? Click here to check out my detailed post in if Flume Gorge is worth visiting , and everything you need to know to plan the perfect visit.

Pro Tip: Buy your Flume Gorge ticket online in advance to save a few bucks! On weekends in the fall season, it’s also possible that certain time slots will sell out. This is another reason to book in advance.

If you have time to explore more of Franconia Notch State Park, I also recommend these activities:

• Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway
• Artist Bluff Trail (famous spot that ends overlooking Echo Lake – amazing during foliage season!)
• The views at Echo Lake Beach

Where To Stay Near Franconia:

• Sugar Hill Inn – 15 mins from Franconia Notch Park, and is rated as the best B&B in New Hampshire!
• Riverwalk Resort – 5-7 mins from the top attractions in Franconia.
• Woodstock Inn & Brewery – Cozy inn with a brewery.

Here are some posts to help you plan this portion of your trip:

• Fun Things To Do In Franconia, NH
• Fun Things To Do In Littleton, NH
• Fun Things To Do In Lincoln, NH
• Where To Stay In New Hampshire In The Fall
• Where To Stay In The White Mountains: Guide To The Towns

Day 7 – Drive To Stowe Or Woodstock, VT

Begin your day in New Hampshire with a country breakfast at Polly’s Pancake Parlor! This place is famous in New England, and truly has some of the most amazing pancakes I’ve ever had. It does get busy in the fall season, but man, it’s so worth it.

Then, on to Vermont you go! For the next 2 nights, you’ll want to choose between Stowe and Woodstock, VT as your home base. These towns are the absolute best to visit in Vermont during a New England fall road trip because of foliage views and small-town charm. They’re only 1 hour and 15 minutes from each other, so, you can choose where you want to stay, and then visit the other as a day trip.

The drive to both Stowe and Woodstock is 1 hour and 30 minutes from Franconia , and since this is a shorter drive, you can make some stops along the way, or drive straight there. Stowe and Woodstock both have a lot to do, even though they’re small towns, so it’s beneficial to drive straight there and make sure you have plenty of time to explore.

If you choose to stay in Woodstock, I suggest stopping at the King Arthur Baking Company campus on your way because it’s pretty much on the direct route. It’s a really fun place with fresh baked goods and breads, a café, and a fun shop where you can stock up on pantry staples and baking mixes.

Do I recommend you stay in Stowe or Woodstock? I honestly love both equally! There’s no wrong choice here.

The biggest difference between the two is that Woodstock feels a bit more upscale, and Stowe definitely has a very casual feel to it. But the difference is minor. Both have charming covered bridges, great shops, amazing restaurants, a quaint town feel, and plenty of things to do.

Where To Stay In Stowe :

• The Green Mountain Inn . It’s located right on Main Street, so you can walk to a lot of places.
• Spruce Peak Resort . Perfect for those wanting a resort feel, and it’s right off the scenic Smugglers Notch drive. There are rooms with gorgeous mountain views here, too.

Where To Stay In Woodstock :

• The Woodstock Inn & Resort . It’s referred to as Vermont’s most beautiful address, and it’s in the heart of Woodstock’s village. This is a luxury hotel that’s worth it!
• 506 Inn On The River . Located just outside of the village, this is a modern and cozy inn, well … right on the river 😉

Here are some posts that will help you plan your time in Stowe and Woodstock:

• Best Things To Do In Stowe
• Best Things To Do In Woodstock

Day 8 – Explore Stowe & Woodstock, VT

Depending on where you stay, you’ll want to take a day trip to the other town this day. Below are breakdowns of the can’t miss things to do in each town .

Best Things To Do In Stowe :

• Explore the cute shops along Main Street (don’t skip the Stowe Mercantile!)
• Drive Smugglers Notch for amazing foliage.
• Ride the gondola to the top of Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont (this is epic during the fall season!). This is located at the midway point along the Smugglers Notch drive.
• Visit Emily’s Covered Bridge, and learn about it’s spooky history.
• Sample the hard cider at Stowe Cider.
• Sip on craft brews at Alchemist Brewing (one of my favorites in New England).

Best Things To Do In Woodstock:

• Stroll through the charming downtown shops and eateries.
• Pop into Mon Vert Café for a warm drink.
• Snap a photo with Middle Covered Bridge in town.
• Drive over Taftsville Covered Bridge to visit Sugarbush Farms. You’ll be able to sample homemade cheese and fresh maple syrup here, and also take in amazing foliage views.
• Visit Billings Farm & Museum.
• Drive over to Sleepy Hollow Farm to see the famous farm landscape spot.

Day 9 – Drive To The Berkshires Or Litchfield, CT

Next up – The Berkshires or Connecticut! This choice is yours entirely. Let’s start with the option to drive to The Berkshires.

The Berkshires is an iconic region in Massachusetts that’s a really great one to visit for fall foliage. Here, you’ll find cute towns, loads of fall color, lots of scenic hikes and walks, and awesome dining options.

Depending on which town in Vermont you’re coming from, the northern region of The Berkshires area will be just over 2 hours from Woodstock, or just over 3 hours from Stowe .

The drive from either town to The Berkshires will pass through Rockingham, VT, and you’ll definitely want to stop here to visit the Vermont Country Store! There’s also the very cute Kissing Covered Bridge here that makes for a fun photo.

Once you arrive in The Berkshires, I suggest you start in Williamstown, and drive the scenic Route 7 down to Sheffield. This drive without stops takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but I would budget at least a few hours to make stops and enjoy some other fun activities. This route packs a lot into a perfect fall day, without a lot of driving.

During this drive, these are the best stops to make:

• The Mount Greylock Auto Road to the highest peak in Massachusetts (absolutely amazing in the fall season!).
• Make a detour off Route 7 to Bartlett’s Orchard in Richmond for the perfect fall farm experience.
• Continue with your short detour to Hilltop Orchards, which is 5 minutes from Bartlett’s, and where you can sip on artisanal craft ciders!
• Walk through the charming town of Lenox.
• Stroll through quaint Stockbridge, too!
• Snap photos with the covered bridge in Sheffield.

Where To Stay In The Berkshires:

• The Red Lion Inn . A historic and famous inn in the heart of Stockbridge.
• The Dewey . A cozy, traditional New England B&B in Lenox.

The other option is to drive to Litchfield, CT , which is south of The Berkshires. It’s a longer drive from Vermont, but you could also turn this into a fun road trip day by driving the same Route 7 itinerary as mentioned above through The Berkshires, and then continue on to the Litchfield Hills. I would probably only choose this option if you wanted to take your time exploring the awesome stops along Route 7 in The Berkshires, arrive in CT in the evening, and then explore this region of CT the next morning before your drive back to Boston.

How To Spend Your Time In Litchfield Hill, CT:

Since you’re likely coming down through the western border of Massachusetts, I would start in Kent, and work your way east. You probably won’t have time to do everything on this list, but pick and choose based on your preferences and schedule.

• Explore the cute town of Kent, and then visit Kent Falls State Park if you have time.
• Continue to follow Route 7 to New Milford. The drive is very scenic!
• Stop in New Milford to enjoy the quaint town, and then visit Lover’s Leap Bridge.
• Head over to Washington, and then continue on to Mount Tom State Park for awesome foliage.
• End in the charming town of Litchfield.

Where To Stay In The Litchfield Hills : Litchfield Inn . Refined and still very cozy, and one of the best in the area!

Should I do The Berkshires or Litchfield, CT? Personally, I would stay stick to The Berkshires since this will allow you a more relaxed itinerary. There’s so much to do, and plenty of foliage scenery to take in. If you do the Route 7 drive quicker than you were anticipating, you could always shoot down to the Litchfield Hills for an impromptu adventure 🙂

I would choose to add on the Litchfield Hills if you’re feeling adventurous, and really want to see as much of New England as possible.

Day 10 – Drive Back To Boston, Stopping In Sturbridge or Litchfield On The Way

If you have time to explore another cute town on your drive back to Boston, I would suggest either tacking on a quick drive through the Litchfield Hills, CT if you didn’t already, or a stop in Sturbridge, MA. Sturbridge is more on the way to Boston, and offers beautiful foliage.

How to spend your time in Sturbridge, MA :

• Visit Old Sturbridge Village for all the cozy fall New England vibes (this is a must if you have time!).
• Pop into Saw Dust Coffee & Dessert Bar for lunch and treats.
• Sip on craft beer at Altruist Brewing Company.

And of course, as mentioned in the previous day’s itinerary, the Litchfield Hills region has plenty to offer for foliage views, small towns, and beautiful scenery.

But, if you have a flight to catch, then don’t risk it, and head straight to the airport! 🙂

Optional Adjustments For The 10 Day Itinerary:

• You can easily cut out Acadia National Park, and head straight to New Hampshire, and choose to spend more time there. Acadia is out of the way, and further north, so I know it doesn’t suit everyone’s plans. This would allow you time to definitely ride The Cog, and have a more relaxed schedule.
• If you would rather have more time in Vermont, you can skip The Berkshires/CT. This is personal preference! Both areas are amazing for fall foliage, but nothing is quite like Vermont in the fall. This would allow you time to move at a slower pace. If you decide to skip The Berkshires/CT and stay in Vermont for a third night, see my 12 day itinerary, option 3 for suggestions on what to do!

12 Day Road Trip Itinerary Option

If you have 12 days (or more!), this is truly awesome. I would follow my 10 day itinerary, and then take one of these suggestions:

Option 1 : Add in 1 day to see Litchfield, CT after The Berkshires . Since you have the extra time, you can definitely see the Litchfield Hills region of Connecticut with this itinerary! I would recommend this option for those who really want to see as much of New England as possible, and make all the rounds.

Option 2 : Add an extra day to Littleton/Franconia. This region has so many great hikes and places to spot fall foliage. It’s well worth adding a day to this part of the trip if you have the extra time. This would allow you a half day to ride The Cog, and takes more scenic walks and hikes to enjoy the fall foliage.

Option 3 : Add an extra day to Vermont. On your extra day, you can take a day trip to Burlington and Shelburne, or spend the day driving the back roads .

Burlington & Shelburne, Vermont things to check out :

• First, the drive from both Stowe and Woodstock to Burlington on I-89 is beautiful in the fall. You’ll see lots of mountains ablaze with fall color.
• In Burlington, check out the waterfront area, and walk along Lake Champlain.
• Burlington also has an awesome craft brewery scene, and Foam Brewers is especially great.
• The American Flatbread restaurant in Burlington is a cozy place to stop for lunch.
• Church Street Marketplace in Burlington is a must!
• In Shelburne, you’ll want to spend most of your time walking around Shelburne Farms. This is a historic farm once owned by the Vanderbilt family, and has beautiful hiking trails, and you can also sample their homemade cheeses. Definitely do the Farm Trail, which takes you to an epic view of Lake Champlain.

Vermont back roads driving itinerary near Stowe :

This drive is easier to do from Stowe, but it’s also doable from Woodstock if you’re okay with a longer day. This itinerary is is order based on departing from Stowe, but you can also adjust based on which town you’re coming from 🙂

• The covered bridges in Montgomery, including Montgomery covered bridge (which is actually in Waterville), and Longley Covered Bridge.
• Barn Owl Bistro is a hidden gem nearby that’s a great little pitstop.
• The town of Cabot and the nearby AM Foster Covered Bridge are really beautiful areas to visit full of rustic Vermont charm.
• Peacham is a very small town with iconic landscapes and scenery.
• Bogie Farm in East Ryegate is a landscape that worthy of a postcard, and is especially beautiful in the fall.
• The drive between all these destinations will also be lovely and scenic, and packed with fall color.

1 Week (7 Day) New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

If you have 7 days, welcome to your itinerary! This option is the same as the 10 day option, but eliminates Acadia National Park to save time.

7 Day Road Trip Overview

Day 1 : Arrival In Boston Day 2 : Drive To Jackson, NH + A Stop In Salem, MA Day 3 : Drive To Franconia Along The Kancamagus Highway Days 4-5 : Drive To Stowe or Woodstock, VT + Stay 2 Nights Day 6 : The Berkshires Day 7 : Return To Boston

For this itinerary, you can also eliminate The Berkshires, and stay an extra night in Jackson or Franconia.

5 Day New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

With 5 days, you can go in a few different directions, and below, I break down my suggested options, and the benefits of each. This way, you can tailor it to your preferences.

Option 1 : Spend two nights in Boston with a day trip to Salem, then spend 3 nights in Stowe/Woodstock, VT.

Option 1 is perfect if you prefer staying in one place longer. This itinerary will allow you to stay in the same hotel in Boston for 2 nights, and take an easy day trip to Salem for the perfect fall day of Halloween fun and history! Then you can pick up your rental car (if you haven’t already), and drive to Stowe or Woodstock, VT for 3 days to explore both towns.

With 3 days in Vermont, you can easily see both Stowe and Woodstock, and maybe even plan a day of driving around the back roads. See the 12-day itinerary option for my suggestions on driving the back roads around Vermont during foliage season .

Option 2 : Spend 1 night in Boston, stop in Salem on your way to Franconia and spend 2 nights in Franconia. Then spend 2 nights in Stowe/Woodstock, VT, and then drive back to Boston.

Option 2 is perfect for those who still want to see as much as possible in 5 days. You’ll get to see a bit of New Hampshire and Vermont, while making a stop in Salem.

Note: For this itinerary, I would drive from Salem to Conway, and the drive The Kancamagus Highway on your way to Franconia so you get to experience the fall foliage along this route. But this itinerary option eliminates the stay in Jackson, as there are more fall things to do in Franconia.

Option 3 : Spend 1 night in Boston, 1 night in Salem, 3 nights in Stowe/Woodstock, VT, and then back to Boston.

Option 3 is perfect for those who really want to spend some time in Salem. This itinerary allows you to spend a whole night in Salem to really enjoy all the Halloween festivities and tours, and then you can spend 3 beautiful days in Vermont.

I excluded New Hampshire from this option because I felt like it would be too much to cram in when adding 1 night in Salem. But if you were feeling adventurous (I’ve been there, I get it! 😂), you can drive to Franconia, NH for 1 night after Salem, and then do 2 nights in Vermont instead of 3.

3 Day New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

3 days in New England is the perfect long weekend getaway!

With 3 days, I suggest you stay in one location , and add day trips . If you’re flying into Boston, you can stay 1 night in Boston if needed, and then drive to Vermont or New Hampshire for 2 nights. If you’re not flying in, you can spend all 3 nights in Vermont or New Hampshire.

Stowe is very close to New Hampshire, and it’s only about 1.5 hours from Franconia. You can easily do a day trip from Stowe to New Hampshire, or vice versa, for this type of itinerary.

It would also be easy to work in a stop in Salem, MA, either on your way in or out of Boston.

Weekend New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

For a weekend getaway in New England (essentially, 2 days), I would also recommend you stay in one place and take a day trip. For this itinerary, I almost always suggest Stowe or Woodstock. You can stay in either town, and spend 1 day exploring that town, and then the next day, exploring the other as a day trip.

Vermont Fall Road Trip Itinerary

Looking to just see Vermont? Excellent choice. It’s my personal favorite fall destination in New England (even though it’s a very close call 😉)

For a Vermont fall road trip , you can really do it in anywhere from 5-7 days. Of course, more is better to really see everything, but generally speaking, you can actually make it happen in a week or less. A popular route to take in Vermont is Route 100 , which runs the entire length of state, right through the middle. This allows you opportunities to veer off and see some other places as well.

For the purpose of this itinerary, I’m going to provide a week-long (7 day) itinerary, and you can adjust it to your own plans.

Day 1 : Bennington & Manchester Day 2 : Drive to Woodstock, stopping in Grafton and Weston on the way Day 3 : Spend the day in Woodstock Day 4 : Drive to Stowe, stopping in Montpelier if you’d like Day 5 : Spend the day in Stowe Day 6 : Staying in Stowe, take a day trip to Burlington & Shelburne Day 7 : Drive back

Day 1 Suggestions : Bennington and Manchester are pretty close to each other, so you can easily do both in one afternoon. There are some wonderful covered bridges in the area to see, and here are some more things to check out:

• The Bennington Battle Monument for fall foliage scenery.
• Downtown Bennington for shopping on Main Street (small, but cute!).
• Apple Barn is a few minutes from Main Street for a fun country store and bakery.
• Zoe’s in Manchester for lunch (great sandwiches!)
• Downtown Manchester for shopping in a cute town (don’t skip Northshire!)

Day 2 Suggestions : Grafton is a very small town, but it’s quintessential Vermont. It has a cute little cheese shop, and a nice little market/cafe called MKT Grafton, which is perfect for a quick bite. Also, swing by Weston to visit the Vermont Country Store.

For the rest of the itinerary, refer to the 10 day option for details 🙂

Click here to check out my post on a Vermont covered bridges road trip!

New Hampshire Fall Road Trip Itinerary

My second favorite fall foliage destination! Here’s my suggested itinerary for a New Hampshire-only fall road trip.

To just see New Hampshire , you can also spend anywhere from 4-7 days.

With 4 days, you can easily just stick to the White Mountains region, but I’m here to give you all my tips on even more awesome places to see in the fall season in New Hampshire ☺️ So, this itinerary will be 7 full days , but adjust as you need to!

Day 1 : Portsmouth Day 2 : Lake Winnipesaukee Days 3-4 : Littleton/Franconia Days 5-6 : North Conway/Jackson Day 7 : Drive back

Connecticut Fall Road Trip Itinerary Option

If you’ve seen all the “hot spots” around Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine, and you’re looking to explore a new part of New England in the fall, Connecticut should be next on your list!

As mentioned, my favorite place in Connecticut for fall foliage is the Litchfield Hills region. I always like to share that this region was what inspired Amy Sherman-Palladino’s creation of Stars Hollow, so Gilmore Girls fans will especially love this area.

The Litchfield Hills is very compact, and you can easily do a lot in a weekend here. However, 3-4 nights will allow you a nice, leisurely pace to explore all the amazing things this region has to offer in the fall.

The best towns to stay in in the Litchfield Hills region are:

• New Milford
• Washington/Washington Depot

Of all these towns, Litchfield probably has the most options when it comes to shopping and dining, however, they’re all very quaint and charming. I would pick whichever one has the best hotel for your plans.

If you have extra time for your Connecticut fall road trip, you can tack on places like Canaan to the north of the Litchfield Hills region, drive to Glastonbury, and then through the River Valley region, which includes the adorable towns of Chester and Essex. You can also choose to end your road trip in Mystic.

What To Pack For A New England Fall Road Trip

I always start every New England packing guide with the same thing, and this post is no different: begin to check the weather reports 5 days out from your trip to get an idea of what the weather will be like . And keep checking it until the day before you leave .

This is because weather in New England can change quickly, especially in the fall season. It’s not quite as dramatic as say … Iceland 😉 But, it can change and vary a bit. Generally speaking, fall will be chilly and a bit rainy. However, you could also have warm and sunny days. For longer trips, you’ll want to pack for both scenarios.

Here are some things I recommend you consider when packing for a fall road trip through New England:

Waterproof hiking boots . If you plan to do any hiking, or even nature walks, you’ll want a pair of sturdy boots that are waterproof. Even some attractions like Flume Gorge and other waterfalls in New Hampshire are pretty wet, so this is a good idea to stay dry and comfortable. I really like the Eddie Bauer K-6 Hiking boots. Find the women’s version here and the men’s version here . They’re a much less expensive version of the famous Danner hiking boots featured in the movie Wild !

Good hiking socks to keep your feet dry . An awesome brand to support is Tarn Tough Socks , which is a Vermont-based company. They’re an investment, but they’re also the best, and come with a lifetime guarantee!

Waterproof rain jacket to stay dry if it rains . You won’t want to let the rain slow you down, especially if there’s a lot in the forecast! So definitely pack one that’s completely water proof ( not water-resistant).

Layers . The best way to dress in the fall season is with layers. Under your rain gear, flannels, sweaters, and lightweight t-shirts (both short-sleeved or long-sleeved) work great.

Jeans . These work really well for most days. Fall in New England is pretty casual.

Hiking clothing . For any hikes you want to do, pack whatever clothes you typically wear and feel comfortable in 🙂

Comfortable sneakers or boots . When it’s not raining, a good pair of comfortable sneakers or cute boots work perfectly, depending on your plans. Since I drive from New York, I don’t usually have to worry too much about weight limits on a suitcase, so I’ll throw a pair of sneakers, flat boots/booties, and my hiking boots into the car. This is usually all I ever need.

Dinner outfits . New England is home to incredible places for farm-to-table dining, some of which are a bit more fancy. If you plan to go out for a nice dinner or two, you’ll want to pack accordingly. New England isn’t super fancy, so women can do a casual dress/jeans and a nice top with booties in the fall, and men can easily do dark-wash jeans and a button down top.

Reusable water bottle . You’ll need to stay hydrated while out exploring!

Day pack . If you plan to do any hiking, you’ll want to bring a day pack with you to carry your essentials. If you don’t plan to do any hikes, you can probably skip this, as you can keep most everything you need in your car or room.

Does It Snow In New England In The Fall?

Here’s the thing – it might if you’re up in the mountains. However, it doesn’t usually snow during peak foliage times. Usually, New England gets its first snow of the year later in October or early November. So, I wouldn’t worry about packing any snow gear or winter boots for your fall road trip.

How Do To A New England Fall Trip On A Budget

So, first thing’s first, you’ll unfortunately have to rethink what “budget” means in New England, especially during peak season in the fall. It’s generally more expensive than other areas of the country regardless of the reason, so during prime foliage times, prices will go up significantly.

Especially in the past, I never had the money to spend on several nights at hotels during this time of the year, so I have learned to do it on more of a budget. Not necessarily cheap, but not as tough on the wallet 😉 Here are my tips:

• Stay in motels. I love a good hotel splurge, and do it more now than I did in my 20s and early 30s. But for most of my road trips when the focus in exploring outdoors, I stay in motels with efficiency kitchens . You can find some really nice ones, and while they’re likely to be outdated, they’re usually clean and cozy.
• Efficiency kitchens allow you to make some meals at home. For a road trip style trip, this may be more challenging, as it’s hard to bring perishable items with you to store in a fridge. But I usually try to make my own breakfasts to save money, and pack snacks to have for lunch.
• Stay outside of town. If you’re really on a tight budget, you can stay outside of the towns you’re visiting. Places like Franconia, Stowe, and Woodstock charge premium rates for peak season, so you’re likely to find deals a town or two away.
• Go camping! If you’re really adventurous, you can go camping! There are camp sites all over New England, and this will definitely be more affordable. One thing to keep in mind is the colder weather, and for this reason, some camp sites may close down after Indigenous People’s weekend in October. But many remain open, and offer Yurt-style camping, too.

Is Fall In New England Worth It?

A resounding yes! I truly believe this is such a magical time to visit – if not the most magical time. Despite the crowds and the cost, it’s more than worth it. Many of the landscapes you’ll see are actual stock photos and postcards, and since so many people equate the fall season to all things cozy, there’s really no cozier place to be than in New England during foliage season.

More posts you may enjoy:

• Fall In New England: The Best Things To See & Do
• Vermont In The Fall: Festive Things To Do!
• Fall In New Hampshire: The Best Things To Do
• Fall In Massachusetts Ultimate Guide: All The Best Things To Do & Foliage Spots!
• The Best 7 Day New England Road Trip Itinerary For Any Season
• Best Stops To Make On A Boston To Stowe, VT Road Trip
• Vermont vs. New Hampshire In The Fall
• Maine In October: Best Towns For Foliage & Things To Do!
• Best Vermont Pumpkin Patches & Farm Stands To Visit In The Fall
• Awesome Corn Mazes In Vermont
• Best Time To Visit New England
• Best Time To Visit Vermont

That’s A Wrap On The Best New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

And there you have it! All my tips and expert advice on planning the most epic New England fall road trip during foliage season! This truly is such a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience that everyone should do at least once, and hopefully, you’re now well on your way to planning your own foliage adventure through New England!

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The Best One Week Fall Foliage Itinerary for New England (Plus More Options!)

Here’s my guide to the best one week fall foliage itinerary in New England. New England is a classic American destination, the perfect place for a road trip.

As a born/bred/educated New England girl myself, I think New England is arguably one of the world’s most beautiful places in the fall.

Country roads wind through dense forests, stone walls, covered bridges, and idyllic farm properties.

Orange, red, and gold colors explode, rippling across the mountains. It’s the stuff of dreams.

If you want to escape the crowds and fall back into nature, I recommend adding a New England road trip to your USA bucket list .

Here’s my sample one week fall foliage itinerary, taking in the best fall colors in New England. I also give you plenty of options for extending your New England road trip if you have more vacation time.

In this 7 day New England itinerary, I spill the beans on the must see scenic spots in New England to experience the festival of colors, where to stay and eat, the top hikes, and photography inspiration.

You’ll start in the historic New England city of Boston and then head to the Berkshires, Vermont, and New Hampshire. I think New Hampshire and Vermont are the best place to see fall foliage, though I may be a tad biased.

If you have more than one week for your New England fall road trip, I give you some other options in Connecticut and Rhode Island to extend your time in this rural playground.

You can easily turn a 7 day fall foliage road trip into a 10-14 day itinerary for New England and stay longer in each place.

Overview Of One Week Fall Foliage Itinerary In New England

• Day 1 : Boston MA
• Day 2 : Berkshires MA
• Day 3 : Dixville Notch State Park NH
• Day 4 : Stowe Vermont
• Day 5 : Smugglers Notch NH
• Day 6 : White Moutains NH
• Day 7 : White Mountains NH
• Extra Time? Add Burlington Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island

One Week Fall Foliage Itinerary For New England

Let’s begin the leaf peeping! Here’s where to go for fall foliage with one week in New England.

Day 1: Boston, Massachusetts

Begin your 7 day fall foliage road trip by flying (or driving) into Boston . Beautiful Boston Massachusetts is one of my favorite city in the United States. And fall is the perfect time to visit.

The country’s oldest city, Boston is steeped in American history. Boston played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War.

Boston’s sometimes called the “hub of the world” or the “cradle of liberty.” The city was the source and inspiration for key ideas that shaped America.

READ : 3 Day Itinerary for Boston

Boston has a great foodie scene, wide open green spaces, quaint neighborhoods, and first rate museums. The prettiest neighborhoods, lit in colors in the fall, is Beacon Hill .

And Boston’s got loads of gorgeous fall foliage. To see the colors, head to Boston Public Garden, Boston Common, the Boston Esplanade along the Charles River, Beacon Hill, and Back Bay.

You can book a historic walking tour . The hop on hop off trolley bus takes you to Boston’s top attractions. You can also see check out the colors on a fall foliage lunch cruise .

After touring the city, pick up your rental car. Now, it’s time for some classic new England fall foliage. If you want to skip the big city altogether on this fall foliage trip, just add in one of my bonus destinations instead.

Where To Stay In Boston:

If you opt for downtown, I like the small  XV Beacon  or the  Klimpton Nine Zero Hotel. You could also splurge at the  Ritz Carlton  or the  Four Seasons .

The  Inn at St. Botolph , the  Lenox Hotel , and the  Hilton  in Back Bay are also nice options and central too.

If you can’t resist historic Beacon Hill, check out  The Boxer ,  Liberty , or the elegant  Whitney Hotel .

Where To Eat In Boston:

Barcelona Wine Bar, SVR, Yvonne’s, Beehive, Giacomo’s, Sarma, and o ya

Day 2: The Berkshires, Massachusetts

The Berkshires are a beautiful rural region of western Massachusetts that’s made up of 30 bucolic villages with some top tier leaf peeping, museums, and restaurants.

It’s a place of fall foliage glory In New England. The Berkshires are full of winding roads with rolling meadows and trees ablaze.

For some of the best fall foliage scenery in the Berkshires, take Route 7 and 8 from Great Barrington to North Adams (1:10 hours without stops).

You’ll go past storybook farms, wooden barns, and stone walls. And through the cute towns of Stockbridge, Lee, Lennox, and Pittsfield.

Stockbridge and Lenox are the two prettiest towns in the Berkshires, and make a great base for exploring. Stockbridge is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum and some of the Berkshires’ beautiful Gilded Age castle-cottages.

Lenox is home to The Mount , Edith Wharton’s home, more iconic properties, and fantastic restaurants.

The quaint town of North Adams is an arty town with an eye catching row of multi-colored Victorians called The Porches. If you’re in the mood for a museum after some leaf peeping, there are couple really good ones.

Try the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum (in nearby Adams) or the spectacular Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art .

The Notch Road leads to Mt. Greylock State Reservation . You can drive up to the summit for Massachusetts’ highest viewing point.

There are plenty of marked hiking trails that start from the parking lot. Click here for the online trail map.

Then descend back down, exit the park, and take Route 7. This will take you to the small town of Lanesborough, where you’ll see pastures and horse farms. You can pick your own apples at Lakeview Orchard .

Near Route 7, you can also visit the home of Edith Wharton in Stockbridge. On your way back to North Adams, you can stop in Cheshire at the Whitney’s Farm Market.

Here’s my complete guide to the Berkshires .

Where To Stay In The Berkshires :

In Lenox, you can check out the intimate Wheatleigh resort fashioned as a Florentine palazzo. The Seven Hills Inn is a historic property on beautifully landscapes grounds with cottages.

In Stockbridge, you can stay at the historic Red Lion Inn or the Inn at Stockbridge , a charming B&B.

Where To Eat in the Berkshires:

Gramercy Bistro, Nuedel, Grazie, Mezze, Bistro Zinc, or The Portico at the Wheatleigh

Day 3: Dixville Notch State Park, New Hampshire

On day 3 of your 7 day fall foliage itinerary, get up early and drive 4.5 hours north to Dixville Notch State Park to venture into New Hampshire. Dixville Notch is a very small area. But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in unadulterated beauty.

The main road through Dixville features rolling hills and stunning scenery, including beautiful Lake Gloriette. Once there, hike the famed Table Rock Trail. You’ll need to pull off the shoulder and park on Route 26.

Table Rock Trail is a 1.5 mile out and back trail, with a relatively steep 700 feet climb. You’ll be rewarded with panoramic views over gorgeous Dixville Notch from above. If you’ve timed it right, you can even enjoy the sunset from your perch.

Another trail leaves from the parking lot of the Whittemore Family Cemetery on Google Maps. The trail winds its way through a vibrant forest, leading to a cute little bridge and stream. When you’re done hiking, head back to the nearby town of Colebrook for dinner and shut eye.

Where to stay : La Maison Bleue du Lac, Mohawk Cottages

Where to eat : Black Bear Tavern, Parsons Street, Wilderness

Day 4: Stowe, Vermont

Wake up early, grab some breakfast at Mostly Muffins in Colebrook. Then drive 2 hours west towards Stowe Vermont.

Along the way, you’ll pass scads of beautiful fall foliage and adorable rural towns, like the memorable Island Pond in Brighton.

Spend the day exploring the charming town. Where mountainous Stowe really shines is its hiking trails, with a range of options to suit every level of experience. Some take you to towering peaks, others end in waterfalls.

For beautiful fall views of Vermont’s Green Mountains, you can ride the ferry across Lake Champlain.

Another option is taking the Gondola Sky Ride at the Stowe Mountain Resort, for more beautiful aerial mountain views.

When you’re done hiking, snack on some apple cider donuts. Stowe also has a romantic and picture perfect downtown.

Its white steepled church is the focal point. Tiny Main Street is filled with boutiques, crafts stores, and antique shops. There are libraries, museums, theaters, and cultural organizations to keep your entertained.

Where To Stay In Stowe:

Stowe has some very nice hotels. The best option is the Topnotch Resort , with pools, a spa, and saunas. The Lodge at Spruce Peak is another good option. It’s at the base of Stowe Mountain and has awe inspiring views of the area’s lakes and peaks.

You can also check out the Trapp Family Lodge , with old world Austrian charm.

Where To Eat In Stowe :

Plate, Cliff House, Bistro at Ten Acres, Green Goddess Cafe

>> Click here to book a brewery tour in Stowe

Day 5: Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont

Day 5 of your one week New England fall foliage itinerary will be a busy one.

Wake up early and head 20+ minutes to the famed Smuggler’s Notch, detouring off Route 100 to Route 108. This magnificent area has a road that goes through a gap between two mountains (termed a “notch”).

Smuggler’s Notch is similar to Dixville Notch. But it’s even more stunning. The mountains on either side are massive.

There are many beautiful twists, hairpin turns, and massive boulders in the road. Unfortunately, there aren’t many places to stop and take photos. But there are two parking lots, at the Welcome Center and upper end of the notch.

From Smuggler’s Notch, drive south to Pomfret, Vermont. Take Cloudland Road south from Pomfret to Woodstock. You’ll drive along cute dirt roads lined with fall colors, rolling hills, and quaint farms.

If you’re hungry, stop in Woodstock for lunch at Mangalitsa or the Prince and the Pauper Restaurant.

Stop for a photography break at Sleepy Hollow Farm in Woodstock Vermont. It’s a great little stop that captures one of New England’s most photogenic farm properties now Instagram famous.

Sugarbush Farm is another local farm property that you can visit. Their maple syrup is famous.

Now, it’s time to head back to New Hampshire. At the base of the White Mountains, the town of Lincoln makes a good base for touring this area.

Then you don’t have to move every night. Lincoln is a creative foodie town, so plan on some fine dining there after your days of hiking and leaf peeping.

Where To Stay Near Lincoln: Omni Mt. Washington , Sugar Hill Inn , Riverwalk Resort at Loon Mountain , Red Sleigh Inn B&B

Where to eat : The Common Man, Gypsy Cafe, La Vista Italian Cuisine

Day 6: White Mountains, New Hamsphire

On day 6 of your one weeks fall foliage tour of New England, you’ll drive the sinuous Kancamagus Highway in the White Mountains.

It’s one of the most beautiful fall foliage drives in New Hampshire . You can drive the road with this self guided audio tour .

Be prepared to pump the brakes frequently. You’ll be dazzled by the incredibly epic roadside views on this 34 mile stretch of highway.

There a few places to pull over, providing great photo opportunities. Continue east until you hit the Rocky Gorge Parking Lot. Here, you can take a walk along the Swift River and get views of the beautiful Falls Pond.

From Rocky Gorge, backtrack a short distance to drive up Bear Notch Road. Bear Notch features a scenic drive along a mountainside and more roadside pullouts for gorgeous photo opportunities.

At the end of Bear Notch Road, drive north to Crawford Notch State Park .

Here, you can explore the backroads and revel in the beautiful fall colors. If you’d like to do some hiking, there are 35 hiking trails of varying difficulty.

The best hike in this area is the Mount Willard Trail . It’s a relatively steep, but short, 3.2 mile out and back hike to a clifftop vista overlooking Crawford Notch. The views are surreal.

Next, continue driving north where you can detour to the Mt Washington Cog Railway . Here, you can ride a historic train to the summit of Mt. Washington.

The mountain is the tallest one in the northeastern United States at 6,289 feet. At night, head back to your base in Lincoln.

Day 7: White Mountains | Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire

On day 7 of your New England fall foliage itinerary, you’ll head to Franconia Notch State Park. The park is a lovely spot nestled in the White Mountains, just 7 minutes from Lincoln.

Start your day with a sunrise hike up to Artist’s Bluff . This is a short 1.4 mile long loop trail up to a hilltop overlooking Echo Lake. The fall foliage here is simply breathtaking.

Continue on to Flume Gorge . This is one of the best stops on a New England road trip. The natural chasm stretches 800 feet along the base of Mt. Liberty.

A boardwalk provides a relatively easy 2 mile loop hike. Waterfalls, streams, and covered bridges keep the eyes riveted the entire way.

You can also be whisked away on the 80 person Canon Mountain Aerial Tramway , which takes you to the top of majestic Cannon Mountain for an “oh wow” view. Cannon Cliff is the northeast’s largest vertical rock face. Trails meander on the mountain.

You can also hike the Falling Waters Trail to beautiful waterfalls. Or bike or hike the 8.7 mile Franconia Notch Recreation Path.

The paved trail offer spectacular views of the White Mountains and access to Echo Lake. More adventurous travelers should pull in at Loon Mountain and zipline 700 feet across the Pemigewasset River.

Where to eat : Polly’s Pancake Parlor, Lovette’s Inn & Restaurant

Extra Time On Your One Week New England Road Trip?

It may be time to head back to Boston or home after your one week New England fall foliage road trip.

But if you have extra time on your hands, there are several places you can easily add to create a longer New England fall foliage itinerary.

1. Burlington Vermont

While you’re in Vermont, after Stowe, add a day in the lovely town of Burlington. As the largest town in a state of small hamlets, Burlington has developed a wonderful art scene.

To some, Burlington is akin to a mini Seattle — a politically and socially progressive enclave of college students, regional power brokers, and creative minds.

The city’s popular waterfront bike path includes miles of paths, many along Lake Champlain. Stop at Ethan Allen Park, with a 40 foot tower providing mountain views.

If you’re a foodie, Burlington will suit. It outshines much of the US with a bounty of locally grown food. Farm to table eating is a well established tradition. There’s even excellent street food at Farmers and Foragers Food Truck.

Where to stay : Willard Street Inn, Made INN Vermont

Where to eat : Bleu Northeast Seafood, Hen of the Wood, Juniper

2. Connecticut

If you want to venture south of Boston, Rhode Island and Connecticut also offer excellent fall foliage drives, with rolling foothills ablaze in color.

The best fall drive in Connecticut is the tree-lined State Route 169. This two lane scenic road connects picture perfect towns in a still rural corner of the state, often called New England’s “Last Green Valley.”

Along this relaxing and uncrowded drive, you’ll pass classic churches, orchards, stone walls, and 19th century homes. The pink neo-Gothic  Roseland Cottage operates as a museum.

It’s open for tours June through mid-October. For a break, stop at Mrs. Bridge’s Pantry for some tea and scones.

Another popular fall drive in Connecticut is from Milford to Litchfield. Along the way, you can stop at Hunt Hill Farm, with a gallery, shop, and cafe.

Continue to New Preston, where can you do some antique shopping at Dawn Hill Antiques . Then take the 8 mile drive around Lake Waramaug. In fall, it’s encircled with red maples, rusty oaks, and yellow birches.

Where to stay : Winvian, Grace Mayflower Inn & Spa, Inn at Stonington

Where to eat : Arethusa Farm, Schoolhouse at Cannondale

3. Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island is the home of the red maple, which turns a glorious gold, purple, and scarlet come fall.

Start your tour of tiny Rhode Island in the amazing town of Providence. Providence combines big city sophistication with small town charm, vibrant culture with hot restaurants. Here’s may one day itinerary for Providence .

For leaf peeping in Providence, the tree lined vista from Prospect Terrace is stunning. There are beautiful trees along the downtown River Walk and on historic Benefit Street.

Drive north from Providence to the Diamond Hill Vineyards, which specializes in pinot noir. Then drive west to the village of Chepachet, where you’ll find Victorian homes and antique shops. A classic stop is at Brown & Hopkins Country Store .

Then hit the road and drive another 40 miles to Exeter. It’s lined with pristine hardwood forests with an abundance of red maple, white oak, elm, and poplar trees.

If time allows, you can continue on to the Colonial seaport town of Wickford, opening to Narragansett Bay.

Where to stay : Renaissance Providence , Graduate Providence

Where to eat : Gracie’s, Al Forno, Bacaro, Birch, Chez Pascal

When Is The Best Time To Take Fall Foliage Road Trip In New England?

The best time to see New England fall foliage is typically from mid September to late October. Even until early November in some places.

But it varies somewhat by state, fall coming earlier the further north you go. Some states have foliage trackers you can check to determine when peak fall foliage occurs: New Hampshire , Vermont , Massachusetts , and Connecticut .

I hope you’ve enjoyed my one week fall foliage itinerary in New England. You may enjoy these other United States travel guides and resources:

• 25 Prettiest Towns in New England
• Must See Places in the Berkshires MA
• 1 Week Road Trip for Vermont
• 10 Day Road Trip in Coastal Maine
• Flexible 10-14 Day Itinerary for Southwest US
• 10 Day Southern California Itinerary
• 21 Less Touristy Towns on the East Coast
• Best Art Towns on the East Coast
• Best Art Towns in California
• Famous Landmarks in Boston

If you’d like to take a fall foliage road trip in New England, pin it for later.

15 thoughts on “The Best One Week Fall Foliage Itinerary for New England (Plus More Options!)”

I like the sound and feel of your one week foliage road trip. When would you recommend doing that trip in the fall?

Thanks Eddie! Generally, mid September to late October is the best time.

Hi Leslie, do you do custom trip itineraries? We would like to fly into Maine and make a triangle Fall tour of Maine, NH and Vermont.

Thanks for your reply!

Hi Steve, I just don’t have time at the moment. I’m about to leave the country for travel again. But there is nothing better than fall in New England!

Thank you so much for this wonderful itinerary. It’s my first trip to the New England states. I am mapping things out now. Question: if I am driving to my final destination of Toronto, Canada, should I drive in the reverse order and go from Boston to the White Mountains to Stowe to Dixvill Notch, etc….?

Yes, that makes sense to me. Enjoy your trip!

Hi. Thanks for your lovely articles and suggestions. We are going on a NE Cruise in September and have available 5 extra days after the cruise in the NE area, we will be driving from Boston. We do not want to move around every night, and after reading your article I am thinking of just going to the Berkshires (maybe Lenox) and Stowe, then touring around those areas in the time we have. My question is where would you spend more time, Berkshires or Stowe? We will do 2 nights at one, and 3 nights at the other.

Definitely the Berkshires. I have a whole article on what to do in the Berkshires, if you use the search bar. I think Stowe is a one day visit unless you’re skiing.

This is awesome information. Thanks for putting this all together. Where would you suggest to stay on Day 6 & 7 ? There are no suggested places to stay in the article. Thanks so much !

There are lots of places to stay in the White Mountains. I should probably update the article. The nicest place is the Omni Mount Washington. You can also check out the Mountain View Grand resort and the White Mountain Hotel and Resort. Or opt for booking an Air Bnb.

This was exactly what I needed! Flying into La Guardia from Texas next week. We are renting a a car and doing a 6-day tour of New England. We were planning to end in Boston so we can go from there back to the airport. Can you give me an idea of where to start with having only 5 nights? Thanks so much for sharing this great information with us newbies!

You could just reverse the order and start in the White Mountains, staying only 1 night there instead. Or you could skip the white mountains and start in Smuggler’s Notch, spending an extra day in the Berkshires. I have a Boston itinerary, if you want one: https://www.thegeographicalcure.com/post/the-perfect-3-day-itinerary-for-boston-massachusetts

Hi Leslie! We’re planning to take your New England car tour and will be driving from southwest OH. We may stay at the American side of Niagara Falls on our way to Boston. Can you offer any tips on lodging or restaurants at Niagara Falls? Thanks much!!

Sorry, no, I haven’t been there in decades. Enjoy your trip Don!

We will be able to complete 5 full of the days of your itinerary, starting and ending in Boston. (Landing in Boston Sunday night, touring Monday – Friday, flying out of Boston Saturday late afternoon).

Which 5 days would you most highly recommend we hit? We do like hiking, if that helps.

Thanks for your great post!

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Last Updated on July 4, 2023 by Leslie Livingston

Fall Foliage Tour

October 3-9, 2024, come with us to vermont, new hampshire and maine to see the fall colors.

Daily Itinerary

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Join us as we experience New England where autumn is radiant and the air is filled with hues of orange, red and yellow! This will be a spectacular tour to the beautiful northeast region of the US. We will learn how maple syrup is made, taste some of the best cheddar cheese on earth and enjoy clam chowder on the coast of Maine! Our travels will include visiting the Trapp Family Lodge, home of the Sound of Music Von Trapp Family, and enjoying an Austrian inspired lunch at the family estate in Vermont. We will board the world’s first mountain climbing cogwheel train in New Hampshire to climb to the peak of Mt Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States. A lobster cruise in Maine and a walk on the Freedom Trail in Boston will round out our amazing week of travel.

Invite your friends and family to see this amazing season of color!

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Explore Autumn's Splendor With New Hampshire Train Rides

Last revised: December 31, 2023

By:  Adam Burns

New Hampshire is located in the heart of New England and home to the beautiful White Mountains, location of Mount Washington.  This mountain is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet.

Each September and October, thousands of tourists flock to New Hampshire, and throughout New England, eager to view the fabulous fall colors.  Aside from the central Appalachian states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia, New England is the best location in the nation to view the foliage of autumn.

There are currently three locations in New Hampshire offering train rides during the fall season, the Hobo Railroad, Winnipesaukee Railroad, and Conway Scenic Railway.

While all three provide fine experiences, the Conway Scenic is particularly noteworthy.  They maintain a section of the old Maine Central that runs through the heart of the White Mountains running north from Conway. 

The view afforded during these trips any time of the year are spectacular, but especially breathtaking during the fall.  They also maintain a fleet of passenger cars, which are handsomely restored.  In addition, some are fully climate-controlled and include dome cars.   This is one of the finest excursions in the nation and very much worth a visit!

For anyone with an interest in New England's rail history, New Hampshire was a fascinating state; there were very scenic lines hugging river banks and snaking through the White Mountains, built by names like the Maine Central and Boston & Maine.

These rail lines are now maintained by heritage railroads that operate excursions for the public.  In addition, one could find many local branches serving individual customers along highways, within city streets and back alleys, and small industrial spurs where the tracks barely seemed to fit between buildings closely hugging the right-of-way.

It was a quite sight that was not necessarily unique in New England but much more common than in other parts of the country.  

Conway Scenic Railway

(North Conway) :   One of New England's top heritage railroads also hosts one of the top fall foliage trips. 

Located in the heart of the White Mountains the scenes and vibrant colors along the Conway Scenic are unquestionably worth the ticket price!  Today, it operates sections of the old Boston & Maine's Conway Branch and Maine Central's Mountain Division. 

The former takes you south along the Saco River where guests can view distance mountains and nearby farms during the 7 miles to Conway.  The latter is much more impressive from a visual standpoint. 

The Mountain Division was well known for its spectacular scenery, long before a heritage railroad was born; during the Maine Central era the railroad regularly hosted fall foliage excursions through this region. 

Departing north from the North Conway depot the train stays long the Saco River until climbing out of the valley several miles out of town.  At this point you are fully immersed in mountains until you reach Crawford Notch State Park, the highlight of the trip.  Trains operate as far as Fabyan Station before turning back.

Hobo Railroad

(Lincoln):   This tourist line is based in Lincoln and hosts trains along the Pemigewasset River.  During select dates in October you can ride their  Fall Foliage Specials between Lincoln and Woodstock for beautiful scenes of autumn in this part of New England. 

They also operate dinner trains celebrating the fall season.  The Hobo Railroad began hosting excursions in 1986 over 7 miles of a former Boston & Maine branch (freight service was, and still is, provided by the Plymouth & Lincoln Railroad). 

Your trip departs south along the Pemigewasset River as you are surrounded by the beautiful White Mountains in every direction.  The entire journey offers a wonderful experience to see New England's stunning fall colors by train. 

Winnipesaukee Railroad

(Meredith/Weir Beach) :   Owned by the same group as the Hobo Railroad this operation is based in Meredith.  Like its counterpart, the Winnipesaukee Railroad also hosts Fall Foliage Specials during September and October. 

They have two stations; one in Meredith and another in Weirs Beach (both of which are situated along Lake Winnipesaukee).  The entire line runs from Meredith to Lakeport (8.3 miles) over the same ex-B&M branch operated by the Hobo Railroad. 

The scenery along this stretch is somewhat different as the tracks stay near the water almost the entire way.  However, there is still plenty plenty of foliage and fall colors to see during your journey, making this ride arguably as scenic as the Hobo Railroad.

SteamLocomotive.com

Wes Barris's SteamLocomotive.com is simply the best web resource on the study of steam locomotives. 

It is difficult to truly articulate just how much material can be found at this website. 

It is quite staggering and a must visit!

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New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary: 10 Stunning Stops

by Mark and Kristen Morgan

Published: August 23, 2021

There are many places in the world you can see leaves turn in Autumn, but they pale in comparison to one famed and celebrated region in the US northeast where science, nature and climate combine to put on an extraordinary light show each year. We are of course talking about fabled New England and we’re going to show you 10 places you can’t miss when planning your New England fall foliage road trip, with 5 day itinerary, 7 day itinerary and 10 day itinerary examples included to help you nail down the best possible route for your trip.

We will use our first hand experiences from road tripping New England in fall to bring you tips, advice and unmissable stops to take on your visit. This is one of those true bucket list USA road trip experiences in which it pays to be organized, plan effectively and make the most of every day.

So, let’s get stuck into those 10 unmissable stops and planning your perfect New England fall foliage road trip itinerary!

The Science Behind Fall Colors

What do we know about the changing of colors to give ourselves the best chance of being in the right place at the right time?

Well, we know that fall colors peak furthest north and work southward through the latitudes. So for example, the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina is gorgeous in fall, but the colors won’t change there until much later in the season.

Also, we know elevation plays an important role in when peak colors will be on display. Colors will change first in mountainous regions of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont before they do at lower elevations.

But the most important aspects are weather conditions leading into Autumn, and amount of daylight. It all starts way back in Spring! A late Spring or intense Summer drought can potentially delay peak fall colors by a week or two.

Conditions Affecting Predictions For Peak Fall Colors

In addition to elevation, latitude and weather conditions before fall, there are more specific conditions that can affect peak fall once we actually reach Autumn:

• Soil moisture levels
• Amount of sunlight during the day
• Length of night
• Day and night temperature (important)

So what would constitute as perfect conditions for the best chance at ‘peak’ fall colors being their most radiant and predictable?

• Wet and warm Spring conditions
• Summer without drought or unusually high / low temperatures
• Warm Autumn days and cool but not freezing nights

And what causes the colors to change once conditions are right?

Sunlight pumps leaves full of chlorophyll during Spring and Summer. Once daylight wanes in Autumn, so does the amount of chlorophyll.

That leaves room for other pigments in the leaves, such as anthocyanin and carotenoids to shine.

Why Focus On VT, NH, ME and Even NY

The region of New England technically contains 6 states; Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. In fall, this entire region transforms into an adventure playground for leaf-peeping lovers and passionate photographers.

However, there are three New England states among the six that we feel just have to be prioritized for the very best scenery and most radiant colors; New Hampshire, Maine and in particular Vermont.

But we’re also going to throw a curve ball by including a region not technically part of New England (gasp!) … New York’s Adirondack Mountains are a stone’s throw from the border with Vermont and the colors are just as special.

We want you to see the best places in New England when you take your fall road trip, but we would prefer you to see the best colors. That means skipping the likes of Boston, Portland and Providence on this particular visit to the northeast.

They’re all awesome places and we visited them all on our New England road trip in fall. But they don’t have the colors of rural Vermont and New Hampshire, plus we had days to spare.

Here’s why you should focus on the northern parts of New England for a fall foliage road trip:

Vermont’s rolling hills are overflowing with charming rural towns, barns and covered bridges. But the state is 80% covered in forest and that can only mean one thing; spectacular fall foliage everywhere you look.

Further Reading: The best places to visit in Vermont

New Hampshire

New Hampshire mixes excellent hiking options in stunning mountainous areas with staggeringly beautiful fall foliage colors.

It also has one of the best mini road trip routes in New England during fall – the Kancamagus Highway.

Maine is huge. It is much bigger than the other New England states and that means it’s hard to fit most of the northern parts in to your road trip. Unless you have more than 2 weeks of course.

However, Acadia National Park is one of the very best places you can visit in all of New England in fall so if you have the spare time, it’s hard to skip.

New York’s Adirondack Mountains, including Winter olympic town Lake Placid and its surroundings are beautiful in Autumn. The popular mountainous region is incredibly popular thanks to a host of activities and of course glorious foliage colors.

When Should You Plan Your New England Road Trip For Peak Fall Colors?

It is impossible to plan the perfect ‘peak’ fall road trip itinerary in New England. You would need to be in many places at the same time for that to be possible. We’re not quite there, yet!

Historically, the last 2 weeks of September and the first 2 weeks of October are when the colors change. So that would put October 1st in the middle of that and therefore a ‘peak’ fall foliage target.

Science tells us that colors change in the North and at elevation first, eventually working South and to lower levels.

We’ll get into example itineraries below, but here are some rough dates to use for each itinerary time frame working North to South:

• 5 Day New England Fall Road Trip – We would suggest aiming for September 29 through October 3.
• 7 Day New England Fall Road Trip – Add a day either side, so September 28 through October 4.
• 10 Day New England Fall Road Trip – Add a day before and two after, so September 27 through October 6.
• 14 Day New England Fall Road Trip – Add a day before and three after, so September 26 through October 9.

Should You Book Your Trip In Advance?

Here are two scenarios:

• You don’t book in advance and keep an eye on live fall foliage updates to guarantee hitting peak fall. This also means you have flexibility on bad weather days. However, there are very limited hotels available and those that do have rooms will be more expensive.
• You plan and book your whole trip in advance, getting good value in hotels and can relax. But there’s a chance you won’t time it just right and you will have to deal with whatever weather comes your way.

We can’t offer a ‘better’ solution here because both have pros and cons.

Our trip was mainly booked in advance which meant we spent less but we had to put up with a lot of disappointing rain days, as you will see in the photos below!

Need a hand planning your New England fall road trip? Our popular 40+ page New England Fall Road Trip Guidebook includes the 10 best places to visit, 8 example itineraries ranging from 5-14 days and an extensive interactive map to help you plan a successful leaf-peeping vacation.

Top Tips For Planning Your New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

Finally, before we jump into the 10 unmissable stops and the New England fall road trip itineraries, let’s have a quick look at some important tips to consider when planning your vacation:

• New England is insanely popular in fall.
• Booking accommodation in advance will save you a lot of money.
• Carefully plan where you want to spend each night based around hikes and photography.
• Start in the North and work South through New England.
• Expect frequent rain and clouds in fall and accept that there’s nothing you can do about it!
• Always carry loads of water and snacks in the car.
• Try to find elevated vantage points as often as possible.
• Some of the best and most unique fall photos are along rural country roads.
• You need multiple spare batteries for your camera!
• You can use a drone in many parts of New England for aerial photography.
• Don’t worry if you miss ‘peak’ colors.

Our popular road trip resources:

• Road trip packing list essentials
• How to plan the perfect road trip

10 Places You Can’t Miss On The Best New England Fall Road Trip

Let’s take a closer look at the 10 stops we think are unmissable on a first New England trip to see the fall colors.

1. Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid of 1980 Winter Olympics ‘Miracle on Ice’ fame is located at the heart of New York’s revered Adirondack Mountains. It is the perfect base for adventure activities throughout all four seasons, from hiking in Summer to skiing in Winter.

The charming town of Lake Placid is an incredibly popular centralized location for leaf peeping in the Adirondacks. As a result, hotels here are in high demand and not cheap from the end of September until mid October. We know from experience when our bank balance took a mighty hit!

Walk around Mirror Lake in town for the easiest way to soak up gorgeous fall colors. If you have time and enjoy challenging hikes, you can’t miss Mount Marcy. It isn’t the prettiest trail but it is the tallest peak in New York.

Things To Do In Lake Placid, NY

• Take a relaxing walk around serene Mirror Lake.
• Visit the Olympic ski jumping complex.
• Photograph John Brown barn.
• Drive to the summit of Whiteface Mountain.
• Take the Cloud Splitter cable car to Little Whiteface.
• Walk through picturesque High Falls Gorge.
• Hike Mount Marcy, the tallest peak in New York.

Where To See Fall Foliage In Lake Placid, NY

• Mirror Lake in town is gorgeous, walk through residential areas surrounded by colorful trees.
• John Brown barn is a hidden gem for fall colors.
• The top of the ski jump provides sweeping views over the Adirondacks.
• Mount Marcy summit is the highest point in the entire region, providing the best views over rolling hills.
• Whiteface Mountain and Little Whiteface offer more stunning views of fall foliage.

Read our Lake Placid guides for more information:

• 10 best things to do in Lake Placid NY
• Mount Marcy complete hiking walkthrough
• 8 best hotels in Lake Placid NY

2. Burlington, Vermont

Burlington in Vermont might not be the first place you think of for a New England fall foliage road trip destination. However, it is one of the easiest places outside of Boston to fly into the region if you are visiting from further afield.

The small town also happens to be filled with beautiful and radiant foliage colors at every turn. From lakeside bike paths to park towers with stunning views, Burlington is the perfect stop off between Lake Placid and the more famous foliage destination of Stowe.

Hotels in downtown Burlington can be limited and expensive in Autumn, so if you are visiting New England on a budget, try looking for hotels in surrounding villages and towns.

Things To Do In Burlington, VT

• Eat, drink and soak up the atmosphere along Church Street.
• Walk through Waterfront Park alongside Lake Champlain.
• Cycle the Burlington bike path to Grand Isle.
• Explore Ethan Allen Homestead and Museum.
• Stand on top of Ethan Allen Tower for amazing views.
• Taste chocolate at Lake Champlain Chocolates flagship store.

Where To See Fall Foliage In Burlington, VT

• Anywhere along the Lake Champlain waterfront where there are trees.
• Ethan Allen Park and the top of the tower in particular have the best fall foliage views in Burlington.
• Ethan Allen homestead and museum are surrounded by beautifully colorful trees.

Read more about Burlington:

• 10 best things to do in Burlington VT
• 8 best hotels in Burlington VT

3. Stowe, Vermont

Stowe is one of the unmissable fall foliage classics on any New England road trip. The white church in town is one of the most photographed churches in the US and almost all of those photographs are taken in fall.

The town is quaint and attractive but be sure to spend the majority of your time up in Stowe Mountain Resort. This is where you will find hikes, Mt Mansfeld, waterfalls and Smugglers Notch.

Colors will change first up in the higher elevations. So, if you’re a little early, head up to the resort. On the other hand, if you’re a little late, stick to the lower elevations around Stowe town for the most vibrant colors.

Personally, we love to hike, we like flying our drone and we enjoy photographing waterfalls. Stowe was one of the best stops on our New England fall road trip circuit for allowing us to do all of those things.

Things To Do In Stowe, VT

• Photograph the famous white church in Stowe town.
• Drive or hike to the summit of Mount Mansfield.
• Drive through stunning Smugglers Notch pass.
• Ride a bike along Stowe Rec Path or Lamoille Valley.
• Take the SkyRide Gondola to Mt Mansfield.
• Hike a wide range of awesome trails.
• Visit both Bingham Falls and Moss Glen Falls.

Where To See Fall Foliage In Stowe, VT

• In Stowe town, the iconic white church backed by a hill of fall colors is unmissable on your New England road trip.
• But the best colors are in Stowe Mountain Resort. The drive up from town is gorgeous.
• No matter how you get to the top of Mt Mansfield, you can guarantee spectacular fall foliage views.
• Smugglers Notch is our top recommendation for Stowe. If you have a drone, this is the place to fly.

Read more about Stowe, Vermont:

• 15 best things to do in Stowe VT
• 12 best hotels in Stowe VT

4. Woodstock, Vermont

Woodstock in central Vermont is arguably the most picturesque and charming town you will visit on your New England fall road trip itinerary. It truly is like something out of a fairytale. We had no choice but to include Woodstock in our popular guide to the 50 best places to visit in the USA .

Remarkably pretty farms with golden leaves dancing in sunlight and reddish-brown leaves covering the ground create picture perfect scenes. Sleepy Hollow Farm and Jenne Road Farm are featured on many fall foliage calendars you will see in shops on your visit to New England.

Don’t miss the many stunning historic covered bridges around Woodstock. Middle covered bridge is right in town, Taftsville and Quechee are very close by and Cornish-Windsor is a 30 minute drive. The beautiful bridge in the photo below is a privately owned bridge near South Woodstock on the main road to Jenne Farm.

Woodstock is one of the more expensive places to visit on a road trip through Vermont, but it is worth taking a hit on the extra chunk of budget. Simply driving around the narrow country roads near Woodstock for a few hours would provide enough fall foliage colors to last a week of photography.

Things To Do In Woodstock, VT

• Walk around the charming town and admire diverse architectural styles.
• Photograph two postcard perfect farms – Jenne Road Farm and Sleep Hollow Farm.
• Visit a host of historic and stunning covered bridges.
• Explore Marsh Billings Rockefeller Park and hike to amazing viewpoint overlooking Woodstock.
• Visit nearby Quechee Gorge and village.
• See Jersey dairy cows at Billings Farm and Museum.

Where To See Fall Foliage In Woodstock, VT

• Woodstock is incredibly photogenic during fall throughout the town and immediate surroundings.
• The lookout over Woodstock from Mount Tom hike is iconic fall photography.
• The best two fall photographs in Woodstock are at Jenne Road Farm and Sleepy Hollow Farm. They are two truly unmissable stops on your New England fall road trip itinerary.
• Drive your car around the narrow rural roads near Woodstock for some of the most special colors.

Read more about Woodstock, Vermont:

• 15 best things to do in Woodstock VT
• 7 best hotels in Woodstock VT

5. Manchester, Vermont

Similarly to Stowe, Manchester is a four season resort with skiing in Winter and hikes during Spring or Summer. In fall, the town located in the heart of Green Mountain National Forest transitions into a colorful paradise for leaf-peepers.

Manchester can be split into the old historic district and the newer modern resort town. The newer part is livelier and closer to amenities but the historic district is quieter, prettier and more colorful.

Use Manchester as a base for one night to explore nearby elevated areas for some of the most expansive views of rolling hills on a New England fall road trip.

Equinox Mountain is the tallest peak in the area. You can hike it or drive it to open up far-reaching views over three US states. But our top tip is to simply stick to the narrow country roads again and you will find more unique fall foliage photographs.

Things To Do In Manchester, VT

• Drive the Skyline Auto Toll Road to Mount Equinox summit.
• Explore Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home.
• Walk around quaint Manchester Historic Village District.
• See the American Museum of Fly Fishing Museum exhibits.
• Buy a book in popular Northshire bookstore.
• Visit nearby covered bridges.
• See the Bennington Battle Monument.
• Visit Robert Frost stone house museum.

Where To See Fall Foliage In Manchester, VT

• Manchester is the heart of the Green Mountains, so the entire area surrounding the town is staggeringly attractive.
• Rolling hills for endless miles covered in glowing fall colors can be seen from any elevated vantage point.
• Equinox Mountain summit provides the best panoramic views over three states.
• Another place you jump in the car and find unique fall photography opportunities on rural roads.
• Manchester Historic Village District is leafy and the church is surrounded by golden yellow leaves.

Read more about Manchester, Vermont:

• 15 best things to do in Manchester VT
• 9 best hotels in Manchester VT

6. Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire

Franconia Notch is one of New Hampshire’s premier tourist regions for hiking, picturesque mountains, skiing and of course fall foliage. A two lane highway mountain pass dissects the Kinsman and Franconia mountain ranges, with a number of fantastic recreational stops along the way.

Artists Bluff is a very short but steep hike leading to a rocky ledge. Its summit overlooks Echo Lake and is most popular in fall when the colors change. As you can see, we hiked the trail on an incredibly cloudy and grey day, which doesn’t help with highlighting the beauty of this viewpoint. We have included Artists Bluff in our popular guide to the 50 best hikes in the US .

Franconia Notch State Park is where you will find the stunning Flume Gorge hike. A little over 2 miles of waterfalls, narrow gorges and forested paths welcome thousands of visitors each year. For us, the best part of Flume Gorge were the two ultra-photogenic covered bridges; Flume and Sentinel Pine.

Things To Do In Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire

• Hike the short but steep trail to Artists Bluff summit for stunning views.
• Walk through impressive and extremely popular Flume Gorge.
• Hike Cannon Mountain or take the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway.
• See a whole host of waterfalls or hike one of a dozen other mountain trails.
• Ski Cannon Mountain Resort in Winter.

Where To See Fall Foliage In Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire

• The single most well known fall foliage photograph in Franconia Notch NH is from the summit of Artists Bluff.
• However, don’t miss the chance to walk through the incredibly picturesque Flume Gorge in fall.
• Not only are the colors vibrant, but waterfalls are attractive and two special covered bridges are incredibly photogenic.
• Anywhere at elevation, which means every hike up a mountain side or the tramway with sweeping valley views.

Read more in our Franconia Notch guides:

• Artists Bluff Trail Fall Foliage Hike
• Flume Gorge Complete Hiking Walkthrough

7. Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s supremely scenic Kancamagus Highway is one of the very best parts of New England to road trip in fall foliage season. We would put it firmly in the category of ‘unmissable’.

The road between Lincoln and Conway NH is only 35 miles long, but it 35 miles of pure foliage bliss. You can either drive it in one go and simply soak up the colors roadside. Or you can stop at a multitude of overlooks, hiking trails, waterfalls, lakes and covered bridges.

If there’s one part of your New England road trip itinerary to time it right for peak foliage colors, you would do well to beat the Kancamagus Highway in its prime.

A note for photographers and videographers – You can use your drone in many parts of the Kancamagus Highway. We captured amazing photographs and videos of endless miles over rolling hills covered in radiant color.

Things To Do On Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire

• Stop at various high elevation overlooks with spectacular views over White Mountain National Forest.
• Walk to Sabbaday Falls, Champney Falls and Lower Falls.
• Hike Lincoln Woods or Mount Chocorua.
• Walk out on Rocky Gorge boulders.
• Photograph Russell-Colbath House and the picture perfect Albany Covered Bridge.
• Explore ponds and lakes to your hearts content.

Where To See Fall Foliage On Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire

• Views over rolling hills from every overlook are astonishing in fall.
• Once the Kancamagus Highway reaches its highest elevation, you will see an ocean of color in all directions.
• Walk through any forest trail or along any waterfall hike to immerse yourself into those foliage colors.
• Albany covered bridge is one of the most picturesque bridges you will find in New England.
• Rocky Gorge and nearby lake with reflecting fall colors are wonderful.
• Even on both ends of the road in Lincoln (Loon Mountain) and Conway the colors are vibrant.

Read more about the Kancamagus Highway:

• 13 best places to stop along the Kancamagus Highway in fall

8. Mount Washington, New Hampshire

At 6,288 ft tall, Mount Washington is the tallest peak in Northeastern United States. It is renowned for wild and unpredictable weather, including the recording of a world record wind speed over over 230 mph.

As our images indicate, Mount Washington can be very wet and cloudy in Autumn. But if you get slightly more luck on your road trip and time it on a sunny day, you will enjoy some of the most beautiful colors and scenery in the entire region.

Avid hikers can climb to the summit, otherwise you can take a historic cog rail train or drive up an auto toll road to reach the top. Views from almost 2,000 meters high over an ocean of bright colors are incredible.

Things To Do Around Mount Washington, New Hampshire

• Hike a very challenging but rewarding trail to the summit of Mount Washington.
• Consider a night hike, fall colors won’t matter in the dark but it is hugely popular for astro and sunrise photography.
• Alternatively, drive the Mt Washington Auto Road to the summit.
• Or, take the most scenic and historic route to the top – by Cog Railway.
• Conway scenic railroad nearby ventures deep into fall foliage forest.
• Endless miles of hiking, 100 waterfalls and a handful of covered bridges to discover.
• Crawford Notch State Park is close by and features more views, hikes and waterfalls.

Where To See Fall Foliage Around Mount Washington, New Hampshire

• Just gain elevation in the White Mountains and you’ll open up valley views with a sea of foliage colors.
• Mt Washington summit is the iconic NH vantage point for sweeping Autumnal vistas.
• For a unique experience, the Conway Scenic Railroad cuts through some of the best colors in NH.
• Crawford Notch State Park is stunning in fall, with fantastic valley views from hikes.

9. Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire

Heading due South of Mt Washington you will find Lake Winnipesaukee encircled by gorgeous fall foliage colors. Unfortunately for us, the rain was back in full swing but you can still see how vibrant the colors are in this area.

You can drive an 81 mile loop road around the entirety of the lake, or take to the waters aboard M/S Mount Washington cruise boat.

Visit Castle in the Clouds for family entertainment and hiking, Weirs Beach for arcades or Wolfeboro for a more relaxing experience. The most popular trail in the area is Mount Major, which we highly recommend for hikers looking for excellent views over the lake.

Things To Do Around Around Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire

• Take a cruise on the M/S Mount Washington.
• Or rent a boat of your own for the day.
• Ride the Lake Winnipesaukee scenic railroad.
• Try your hand at arcade games in Weirs Beach.
• Hike the popular half day trail to Mount Major summit for fantastic lake views.

Where To See Fall Foliage Around Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire

• Elevation is your fall foliage friend around the lake if you want expansive views.
• Mt Major is the perfect moderate hike to include on your New England fall road trip itinerary.
• But nearby Belknap Mountain is also a popular choice for fall hikers.
• Gunstock Mountain Resort has zip lines and ski lifts for easy elevation gain.
• For easier and more close up Autumnal color vistas, simply hire a boat on the lake and explore.
• Or sit back, relax and soak up the views on Lake Winnipesaukee scenic railroad foliage tour.

10. Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia finds itself in the list of top 10 most visited and best US National Parks each year. Millions of tourists descend on Bar Harbor annually to enjoy a diverse range of amazing things to do inside the awesome park.

Varied hikes suitable for all ages and abilities, including the famous adrenaline pumping climbs Beehive Trail and Precipice Trail , are a huge draw. But despite being a typical Summer destination in the north of America, Acadia is equally as popular in Autumn and that is purely down to its glowing fall foliage colors.

Sunrises from Cadillac Mountain or Schoodic Point can be extraordinarily beautiful if conditions are right, and sunset at Bass Harbor Head Light is a very highly regarded spectacle. You will need to bring your best hiking gear, spare camera batteries and a lot of energy to the wonderful National Park in Maine.

The only problem you will face with including Acadia on a New England fall foliage road trip is its location. You will have a long drive to and from Acadia from Vermont or New Hampshire. However, if you have the time, it is unquestionably worth the extra effort.

Things To Do In Acadia National Park, Maine

• Hike various amazing trails from easy to hard (to exhilarating!).
• Photograph stunning sunrises, landscapes and Bass Harbor Head Light.
• Drive to Cadillac Mountain summit, the tallest peak on the US east coast.
• Walk or cycle maze-like carriage roads through the park.
• Explore Jordan Pond and swim in Echo Lake.
• Eat and drink in glitzy Bar Harbor, Maine.

Where To See Fall Foliage In Acadia National Park, Maine

• Mountain summits from any hike opens up special views over rolling hills covered in fall colors.
• Carriage roads are the perfect way to explore forested trails which are surrounded by trees.
• Drive the national park loop road for easiest access to fall colors.
• Jordan Pond in particular is encircled by vibrant autumnal hues.
• Cadillac Mountain summit opens up 360 degree views over Maine and the ocean.

Read our Acadia National Park guides to learn more:

• 17 best things to do in Acadia National Park
• 10 hikes you can’t miss in Acadia National Park
• Where to stay in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park
• 10 key things to know about visiting Acadia in the fall

Planning Your New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

New England is an enormous region and choosing exactly where to visit can be challenging. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you begin plotting a route:

• Which places are top of your list? Vermont? New Hampshire? Acadia?
• How many days can you spare on your trip?
• Do you want to book accommodation in advance or take it day by day?
• Are you in New England solely to see and photograph fall colors?
• Or are you focused primarily on hiking with colors as an added bonus?
• Do you want to use small and quaint towns as your main places to stay?
• Or are you more interested in being rural and remote each night?
• What is your budget? Can you afford to splurge on activities?

Once you have an idea about how you see your road trip panning out, use that idea as a guide to make the best decisions based on your travel style.

Next, we will go through a number of potential scenarios for 5 day, 7 day and 10 day road trip examples through New England in fall.

Use the examples as a reference but remember, they are generic and based on how we personally would plan our itineraries with hikes and photography in mind.

5 Day New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

Only having 5 days isn’t as much of a negative as it might usually be. Yes, you are going to have to be selective and it is going to be none stop action. But one of the major benefits to a road trip in fall is that all of the best scenery is seen when driving.

Also, the smaller states of Vermont and New Hampshire don’t require a huge amount of drive time between their most scenic places for fall foliage. Include Lake Placid in the Adirondacks and you can easily tick off most of the places in our list in 5 days.

Another consideration is with just 5 days you don’t need to worry as much about ‘following’ peak fall colors. They won’t change too much in that time frame when compared to 10 days.

Example 1 – Lake Placid NY to Manchester VT

D1 – Lake Placid : Walk around Mirror Lake, drive up Whiteface Mountain and explore High Falls Gorge. Stay in Lake Placid.

D2 – Burlington and Stowe : Walk down Church Street, cycle Burlington bike path, explore Smugglers Notch and Stowe Mountain Resort, sunset at Stowe church. Stay in Stowe.

D3 – Franconia Notch and Kancamagus Highway : Hike artists bluff trail, walk around Flume Gorge, drive Kancamagus Highway and down to Wolfeboro. Stay in Wolfeboro on Lake Winnipesaukee.

D4 – Lake Winnipesaukee and Woodstock VT : Spend morning exploring the lake or hike Mt Major, then drive to Woodstock in Vermont via Cornish-Windsor covered bridge, Quechee Gorge and Taftsville covered bridge.

D5 – Woodstock and Manchester : Visit the farms near Woodstock, drive through Green Mountains to Manchester and end at the top of Equinox Mountain.

You could start and end in New York City if flying into Newark or JFK works from your origin and budget. Alternatively, Montreal would be a better place to start for Lake Placid, hire a car and drop it off in NYC or Boston after leaving Manchester, VT.

Example 2 – Lake Winnipesaukee NH to Manchester VT

D1 – Lake Winnipesaukee : Explore the lake, hike Mt Major, take a cruise and stay in Wolfeboro.

D2 – Kancamagus Highway and Franconia Notch : Drive Conway to Lincoln across Kancamagus Highway, hike Flume Gorge and Artists Bluff. Sleep in Franconia.

D3 – Stowe and Burlington : Stowe church, hike to waterfalls in Stowe Mountain Resort, drive Smugglers Notch and on to Burlington. Ride the bike path for sunset. Stay in Burlington.

D4 – Lake Placid : Whiteface Mountain, High Falls Gorge, Ski Jump and Mirror Lake. Or hike Mount Marcy instead but that is a full day commitment. Stay in Lake Placid.

D5 – Woodstock and Manchester : Visit the farms, covered bridges and drive through Green Mountain countryside to Manchester, finish with Equinox Mountain again.

This version would allow for a round trip loop from Boston, MA airport or Portland, ME airport.

The key to making the most of this shorter trip is to accept that you will be in the car driving a lot but that is where you will see most of the best scenery.

7 Day / One Week New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

With a week, you can get more creative, include more places or take things slower. You have more flexibility but still not enough time to add a trip to Acadia, unless you really can’t miss it and don’t mind the driving.

Colors can change a noticeable amount in 7 days, so (if possible!) factor in starting your one week trip just before ‘peak’ begins.

Either of the 5 day examples above would work with 7 days by simply taking more time in certain spots. The alternative is to add in more places to visit. Let’s look at both:

Example 1 – Lake Winnipesaukee NH to Manchester VT

D2 – Kancamagus Highway : Take the awesome road trip slowly, stop at every attraction and stay in Loon Mountain or Lincoln.

D3 – Franconia Notch and Stowe : Hike Flume Gorge and Artists Bluff before driving to Stowe to photograph the church. Hike the waterfall trails and see Smugglers Notch. Stay in Stowe.

D4 – Burlington and Lake Placid : Church Street and Burlington bike path, then drive to Lake Placid, get stuck into the best bits of Lake Placid and spend the night there.

D5 – Lake Placid and Woodstock : Spend the morning in Lake Placid and drive to Woodstock later in the day. Hike to Mount Tom for amazing views over Woodstock. Stay in Woodstock.

D6 – Woodstock : Sunrise at Sleepy Hollow Farm, Jenne Road Farm, visit the nearby covered bridges and relax in town. Drive to Manchester later in the day to stay over.

D7 – Manchester : Hildene, Manchester old town and stunning Green Mountain country roads, finish at Equinox Mountain.

This variation could begin and end at either Boston, MA or Portland, ME as in the itinerary above. It just gives you more downtime and time to fully explore the places you will visit.

Example 2 – Manchester VT to Lake Winnipesaukee NH

D1 – Manchester : Drive from Boston airport to Manchester, spend the day at Hildene, Equinox Mountain and exploring the town. Stay in Manchester.

D2 – Woodstock : See the best of Woodstock and spend the night.

D3 – Stowe : Hit the top highlights in Stowe and stay there for the night.

D4 – Mount Washington : Take the cog train, drive to the summit or even take on the hike. Sleep in North Conway.

D5 – Kancamagus Highway : Spend a full day on The Kanc. Sleep in Loon Mountain or Lincoln.

D6 – Franconia Notch : Hike Flume Gorge and Artists Bluff but drive to Lake Winnipesaukee later to spend the night.

D7 – Lake Winnipesaukee : Spend the last day around the lake, cruising, hiking or relaxing.

This loop direction was reversed to give an idea about how you could make it work in a clockwise route. Again this would be starting and ending in Boston or Portland, with JFK or Newark as alternative options.

Instead of driving out to Lake Placid, you could stick to Vermont and New Hampshire, which is where the very best colors are found.

10 Day New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary

With a full 10 days to spend on your New England fall road trip, you can either max out your itinerary and see all of the best bits or choose to spend more time in fewer places.

Personally, we’re the max out itinerary type and we would definitely include Acadia National Park in our 10 days. It adds in some serious driving time but the journey there is picturesque, rural and most importantly colorful.

Here’s one way you can include each of the places mentioned in this list, including Acadia National Park (this is the way we drove but we spent 14 days doing this route with other non-fall foliage places included in our itinerary):

Example 1 – Lake Placid, NY to Manchester, VT via Acadia National Park, ME

D1 – Lake Placid : Spend the day hiking and surrounded by gorgeous colors. Sleep Lake Placid.

D2 – Burlington : Full day exploring town and cycle the entire bike path to Grand Isle. Stay in or near Burlington.

D3 – Stowe : Smugglers Notch, Mountain Resort, Mt Mansfield and church in town. Stay in Stowe.

D4 – Franconia and Kancamagus Highway : Hike Artists Bluff and Flume Gorge, drive The Kanc and sleep in North Conway.

D5 – Mt Washington and drive to Acadia : Drive to the summit or take the cog train before driving US-2 all the way to Acadia. Sleep in Bar Harbor.

D6 – Acadia : Sunrise Cadillac Mountain, Hike Acadia Mountain and Beech Mountain, sunset at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. Stay in Bar Harbor.

D7 – Acadia : Sunrise Schoodic Point, Hike Beehive Trail and Precipice Trail, Walk around Jordan Pond, Great Ocean Path and carriage roads by bike to see the best fall colors. Final night in Bar Harbor.

D8 – Lake Winnipesaukee : Final morning in Acadia, long drive to Wolfeboro and explore Lake Winnipesaukee.

D9 – Woodstock : Photograph Sleepy Hollow and Jenne Road, hike to Mt Tom, see covered bridges.

D10 – Manchester : Hildene, Mount Equinox, nearby Bennington battle monument and covered bridges.

Tips For The 10 Day Itinerary

The only concern with this itinerary is the inclusion of Acadia National Park. It’s a 4 hour drive from Mt Washington to Acadia and 4 hours 20 minutes back from Acadia to Wolfeboro.

However, if you do have more time you can include stops on the way to and from Acadia to break up the longer drives. US-1 and US-2 are picturesque but slow going. If you’re pushed for time, take the less scenic but faster I-95 instead.

Alternatively, if you’re not so bothered by Acadia, plan to spend even more time in each of the other 9 places in this list. That would give you wiggle room in case of bad weather and plenty of time to relax.

Notice how the route starts furthest north and loops around Acadia then comes back further south?

That’s because with 10 days you should try to ‘follow’ the peak colors as they transition southwards over the first two weeks of October.

New England Fall Road Trip Map

Red Markers – Locations of the 10 best places to visit on a New England fall road trip itinerary.

Click or touch the map to activate.

Zoom in and out, move around the map of New England to find locations for the best places to visit in the area.

More From New England

• Best things to do in Burlington Vermont
• Best things to do in Woodstock Vermont
• Driving the Kancamagus Highway in fall
• How to visit Flume Gorge in New Hampshire
• The best things to do in Lake Placid New York
• The best things to do in Stowe Vermont
• Top things to do in Manchester Vermont
• Unmissable things to do in Acadia National Park

We hope this New England fall foliage road trip guide with itinerary ideas helps you plan the perfect leaf-peeping vacation!

Please let us know if you have any questions about New England or need any help planning your visit in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.

Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us .

29 thoughts on “New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary: 10 Stunning Stops”

I really appreciate your compressive guide to New England for travel in the Fall. We have enjoyed most of the areas you mention in years past and loved it. My sister is visiting from Australia at perfect Fall Foliage time so we’re planning to do your 10-day roadtrip this year. I was wondering if you have an App you prefer to use to plan each segment of the roadtrip. I used Roadtrippers earlier this year and found it good, but would welcome your suggestions for a roadtrip App. I plan to download your digital guide as well. Thank you and happy travels.

Hi Sharon, we’re happy to hear you will be visiting New England again and this time with your sister. If you are looking for alternatives to Roadtrippers you could check out Wanderlog which is another useful resource. But to be honest we don’t use any apps for our road trips except for the basic and free Google Maps app. We plot points for attractions, restaurants and hotels as we research before visiting a new place, and we plan ahead so we can really get organized. If you download our digital guide and go to the end, you will find a map we created that will open in your Google Maps app and it already contains the locations for top attractions, foliage photo spots, hikes, restaurants and hotels that we discuss throughout the guide. You can of course see more places but we have preloaded the map with the essential spots to visit around New England in fall. Have a fantastic trip!

@Mark and Kristen Morgan, Thank you so very much for your advice. I downloaded the digital guide to use. So looking forward to this trip and having your guide to get organized makes this a lot less daunting. Keep up the great work and happy traveling.

Hi Sharon, Visiting New England in fall is an amazing trip and you will have a wonderful time! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a nice comment and downloading our guide. Just let us know if you have any specific questions as we get closer to fall season 🙂

@Mark and Kristen Morgan, I have accommodations booked from Lake Placid to Woodstock. Since we want to add a couple of nights in Boston to walk the Freedom Trail and visit the Boston Tea Party site, would you recommend skipping Manchester, Vermont and going directly to Boston from Woodstock. Or, would we be missing out if we skip Manchester. Appreciate your advice.

Hi Sharon, you will have covered almost all of the best fall spots between Lake Placid and Woodstock. We like Manchester but it isn’t going to ruin your trip if you skip it, especially if you really want to see more of Boston. After 10 days or so you will have had your fill of fall colors anyway, so Boston will be a welcome change of scenery and pace. Have a fantastic time!

I would love a copy of the book as well, to use as we travel Thank you for a wealth of information!

Wow, amazing information, thank you. Have you written it in book form by any chance? I would love to drive with the book on hand for reference.

Hi Helen, you have asked at just the right time. We are currently in the process of creating a digital guidebook filled with key information and itinerary ideas for the New England fall road trip. It will be ready within the next week or so and we will email you once it is live. You will be able to either keep it on your smartphone or print it if you prefer to have a paper copy.

@Mark and Kristen Morgan, I’m using this article to plan our New England fall leaves trip and would also be interested in a copy of your digital guidebook, please. The information you provide is outstanding — thank you! ~ Carol

Thank you, Carol! We’re happy to hear you are planning a New England trip this fall. You can follow this link to see more details about our digital guidebook. If you do purchase the guidebook, remember to open up the map on page 45 when you are in each place to see the best hikes, foliage spots, attractions, restaurants and hotels. And if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask away. Have a fantastic trip!

Hello! What a wonderful site you have given us :). Question…do any of the New England fall road trips include the Berkshires? I would love to include a quick visit to The Mount/Edith Wharton’s home. Thanks, Jo

Thank you, Jo! Yes absolutely, you could easily add The Mount / Edith Wharton’s Home to the end of our 10 day New England fall road trip itinerary because it is just 1 hour 30 minutes drive to the south of Manchester VT (which is the last stop in our guide), before heading back to the Boston / NY airports. It wouldn’t be much of a detour and if you are heading that way you might also want to consider including a short drive along scenic highway 2, also known as The Mohawk Trail. Have a fantastic trip later this year!

Hi There! We are flying into Portland, (Sept 23rd) Maine and flying out of Boston, Mass (October 2nd) We have about one full week for our Fall Foliage road trip. Knowing we arrive Portland and depart Boston, what would you map out for itinerary.

Part II question, I prefer staying at one hotel for a few days and taking day trips as opposed to staying one night in several places.

Would it be wise to stay 3 nights near Acadia Nat’l Park and then 3 nights in New Hampshire (near all of the Franconia State Park and Kancamagus Hwy ?

Hi Erin, yes staying 3 nights in Bar Harbor and then 3 nights somewhere near Franconia Notch sounds like the best idea if you would prefer to stay in one hotel for each part of your trip. You can easily visit the most popular fall foliage areas in VT and NH from Franconia. Depending on how much driving you want to do, you could split your days into Vermont and New Hampshire. So one day you do Stowe, Woodstock and Manchester (the driving in between is just as picturesque as the towns), then another day you do Mt Washington, Kancamagus, Artists Bluff and Flume Gorge (which are all much closer together). Then stop at Lake Winnipesaukee on the way down to Boston. Hopefully the peak colors will be in north / central VT and NH early Oct for your trip – have a great time!

Love your site! we are planning a a Fall Foliage trip for 2023 over our 34th Anniversary. thinking any where from 10 – 14 days from the last week in Sept. to the first week of Oct. We are thinking to end our trip in Boston for a few days. If I followed tour 10 day trip guide would it make sense to fly into Albany, NY and out of Boston. Or are we better off to make Boston a long weekend trip?

Hi Randy, thanks for getting in touch and we’re happy to hear you’re planning a trip to New England next year, congrats on the 34th! Absolutely, flying into Albany and out of Boston makes perfect sense. If you make your trip 14 days total, you can follow the 10 day itinerary in our guide and then spend 2 or 3 days in Boston at the end. Something to consider is whether or not you want to see Acadia NP, it is a stunning place but it’s a long way out from the rest of New England’s top foliage spots. If you don’t include Acadia, you can spend longer in the fall color hotspots of Stowe, Woodstock and Manchester in VT, plus Franconia Notch, Kancamagus Highway and Lake Winnipesaukee in NH. Let us know if you have any more questions and best of luck with planning!

We are planning a trip to Maine in the fall of 2023 for our 40th anniversary for a total of 7 days. We would be interested in mainly leaf peeping,Arcadia NP, sight seeing/boat tours, driving the back roads and easy hikes. I really like the coast. Now that I have run across this post, I am rethinking our trip. What city should we fly into? Do you recommend spending 2 days in Arcadia NP? Should we hit some of the areas you mentioned in NH? I don’t think we have time to do your whole itinerary in 7 days. Your thoughts?

Hi Randi, glad to hear you have a trip planned to Maine for your 40th anniversary – congrats! Honestly, 7 days isn’t enough time to be rushing around New England trying to cram in everything. If you like the coast and you want to do Acadia, why not fly into Portland in Maine and slowly drive up to Bar Harbor via the back roads? Acadia is great but it is touristy and expensive, plus you won’t get the best fall colors (when compared to NH or VT). Boothbay Harbor is a nice place to stop between Portland and Bar Harbor, and you can do whale watching tours right out of the small town. If Portland doesn’t work for flight times or prices, Boston will be your best bet. Let us know if you need any more help before you travel next year.

Hi. I’m glad I found this. We are planning our 50th Anniversary to see Vermont and Maine in late September. Is it possible to stay in one place and drive to see the sights? We don’t want to keep changing hotels. This is a lifetime dream for us. Thank you.

Hi Jan, congrats on your 50th anniversary! Without knowing exactly which places in Vermont and Maine you want to see, it is possible to stay in one place but that would mean quite a lot of time spent in the car. If you have a 50/50 split, maybe stay somewhere in New Hampshire in the middle? Or if you plan to spend more time in VT, stay somewhere just inside VT near the NH border? Somewhere near Franconia NH might be a good fit so you are central to most of the fall hot spots and far enough North to see peak colors at the end of September. Have a great time!

Great article! While planning and researching for our New England Fall Foliage Adventure we saw right away that trying to predict “peak” conditions was a difficult proposition, at best. With that in mind and because we have a bit of time on our hands we decided our adventure would be from mid September to mid October 2022. We have booked all of our accommodations and now it’s all about deeply researching the areas and filling in the days. Finding your well written and in depth blog helped confirm our research was spot on and added to our happiness that we are actually going to pull this off. Plus, now we have an excellent study guide to boot! Bring on the trails, the mountains, the breweries, the lobster, cheese, cider donuts, Octoberfests and even the rain! Thank YOU and keep up the fantastic and insightful work!

Hi Jeff, thanks for getting in touch and we are so happy to hear you have planned a full month up in New England! Your list of activities is spot on – hiking, scenery, fall colors, food and beer … recipe for a perfect trip! Good luck filling in the days and hopefully you’ll get optimal weather conditions leading into the peak, just remember to keep an eye on the peak fall colors tracker when you are on site in New England. Have a wonderful trip!

Hello! This post is really very useful! We are planning to go to New England from September 30th to October 8th (we have already booked our flight from Italy). Since we would like to spend a couple of days in Boston too, do you recommend to begin with Boston and then start our road trip or to do the other way round? We would very glad if you could give us more details! Thanks a lot!

Hi Simonetta, thanks for getting in touch and we’re happy to hear you will be visiting New England this fall! This is a tough question because nobody can predict when “peak” fall colors will be in each part of New England. You can keep an eye on a live peak foliage tracker and book everything last minute, but that is risky as accommodation will book up. So, we would suggest starting with Boston and then driving up as far North as you will go on your trip (ie Stowe in VT or Franconia in NH) and then working down South to follow the peak. Please let us know if you have any more questions and you might even see us up there somewhere this year! Have a great time 🙂

I’m so happy to have found your blog post. I know how much time and effort goes into planning these type of trips, so I appreciate you writing about it and sharing it. We are looking at doing a mix of rural/city for both NH, VT, and ME. Looking closer to a 10 day trip and flexible on the dates. Would you say the hikes are fairly easy, medium, or difficult? Do you think looking into Air BNB’s out there would be better vs. hotels?

Hi Ani, thanks for getting in touch and we’re glad to hear you have a trip planned for VT, NH and ME. There are countless hikes spanning the difficulty range on this road trip route, so you do have a lot of flexibility over how long you want to spend hiking and how hard the trails are. Artists Bluff is short but has a steep climb, so we would say it is moderate but well worth it. Flume Gorge is easy and shouldn’t be missed. Acadia (if you make it that far) has a host of easy through hard hikes. Lake Winnipesaukee has plenty of hikes to suit all. If you’re looking for hard hikes take on Mt Washington or Mt Mansfield, tallest in NH and VT. You’ll likely only be spending one night or a maximum of 2 at any given place so we would say go for hotels. AirBnB’s are great for uniqueness and meeting people but for one night they are always more expensive with cleaning fees / service fees etc. By all means check prices and see if you can find any good deals or special places but we will be sticking to hotels ourselves the next time we are in New England. Let us know if you need any more help and have a fantastic trip!

Great information, love your post! We have never been to New England and would like to go see the fall colors in late Sept. or Oct. We also want to spend some time in Boston and Cape area. We are flexible on dates and number of days in itinerary. We would be interested in some hikes. After looking at you post I’m thinking Vermont and New Hampshire might work after seeing Boston. Can you help with an itinerary? We would be flying from San Diego, CA. Would appreciate any information! Thank You!

Thanks for getting in touch, Marilen – we’ll respond through email so we can provide more information.

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7 Days in New Hampshire and Vermont: The Perfect New England Fall Road Trip

September 14, 2023.

If you’re looking for the best New England fall road trip, you’re in the right place! If you're dreaming of vibrant fall foliage, tasting Vermont maple syrup and summiting mountains with incredible views, this itinerary has you covered.

This itinerary suggests the best things to do, places to stay and more for a week long road trip in New Hampshire and Vermont. If you have less time, I recommend choosing one state to focus on. While you could visit these areas much faster, I recommend at least 2-3 days in each so you can have a full experience, plus have some buffer time for bad weather or unexpected traffic. You could also easily spend a week or longer in just one of these states.

My philosophy is that you should still travel no matter how little time you have. But if you are short on time, I recommend focusing on one area instead of spending a ton of your time in the car.

This is based on my experience spending several weeks in New England in Fall 2022.

Table of Contents

New hampshire vs. vermont, when is peak foliage in new hampshire and vermont, new england road trip: 7 day itinerary, where to stay in the new hampshire white mountains, artist’s bluff at sunrise, drive the kancamagus highway, cheese louise, mt washington, hike the mount lafayette and franconia ridge trail, mount willard, north and middle sugarloaf peaks, nichol’s ledge, explore downtown stowe, where to stay in stowe, mt mansfield, ben and jerry’s headquarters, cold hollow cider mill, gold brook covered bridge, moss glen falls, percy farm corn maze, idletyme brewing company, killington peak, explore woodstock, where to stay in woodstock, final thoughts.

If you have less time and are trying to pick between New Hampshire and Vermont for a fall trip, here are my thoughts!

The New Hampshire White Mountains are the best for hiking. There are so many incredible hiking trails there, at all levels. In my opinion, hiking is the best way to experience the fall colors.

Vermont is superior if you’re looking for quaint small towns and farms. Stowe and Woodstock are exactly what I think of when I think of a New England small town in the fall. Plus, visiting local farms such Baird Farm and Morse Farm is really special.

When it comes to scenic drives, New Hampshire has more mountain vistas while Vermont has more idyllic farm settings and rolling pastures. Ranking the drives really comes down to personal preference as both are beautiful.

In terms of crowds, I found both to be quite busy, but the worst crowds were in Stowe. The traffic in Stowe gets really backed up. This also happens in the New Hampshire White Mountains, but the numerous hiking opportunities in the New Hampshire White Mountains offer you more chances to escape the crowds. No matter where you are, you’ll want to add some buffer time for traffic.

In the end, I personally preferred New Hampshire because I loved the hiking trails so much. But I also spent more time in New Hampshire, so a longer trip to Vermont in the future could change my mind! It really comes down to personal preference and both are worth visiting.

The exact timing of peak foliage in Vermont and New Hampshire will change year to year, so it’s hard to plan a trip perfectly around the leaves. Typically, foliage changes first in higher elevation areas and reaches the valleys a little later. You likely won’t be able to predict the perfect time before you book your travels, so I recommend choosing anytime between the last week of September and the first two weeks of October.

Check out the foliage trackers for Vermont and New Hampshire as your trip is approaching to see what areas will be the best. If seeing the leaves in peak is your top priority, try to book refundable stays and stay flexible. But in my opinion, you can’t go wrong even if you’re not there on the exact day of peak. Foliage may look slightly different on the opposite side of the mountain or a street over. Not to mention that lighting and time of day will make a difference as well. Anytime during these few weeks, you can usually find some beautiful leaves if you keep looking.

In 2022, peak foliage in most of these areas occurred around October 5th - 12th. I explored from September 24th - October 10th and enjoyed beautiful foliage in various areas for the entire time.

This itinerary includes several hiking trails and one trail in particular that is quite difficult. If you’re new to hiking, check out my beginner hiking guide !

Road Trip Overview:

• Day One: Fly into Boston, drive 2.5 hours to the New Hampshire White Mountains
• Day Two: Hike Artist's Bluff, drive the Kancamagus Highway, drive to the tallest peak in New Hampshire.
• Day Three: Hike an epic, but challenging trail in New Hampshire.
• Day Four: Hike one or two shorter trails in the White Mountains and then drive to Vermont to continue your road trip.
• Day Five: Explore destinations around Stowe.
• Day Six: Tour a maple syrup farm, visit the second tallest Vermont peak and explore Woodstock.
• Day Seven: Drive back to Boston to complete your trip.

If you have less time, check out my 5-day version of this itinerary.

New England Road Trip Map

Use this map to visualize the road trip route: each day is a different color!

Fly into Boston and drive to New Hampshire

On day one, I recommend flying into Boston , renting a car and making your way to the New Hampshire White Mountains. Depending on where you’re staying, the drive will likely be two to two and a half hours. You may also want to stop at a grocery store and stock up on snacks and meals for hiking and traveling.

There are several great hotels and Airbnbs in Lincoln, Conway and the surrounding towns, so you can’t really go wrong. I personally love the Lincoln area to be centrally located between the Kancamagus Highway, Artist’s Bluff, Mt Lafayette and other popular trails.

In Lincoln, check out the Holiday Inn Express & Suites for a great, standard stay. For something more unique, check out the Wilderness Inn Bed & Breakfast .

You can also look for accommodations in the Thornton and Woodstock area, just south of Lincoln. Check out the Lumen Nature Retreat if you like glamping. They offer A-frame tents and safari tents with all of the amenities you could need.

I stayed in this modern cabin in Thornton and loved that it was right next to the river, was pet friendly and had fast wifi for us to work remotely.

As for food in this area, I really enjoyed StrEatz, Gypsy Cafe and White Mountain Bagel Co.

Hike to an iconic view, take a scenic drive with stops along the way and drive to the tallest peak in New Hampshire.

Artist’s Bluff is an iconic trail that leads to a view of Echo Lake perfectly framed with the surrounding mountains. When the foliage is at its peak, expect a sea of red, orange and yellow leaves.

Artist’s Bluff is extremely popular so do not expect to have it to yourself. There is a lot of room at the peak, but the crowds during peak times will make you feel like you’re at a concert instead of on a hike.

Personally, I only recommend going at sunrise on a weekday. It wasn’t too packed when I visited for sunrise. Based on the photos and videos I’ve seen, I really don’t think it would be enjoyable during the day or at sunset while the leaves are at their peak.

The hike to reach Artist’s Bluff can be done in about a half mile if you park at the Cannon Mountain RV Park. If you would like to see some more views, I highly recommend doing the 1.5 mile loop trail that includes Bald Mountain.

Start at lot 4, the main parking lot, and go counterclockwise to see Artist’s Bluff first. About a half mile from Artist’s Bluff, climb up on Bald Mountain for additional views of the surrounding area. This is a higher viewpoint where you won't see the lake, but you’ll still have an expansive view of fall colors.

The trails to both Artist’s Bluff and Bald Mountain include climbing over tree roots and some rock scrambling. Climbing to Bald Mountain is harder than Artist’s Bluff. Make sure you have proper hiking shoes and plenty of water. If you are coming for sunrise or sunset, be sure to bring a headlamp.

Artist’s Bluff is crowded but it’s popular for a reason! If it’s your first time in New Hampshire for the fall, this is definitely a spot that should be on your list.

For a complete list of the best day hikes in the White Mountains, check out my White Mountains hiking guide .

Begins 20 minutes from Artist’s Bluff

The Kancamagus Highway is a 35 mile stretch of road that connects the towns of Lincoln and Conway. This scenic drive is the perfect way to see fall foliage and take in a variety of views!

The road has a mix of scenic stops and short hikes, as well as longer hikes if you have time. I recommend spending a half day stopping at a variety of views and doing a few of the trails.

Note that there is a $5 fee for parking at the various viewpoints, or you can display your America the Beautiful pass. You should also know that drones are not allowed to land within a quarter mile of the road or within any forest protection area. Finally, be sure to obey the no parking signs.

Pro Tip: Download the Guide Along Audio tour of the Kancamagus Highway to learn about stops along the way while you're driving!

There is little cell reception on the Kancamagus Highway, so download offlines maps ahead of time and go in with a plan. I also saw a moose during one drive on the Kancamagus! Keep an eye out for wildlife, especially during sunrise, sunset and at night.

Here are the best stops to make from Lincoln to Conway (West to East):

Lincoln Wood Suspension Bridge: Walk out onto the suspension bridge for beautiful views of the East Branch Pemigewasset River and the surrounding trees. Many longer trails begin here too.

Otter Rocks: This is a quick stop where you can have a picnic or enjoy the mini waterfalls in the river.

Hancock Overlook: Hancock Overlook is right at an epic hairpin turn in the road and is a great place to watch the sunset.

Panoramic Overlook: This is an unmarked overlook located about a half mile from the Hancock Overlook. It’s another great place for sunset but parking is limited.

Pemigewasset Overlook: This beautiful overlook has a covered area and a bit more parking than the previous two. It’s another overlook that faces Southwest for sunset.

CL Graham Wangan: This overlook faces northeast, making it perfect for sunrise. It is probably my favorite overlook because of the beautiful mountain and fall foliage views it offers.

Lily Pond: This is a quick stop to see a beautiful pond. You’ll walk on a short path through some trees and the lake will reveal itself. It’s a beautiful place to capture reflections and look for wildlife.

Sugar Hill Scenic Overlook: This is another beautiful overlook that faces Northeast for sunrise.

Sabbaday Falls : This short and easy trail is definitely worth your time, but expect crowds during peak times. You’ll hike an easy 0.7 mile trail to reach a unique waterfall. The water flows through a narrow gorge area, turns a seemingly right angle and is a vibrant blue color.

Bear Notch Road: For a less crowded experience, take the Bear Notch Road spur to see some additional overlooks. There are three overlooks that offer beautiful viewpoints.

Champney Falls: If you’re up for a slightly longer hike, Champney Falls is definitely worth doing. This is a 3 mile moderate hike that has 682 feet of elevation gain. After a walk through the forest, you’ll reach two waterfalls. You’ll discover the more interesting waterfall when you walk past the first waterfall and enter an area with towering rock faces. You may need to walk over some wet rocks to reach it, so be sure to watch your step. The waterfall flows down a seemingly straight wall of rock and it’s really neat to see it up close.

Rocky Gorge and Lower Falls: These are quick but beautiful areas where you can see how water has carved away at rocks in the gorge. Rocky gorge has a bridge and a larger waterfall, while Lower Falls features a smaller waterfall.

Albany Covered Bridge and the Boulder Loop Trail: Boulder Loop is a 3 mile moderate hike that leads to some amazing views. The trail has a little over 900 feet of elevation gain and will take you past some large boulders and through the forest before reaching a fantastic view. It’s a great viewpoint to enjoy expansive views of fall foliage.

Note that you can park at two different parking lots for the Boulder Loop, either before or after the covered bridge. The Albany Covered Bridge is a classic covered bridge that was first constructed in 1858. It’s worth a quick stop even if you’re not planning on hiking the Boulder Loop.

For this itinerary, I recommend choosing between the Champney Falls trail and the Boulder Loop trail so that you have enough time to reach Mt. Washington.

Cheese Louise is a grilled cheese restaurant right at the end of the Kancamagus Highway as you’re reaching Conway! This makes it the perfect spot to grab some lunch.

They serve up some unique and delicious grilled cheese options along with hearty tomato soup. I really enjoyed the Godmother grilled cheese which includes pesto, tomatoes and balsamic reduction.

Located 45 minutes from Cheese Louise

Mount Washington is the highest point in New Hampshire and there are several ways to reach the top! If you don’t have enough time to hike, I highly recommend driving to the top.

The road is quite historic. It first opened in 1861 to the use of horse drawn carriages and is one of America’s oldest man-made attractions. The road has stood the test of time and continues to be improved as necessary.

The drive up is not for those afraid of heights. The road is very steep at times and there are some areas with drop offs. At one point, you reach a grade of 22%. Importantly, you’ll need to put your car in low gear while driving back down so as not to overheat your brakes.

There are multiple viewpoints where you can take a break before reaching the top. At the top, you’ll enjoy incredible views (on a clear day). There are also some gift shops, a museum and a cafe.

Weather can be unpredictable at the top. Mount Washington often experiences high winds; it is known for the fastest surface wind recorded in the Northern and Western Hemispheres was recorded there in 1934 at 231 mph.

There is a driving tour app so you can learn about the road during the drive. Plus, you’ll get the famous bumper sticker that reads “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington.”

During peak times, driving to the top of Mt. Washington typically costs $45 for the car and driver, plus $20 for each additional passenger. It took us 30 minutes of driving each way and we spent an hour at the top.

Other ways to reach the top of Mt. Washington include taking the Cog Railway, going on a guided tour or hiking. The Cog Railway is more expensive than driving to the top but provides a unique experience.

There are multiple hiking trails to reach the top, but you can get there in the shortest distance on the Tuckerman and Lion’s Head trails. This hike is 7.4 miles with 4,242 feet of elevation gain.

No matter how you visit, Mt. Washington is definitely worth exploring on a clear day.

Hike an epic, but challenging trail in New Hampshire

If you’re up for a challenging hike, I highly recommend the hike to Franconia Ridge and Mount Lafayette . This 9 mile loop trail is one of the most popular hikes in New Hampshire for good reason.

Note that the weather on these mountains varies drastically in the fall. I hiked it on a nice, clear day, but there was snow, ice and intense wind just one day prior. Always check the forecast before climbing a peak (I recommend looking at mountain-forecast.com). Also make sure you’re prepared for different conditions with layers, microspikes and the rest of the 10 essentials for this challenging hike.

I recommend going counterclockwise to hike up the steepest area on the Falling Water Trail.

On the Falling Water Trail, you’ll see some beautiful waterfalls and do a few river crossings. There is a lot of rock scrambling on this trail and some areas get slippery with water. You also may have to get your feet wet on a couple of the river crossings. I recommend trekking poles for balance.

After 2.8 miles, you’ll climb out of the forest onto Haystack Peak and be rewarded with incredible views of the surrounding mountains. From there, you’ll hike another 1.5 miles along the ridge and reach the peaks of Lincoln and Mount Lafayette. Both Mount Lafayette and Mount Lincoln have an elevation of over 4,000 feet.

The entire ridge hike has incredible views. There are a few rock scrambling areas but it is not as difficult as the forest portions of the hike (in my opinion).

As you ascend down the last peak, you’ll see the Greenleaf Hut in the distance. This is such a nice treat on this long hike! The hut offers overnight lodging, bathrooms, food and drink. I enjoyed soup, bread and coffee before continuing my descent. Bring cash to purchase food (they also take venmo but service is spotty). You can also refill your water here for free.

The hike down from Greenleaf Hut was a bit harder than I thought it would be. There are several rocky areas and some can be quite slippery. If you’re not used to hiking in the area, expect it to take longer than you think.

Overall, this hike is challenging but incredibly rewarding. If you’re an experienced hiker who wants a difficult hike, this is a must-do on your trip to the New Hampshire White Mountains.

Hike one or two shorter trails in the White Mountains and then drive to Vermont to continue your road trip

Mount Willard popular trail leads to a beautiful view of a narrow valley between two mountains, yellow foliage and Crawford Notch Road.

The trail begins at the Crawford Notch Train Depot, so expect crowds if the train is about to leave. The trailhead is on the opposite side of the tracks. Make sure you pay attention to signage and/or download the map on All Trails, as some miss hikers the left turn and hike the wrong trail.

The trail is 3.1 miles with 895 feet of elevation gain. You will hike up in the forest along a stream (some areas may be slippery) until you reach the viewpoint. The end is quite beautiful and there is a nice amount of space to spread out, have a snack and enjoy the views.

The North and Middle Sugarloaf Peaks are a great place to summit two peaks with expansive views during peak foliage.

The total trail is 3.3 miles with a little over 1,000 feet of elevation gain. If you want the hike to be slightly shorter, I recommend only doing the Middle Sugarloaf Peak. Like Mount Willard, most of the trail is the forest and you won’t get many views until the end. But the views are incredible at the top and this was one of my favorite places to see fall foliage at its peak.

About an hour and 20 minutes from Mt Willard and the Sugarloaf Peaks

Begin your drive to Stowe, Vermont (located a little under 2 hours from the Sugarloaf Trailhead). However, I recommend a detour to hike to the top of Nichol’s Ledge along the way.

Nichol’s Ledge is rated easy and just over a half mile with 242 feet of elevation gain. This quick trail leads to a stunning view of Nichols Pond surrounded by rolling hills. Especially when the foliage is at its peak, this is such a beautiful view.

Note the parking lot is small and this may be crowded during peak times. Also make sure to avoid Town Hwy 58 when driving here if you do not have a 4x4 vehicle.

45 Minutes from Nichol’s Ledge

Arrive in downtown Stowe and explore a bit before or after checking into your hotel. Be sure to take in the view of the Stowe Community Church from Salon Salon!

If it’s still daylight, it’s worth taking a walk on the Stowe Recreation Path. If you’re looking for dinner downtown, check out Harrison’s or Plate (reservations are recommended).

Stowe has several great hotels and Airbnbs to choose from, but it is a small town that receives a ton of visitors in the fall. It is best to book early and expect some places to be expensive.

For a more affordable hotel that is still super chic and in a great location, check out the Field Guide Lodge . They have well-designed rooms and are within walking distance of downtown Stowe.

If you want to be in the center of downtown Stowe, check out Green Mountain Inn . This historic hotel has welcomed guests since 1833 and also has a nice restaurant.

Another place to stay near town is the Timberholm Inn . This cozy lodge offers outdoor amenities such as a fire pit and a hot tub and is the perfect place to stay if you’re looking for peace and quiet.

There are also some great Airbnbs nearby. Check out this studio apartment above a coffee roaster , this cabin in nature near Stowe or this beautiful home within walking distance of downtown Stowe.

Road trip to various destinations surrounding Stowe

Spend your first full day in Vermont exploring the various sights around Stowe.

If it’s a clear day, start by driving to the top of Mt Mansfield (you can hike instead if you have time!). This is a great thing to do earlier in the day to beat the crowds. I tried to go an hour before closing and they had already sold all the remaining spots for the day.

Mt Mansfield is the highest point in Vermont and offers amazing views of the Green Mountains. The road to the top is 4.5 miles, unpaved and includes some hairpin turns. Note that to actually reach the summit from the Auto Road, you’ll need to hike about 3 miles round trip from the parking area to the peak.

There is no food or drink at the top, so pack a picnic and take in the views. Another option is to take the gondola to the top. To reach the peak from the gondola, there is a shorter but more difficult trail to reach the peak. You would follow along the Cliff Trail and climb over boulders along the way.

No matter how you reach the top, Mt Mansfield is an epic peak that offers beautiful views of the surrounding Green Mountains.

25 Minutes from Mt Mansfield

After Mt Mansfield, I recommend driving south to Ben and Jerry’s and then making your way back north towards Stowe with these various stops. Cold Hollow Cider Mill is difficult to turn into if you’re coming from the North.

Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is headquartered in Vermont and you can tour the factory, enjoy some ice cream and see their flavor graveyard. If you would like to tour the factory, you need to reserve a ticket in advance. Tickets are released every Tuesday for the following Tuesday-Sunday and sell out during busy times.

If you don’t snag a tour ticket, it’s still worth seeing their flavor graveyard. There are humorous gravestones honoring their retired ice cream flavors throughout the years. They also have ice cream scoops and gifts for sale with no tickets required.

5 Minutes from Ben and Jerry’s

Cold Hollow Cider Mill is a must for apple cider donuts and apple cider. They serve the best apple cider and cider donuts I’ve ever had! You can sample their cold cider for free and purchase hot cider, donuts and many more goodies. You’ll find a wide variety of jams, salsas and many more snacks and gifts.

Along with cider and donut shop, they have a farm to table restaurant that serves great breakfast and lunch options. Here you can enjoy breakfast sandwiches, hard cider, paninis and more.

10 Minutes from Cold Hollow Cider Mill

The Gold Brook Covered Bridge is a scenic stop with some sad history. It is also known as “Emily’s Bridge” and is said to be quite haunted. According to legend, a girl named Emily was supposed to meet her partner here to elope in the mid-1800s. When he didn’t show, she took her own life here.

It is said that there have been claw-like marks on the side of cars and strange voices inside the tunnel. The bridge was featured on Most Terrifying Places in America in 2018.

20 Minutes from Gold Brook Covered Bridge

Moss Glen Falls is a scenic waterfall that can be reached via a short, quarter mile hike. There is limited parking and this is a popular spot, so allow some buffer time.

The hike begins on a flat, boardwalk trail and then you will climb a short hill to reach the falls. Be sure to stay on the trail to help protect vegetation.

The trail may be muddy and a bit slippery in areas, I recommend wearing good shoes!

15 Minutes from Moss Glen Falls

If it’s still open for the day, test your navigation skills at the Percy Farm Corn Maze! Nothing says “fall” like a corn maze and this one is extra fun because it can be challenging to navigate.

The maze sits on about 8 acres, is dog friendly and a lot of fun. They give instructions to call them for help if you find yourself unable to find your way out. It took us just under 45 minutes to find our way out!

While you’re in the maze, you’ll get to take in some beautiful views of Mt Mansfield in the distance.

2 Minutes from Percy Farm Corn Maze

Idletyme Brewing Company is a great place for dinner if you enjoy breweries! I enjoyed their brewski sampler which allows you to try 10 beers. My favorite was the Sour Blue.

To eat, I enjoyed the gouda soup and their soft pretzel. This is a popular place but we were able to get a seat outside around 5:15 PM (they have heaters!). If you’re eating later, make a reservation or be prepared to wait.

Check out your hotel and head to another area of Vermont for the next day of your trip. Tour a maple syrup farm, go to Killington Peak and explore Woodstock.

An hour and 45 minutes from Stowe

Vermont is known for its maple syrup for good reason. They produce the most maple syrup in the country by far with over 2.5 million gallons produced in 2022. Therefore, one of the most iconic things you can do in Vermont is tour a maple syrup farm.

I highly recommend a tour of Baird Farm ! They are a family-owned business with a 560-acre farm in Chittenden, Vermont. They offer free tours that include a walk to their maple trees and a tour of the sugarhouse. Make sure you make a reservation in advance!

I learned SO much on my tour with Jacob. We got to see a small portion of the 100+ miles of collection tubes, see how the syrup is filtered and try 7 different types of syrups. I was especially impressed with their infusions and loved the mint infused syrup.

Baird Farm is located a little under 2 hours from Stowe and less than an hour from Woodstock and Killington Peak. I highly recommend including it on your Vermont itinerary! A tour of a sugarbush is worth it in Vermont whether you go here or not, but I recommend supporting a small business if possible.

30 Minutes from Baird Farm

Hike or take the gondola to the second tallest peak in Vermont for stunning views, especially during peak foliage! I actually did both the hike and gondola ride.

There are a few different trails that can lead you to the peak. I hiked it via the Bucklin Trail. This path is 7.2 miles, has over 2,400 feet of elevation gain and is rated hard. It starts flat for the first couple miles, and then gets very steep.

The trail is pretty straightforward until the last bit which includes a short section of rock scrambling. The hike is mostly in the forest and you won’t see expansive views until the end. When I reached the top, the peak was completely socked in with fog and we couldn’t see anything.

When we reached the bottom, we realized that the weather had cleared and we could now see the peak. Therefore, we decided to pay and take the gondola back up to see the view. It was worth it to take in the expansive views! Prices are cheaper if you pay for your gondola tickets online instead of upon arrival. I paid $27 per person.

Kilington is a ski resort by winter and a popular place for mountain bikers and hikers in the summer. The top of the mountain typically has a snack shack, a restaurant and restrooms. You will see views as soon as you exit the gondola, but to get the best views, you should hike about 0.1 miles from the gondola to summit the peak. The trail includes some rocks, so I recommend proper hiking shoes.

No matter how you reach the top, it’s worth seeing Killington Peak on a clear day! You can see views for miles and it’s especially beautiful during the fall.

30 Minutes from the Killington Peak gondola

After Baird Farm and Killington Peak, make your way east to Woodstock to spend the rest of your day.

If Mont Vert Cafe is still open, it’s a great place to grab lunch, coffee and pastries. If you’re in the mood for a treat, try a Maple Cremee from Woodstock Scoops!

A maple creemee is a Vermont speciality: maple-flavored soft serve ice cream. Even if you aren’t a huge maple syrup fan, it’s worth trying one! Many places also have the option to add crumbled maple sprinkles or swirl the maple ice cream with another flavor. Make sure you have a maple creemee before leaving Vermont!

2023 Update: Due to high crowd levels at the Sleepy Hollow Farm, the town of Pomfret will be closing the road off to non-residents from September 23 - October 15. Enjoy my photo and focus on the other beautiful places around Woodstock.

The most iconic spot in Woodstock is the Sleepy Hollow Farm. This picturesque farm is a private home that photographers love, especially during the fall. It’s a beautiful spot because it’s surrounded by rolling hills, has a reflective lake and a rustic barn. The quaint farm tells a story of the idyllic farm life you may imagine when you think of Vermont. This is an especially nice place for photos at sunset or sunrise.

This location is super popular so expect crowds. It’s located on a one way road and you’ll want to make sure to respect parking signs. This is also private property (currently owned by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry), so avoid walking onto the driveway and stay on the road. The address is 3429 Cloudland Rd, Woodstock VT 05091.

Another beautiful spot in Woodstock is the Middle Covered Bridge. If you have enough time, it’s worth walking around downtown and enjoying the various shops as well.

If you’re looking for an affordable stay in the heart of Woodstock, check out The Shire or The Vesper . The Shire is a cozy hotel that includes some rooms with river views.

The Vesper is a bed & breakfast that is beautifully decorated and family owned. Both of these hotels are within walking distance of restaurants and shops in downtown Woodstock.

If you’re looking for something more quiet, look for a home outside of town. Check out this cozy cabin with mountain views and a firepit, or this rustic cabin right next to a stream.

Drive back to Boston from Vermont

On your final day in New England, make your way back to Boston to catch your flight. Boston is located two and a half hours from Woodstock.

A great stop to make along the way is the Quechee Gorge. If you’re short on time, you can get a great view from the bridge on Woodstock Road. If you have more time, there are some nice hiking trails here.

Another stop you can make is at Gould Hill Farm. Enjoy their apple cider donuts and locally-made ice cream, or take home a souvenir from their farm store.

A fall road trip through New Hampshire and Vermont should be on everyone’s bucket list! But even if you miss peak foliage, this area is worth exploring year round. I hope this helps you plan your trip and get some New England travel inspiration.

For more New England Travel Guides, check out these blogs:

• How to Spend One Day in Boston
• The Best Hiking Trails in Acadia National Park
• The Best Day Hikes in the New Hampshire White Mountains
• The Best Things To Do in the New Hampshire White Mountains
• A Fall Guide for Acadia National Park
• The Perfect Day Trip to Connecticut
• The Perfect 5 Day New England Road Trip
• How to Spend 1 Day in Rhode Island

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10 of The Most Beautiful Rivers in America (and How We Can Protect Them)

The Perfect 5 Day New England Fall Road Trip (New Hampshire and Vermont)

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Everclear is headed to Pa. next month, announces new fall tour: Where to get tickets

• Updated: Apr. 24, 2024, 11:46 a.m. |
• Published: Apr. 24, 2024, 11:45 a.m.

Everclear will be at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale, Allegheny County, on Thursday, May 23, 2024. (Courtesy photo/Brian Cox)

• Deb Kiner | [email protected]

Alternative rock band Everclear will perform in Pa. next month and has announced a fall tour with Marcy Playground and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack.

Everclear will be at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale, Allegheny County, on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Fans can buy tickets for the May 23 show here (prices are as of the time of this post):

• Stubhub, prices start at $56
• Vivid Seats, prices start at $55
• SeatGeek, prices start at $52

On May 4, Everclear will play at Ocean City Springfest 2024, which is May 2-5 in Ocean City, Maryland.

The tour celebrates next year’s 25th anniversary of the band’s fourth album, “Songs from an American Movie Vol. One.” The band’s latest release was “Live at The Whiskey A Go Go” in 2023.

The fall tour starts on Sept. 13 in San Francisco and ends on Nov. 2 in Porterville, California. While the fall tour does not include any Pa. concerts, the band will perform Oct. 11 in Asbury Park, New Jersey; and Oct. 12 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Presale ticket sales are underway now for the fall tour. General ticket sales start at 10 a.m. Friday, April 26, on Ticketmaster.

Fall tour dates are:

Sept. 13 - San Francisco, California

Sept. 15 - Portland, Oregon

Sept. 17 - Bend, Oregon

Sept. 18 - Sacramento, California

Sept. 19 - Los Angeles, California

Sept. 20 - Reno, Nevada

Sept. 21 - Henderson, Nevada

Sept. 22 - Denver, Colorado

Sept. 24 - Emporia, Kansas

Sept. 25 - The Colony, Texas

Sept. 27 - Rocky Mount, Virginia

Sept. 28 - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Sept. 29 - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Oct. 2 - Greenville, South Carolina

Oct. 3 - Knoxville, Tennessee

Oct. 5 - Richmond, Virginia

Oct. 6 - Huntington, New York

Oct. 8 - Boston, Massachusetts

Oct. 9 - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Oct. 11 - Asbury Park, New Jersey

Oct. 12 - Baltimore, Maryland

Oct. 13 - Lansing, Michigan

Oct. 16 - Cleveland, Ohio

Oct. 17 - Green Bay, Wisconsin

Oct. 18 - East Moline, Illinois

Oct. 19 - Jefferson City, Missouri

Oct. 20 - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Oct. 24 - Birmingham, Alabama

Oct. 25 - Dothan, Alabama

Oct. 27 - Pelham, Tennessee

Nov. 2 - Porterville, California

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• 6 Most Affordable Towns to Retire in New Hampshire

For years, New Hampshire has remained an opportune destination for those entering their golden years. With its natural beauty, low taxes, rich culture, and reasonable cost of living, the Granite State offers retirees an enviable lifestyle without breaking the bank. Several small locations across its modest territory prove to be the perfect setting for outgoing seniors. From mountain communities to seacoast villages, this beautiful New England state is home to charming hamlets where pensioners can stretch their savings.

Though many areas have witnessed rising real estate prices in recent years, some locales still present excellent value for money. If you are searching for an affordable yet highly livable place after calling time on your career, consider the following towns to retire in New Hampshire. Each allows residents to enjoy scenic outdoor recreation, small-town charm, and cultural activities on a modest fixed income.

Woodstock is a densely forested town with a population of less than 1,500 residents. This means plenty of outdoor opportunities for retirees in idyllic nature areas. Some of the top spots for lovers of open spaces include the riverfront Cascade Park, where a serene and isolated environment allows you to enjoy quality alone time. A visit to the White Mountains Visitor Centers equips seniors with all the information they need for a wonderful adventure when immersing in Woodstock's sprawling wilderness.

The quiet town center is home to a friendly mix of businesses that allow for cordial interactions with other members of the community. At Fadden's General Store, seniors can meet happy faces and establish close friendships while shopping for all their household needs. Finally, a home median price of $207,500 puts Woodstock's real estate value below the state average.

Another hidden gem in New Hampshire's White Mountain region, Whitefield charms fresh pensioners with a stunning outdoor scenery, punctuated with lush forested surroundings and picturesque mountain views. This small community promises ardent outdoorsmen immersive adventures in sites like the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge. Retirees can get lost in the great outdoors by taking advantage of wild hiking, camping, and animal-viewing adventures. However, one of the best ways to fully appreciate the sheer natural beauty surrounding Whitefield is to take an aerial tour with Vertical Ventures Aviation for a bird's eye perspective of the town.

Away from the sprawling outdoors, the Weathervane Theater presents residents with the ultimate indoor alternative. This family-friendly venue stages entertaining stage performances, inviting the public to celebrate and support local arts. Furthermore, Whitefield is home to the Mount Washington Regional Airport, which makes it easy for retirees to travel to neighboring towns. Investing in a property in this town costs an average of $467,000.

Known for being the hometown of Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, Newport charms fresh pensioners with idyllic natural surroundings, diverse recreational opportunities, and a vibrant cultural atmosphere. Outdoorsy retirees can choose from a selection of pursuits for quality time in the open spaces, including sightseeing and swimming at the breathtaking Pollard Mill Falls or a relaxed game of golf on the lush grounds of Newport Golf Club. The Corbin Covered Bridge is an interesting spot for history lovers in Newport. Straddling the Sugar River, the historic wooden structure offers a rare look at New England's covered bridge architecture.

Elsewhere, the Newport Opera House is an excellent stop for culture vultures, bringing together locals to enjoy various performance art productions in a friendly social setting. Senior citizens do not have to leave town to find quality medical care thanks to the Newport Health Center, which has diligently served the community since 1873. Lastly, a home median selling value of $237,500, makes Newport one of the cheapest places to retire in New Hampshire.

The quaint community of Bethlehem invites senior citizens to spend their retirement years in a laidback rural setting and among a friendly fold. It boasts beautiful natural landscapes, punctuated with the dense foliage of the Strawberry Hill and Cushman state forests, which also means endless adventures in the wild. Several golf courses, including the Maple Wood Golf Course, serve as an excellent way for seniors to explore the outdoors while having fun in a world-class venue.

Strolling through downtown, you will discover a vibrant corridor with a charming mix of businesses. Residents here conveniently shop for their groceries and household needs at the Bethlehem Village Store, whereas the Colonial Theater screens family-friendly movies in a rustic venue, which is among the country's oldest operating movie theaters. Meanwhile, a tour of the Bethlehem Heritage Society provides an interesting look into the culture and history of the town. For aspiring homeowners, it takes around $405,000 to raise the local median home listing price.

This picturesque alpine community in New Hampshire's White Mountains spoils residents with year-round recreations curated for all seasons. Winter-loving retirees will be intrigued by SledVentures Snowmobile Rentals, which organizes exciting guided excursions into the snow-covered wilderness for friends and families. On warmer days, Franconia Notch State Park serves as the major hub for outdoor enthusiasts, offering endless opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, swimming, canoeing, and more. The park is especially irresistible in the fall when the changing leaves transform it into a magical scenery.

Back in town, a bustling restaurant and bar scene ensures seniors have a selection of hangouts where they can meet peers and socialize over a cold beer or a warm plate. Black Mountain Burger Co. stands out for its laid-back vibe and friendly employees. A couple of health facilities in the town, including Mid-state Health Center, provide crucial services to ensure retirees are always in their best physical form. Finally, the local median housing value is a price-friendly $449,900.

There is a unique charm about lakeside communities like Ossipee that makes them a choice destination for retirement living. They have a relaxed setting with breathtaking water views, best exemplified by the beautiful shores of Ossipee Lake. Senior citizens can spend quality alone time meditating in the gentle lake breeze or take advantage of various aquatic recreations, ranging from fishing and boating to paddleboarding. Away from the water, Constitution Park provides essential public amenities that encourage physical activity among seniors, such as ball fields, tennis courts, and a dog park.

Meanwhile, those with a taste for collecting antique treasures can explore unique finds at White Mtns Antique Gallery & Estate Services for their indoor pursuits. The local community makes a commendable effort to care for its senior citizens with several assisted living communities, including Ossipee Concerned Citizens. For pensioners planning to stay in their own homes upon settling in Ossipee, the average property value here is $417,500.

Final Thought

Whether you are looking for a small-town New England charm with rich cultural attractions or scenic outdoor recreation amid rural surroundings, these towns deliver highly livable environments to retire in New Hampshire on a budget. Their combination of natural beauty, cultural amenities, healthcare resources, and reasonable costs of living make them top choices for those hoping to stretch their fixed incomes in a place with excellent quality of life. It is easy to see why the Granite State continues to be a prime yet low-cost destination to enjoy scenic vistas, community ties, and all the joys of active retirement.

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2024 NFL Draft grades for every team: Patriots, Chiefs with awesome class; Cowboys, others receive poor marks

Let's grade every club's 2024 draft class.

The 2024  NFL Draft has concluded, which means only one thing -- draft grades are here. Below you will find the full draft classes for all 32 teams with individual grades, analysis for every class and a final overall grade. This is my seminal analysis every year. 

The first-round grades are from Pete Prisco.  Just about all of the individual grades were from me starting in Round 2 through Mr. Irrelevant at the end of the draft. Any grades with an asterisk were from my guy Josh Edwards. 

For these team grades, I'm not utilizing an intricate formula, but I am taking the average of each individual grade with more weight given to the earlier picks. And factoring in my own grades for Round 1 picks. 

Let's get to it.

Arizona Cardinals  

Holy gigantic class for the Cardinals. But I love it. The more rolls at the table, the better. Harrison is an instant 1,000-yard "X" receiver, Robinson can make noise Year 1 if he's deployed inside more than on the edge, and Trey Benson was my RB1 in this class. So fast and elusive. 

Reiman is enormous and provided glimmers of receiving prowess, and the Melton and Jones pairing gives the Cardinals two highly explosive outside cornerbacks. Thomas can be a useful situational outside rusher, and Jones has starter upside. Arizona added athletic specimens at a variety of positions to a roster that desperately needed an infusion of sheer talent. Go have a beer, or two, Monti Ossenfort. On me. You crushed this draft. 

  Grade: A-

Atlanta Falcons  

There's no one right way to build a team, and let's such say my drafting philosophy doesn't jive with Falcons GM Terry Fontenot. And that's fine. The Penix pick makes my head hurt, and a sizable trade up for a defensive tackle in Round 2? Don't get me wrong, Orhorhoro was one of my favorite interior rushers -- he's big, strong, and explosive -- but trading multiple picks to get him? 

Trice and Dorlus have a distinct possibility to become the two best value selections from this class. They're so diverse in how they can get to the quarterback from their respective positions, and Dorlus can align anywhere. Bertand is heady but misses too many tackles for my liking, and Washington is an inflexible back-shoulder type. 

Baltimore Ravens  

Even with trusty right-hand man Joe Hortiz now GM'ing the Chargers, Ravens shot-caller Eric Costa once again proved why he's one of the shrewest GMs in the league with this draft haul. 

Wiggins absolutely flies and has serious man-to-man coverage capabilities. Rosengarten is another high-caliber athlete at a vital position. Isaac was a bit of a gamble, but the payoff could be massive, and the same is true for Walker. If nothing else, he can be a serious vertical threat in a sizable frame. This offense needs that. Tampa is a little stiff but plays with that classic Ravens physicality at the line of scrimmage. 

Samac gives me major Bradley Bozeman vibes. Late-round selection with awesome balance and run-game mastery. Leary has a strong arm and can connect on anticipatory throws. Not a super sexy class. But a job well done. 

Buffalo Bills

Coleman didn't do it for me on film. For his size and athletic profile -- and he's not stiff, just doesn't routinely get open -- I expected him to be more dominant in traffic tracking the ball deep. Buffalo then countered with a stellar selection -- Bishop in Round 2. He's going to be a star with Sean McDermott. 

Carter is high-floor rusher, and the Bills had a sneaky need at defensive tackle because Ed Oliver was previously the only upfield interior rusher on the roster. I would've gone in many other directions instead of Davis. After that, Van-Pran Granger can be a high-caliber starter in time, and Ulofoshio is a smooth operator, another with a high floor. Solomon is the exact type of smaller, bendier outside rusher this roster has desperately needed, and Hardy is uber-talented at cornerback. My disagreement with the first selection sinks this grade a bit, and I'm surprised they didn't double-dip at receiver. 

Carolina Panthers

I'm afraid the Panthers drafted Jonathan Mingo 2.0 with Legette in Round 2. Brooks is a premier talent -- although I think the hype went a little out of control late in the process. I would've liked to see a better pure separator for Bryce Young , even after signing Diontae Johnson in free agency. 

Wallace is a fun, active linebacker but has some rawness to his game, and Sanders' film wasn't as tremendous as I expected for a former top recruit with quality production at Texas. Smith-Wade can be the best player from this class because of his twitch and feistiness as a tackler. 

Chicago Bears

Small but impactful class from Ryan Poles, and he added a pick late by trading a fourth-round pick in 2025 to get a high-upside outside rusher, which was a clear need. 

Williams and Odunze can be a tremendous duo at the two most vital positions in the game today, and Amegadjie can be a powerful tackle or guard thanks to his girth, length, leg churn, and, simply, how much nastiness exudes off his body when he's getting after it. 

Wasn't a gigantic fan of a punter -- never am in the draft -- but Taylor was clearly the most talented punter in the class. 

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals attacked their needs with authority in this class. Defensive tackle. Tight end. Edge rusher. Even added a pair of offensive linemen, and started with Mims who, if healthy, can eventually be the best blocker from this class. 

Jenkins and Jackson are two different defensive tackle types. Jenkins was the finest run defender in the class. Jackson is a nose tackle by frame and has three-technique talent getting up the field after the quarterback. I am a tick concerned about his poor workout. 

Burton is not your classic Round 3 receiver -- he has borderline first-round talent as one of the truly premier vertical threat. All and McLachlan are two reasonable talented pass-catching tight ends, and keep an eye on Johnson as an ascending rusher who can climb the depth chart because of his explosiveness and glimpses of hand work. 

Cleveland Browns

I hardly noticed the Browns didn't have a first-round pick in this draft because of the fine job GM Andrew Berry and Co. did. Hall has the goods to eventually become the finest defensive tackle from this class. Oh yeah, Zinter. I didn't love that pick. He's very stiff and coming off an injury. 

After that, Thrash was spectacular at Louisville at all three levels because of his twitch, route-running nuance, and run-after-the-catch creativity. Watson is a towering off-ball linebacker who rarely misses a tackle in the box, and Harden is a magnificent athlete who can outplay his draft position. Briggs has an athletic frame and penetrating style. Sneaky-good class from Cleveland. 

Dallas Cowboys

I, personally, am not sure what the Cowboys are doing. Ok, well I do know they stood by their word and attempted to rebuild the offensive line. I commend that. I loved Beebe in Round 2 and particularly Thomas in Round 7. 

Guyton is very much a project who doesn't quite play to his workout. Kneeland is another project-y type who never came close to dominating in the MAC. Liufau plays with his hair on fire. I like that. Minimal coverage chops beyond following crossers, and he misses tackles at too high a rate for my liking. 

Flournoy can be the gem of this class. Size, burst, long speed, and power through contact. It's all there with him, and the receiver group did need a little jolt. 

Denver Broncos

The Broncos did admirable work even without a second-round pick, although I don't have as much confidence in Nix as Sean Payton. 

Elliss is a supercharged edge rusher with untapped potential around the corner. Franklin, and particularly Abrams-Draine, have the refined skill sets to be stars as Day 3 selections. Estime has unusual wiggle for being a crazy-wide powerful rusher. This was a class in which the Broncos had to add weapons beyond getting a quarterback, and they did that. Plus, they didn't mortgage the future in landing said quarterback, 

Detroit Lions  

The Lions were ultra aggressive in this draft, which aligns with the demeanor of Dan Campbell. Not a brilliant idea team-building wise, however the Lions are clearly very close. Rakestraw plays with similar chippiness. 

Arnold is squeaky clean and has upside because of his complete game. Vaki is such an energetic safety who can do everything in any defensive back position. He's just small. Wingo can get up the field from the inside. For as much as I love what the Lions have done over the past three years, especially in the draft, after the back-to-back cornerback picks, I didn't love what Detroit did in this draft.

Green Bay Packers  

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has become my draft spirit animal. Loads of picks every year. Always takes fliers on athletic offensive linemen in the middle of the draft and Day 3 and constantly swings trades to move up and down the board. 

Morgan was picked a tick early, while Cooper needs to improve in coverage but has freaky athleticism ranging to the football. Lloyd is the perfect add to Matt LaFleur's zone-blocking scheme because he's thick with elite burst and wiggle. Williams is one of the most active safeties in the class, and Oladapo is a true specimen at the same position. Matchup with tight end type. 

After going skill-position heavy the past few years in the draft, Gutekunst prioritized the trenches and building out the secondary.  

Houston Texans

Nothing incredibly flashy here from GM Nick Caserio, but the flash came earlier this offseason, didn't it? Lassiter is your classic, well-coached Georgia cornerback. Fisher is a tremendous combo blocker and Bullock has ridiculous middle-of-the-field range. 

Stover will be a useful tight end for a decade. The next few picks after that were questionable, but I am fascinated to see if Byrd plays as athletically as he looked on the field or to his epically bad workout. 

Indianapolis Colts

GM Chris Ballard has a thing for athleticism, and I dig that. But in the past he's picked extreme athletes who weren't actually good football players. Latu has an incredibly high ceiling because of his pass-rush arsenal, Mitchell was a fantastic find at No. 52, and Goncalves can be a quality swing tackle or guard. 

Bortolini has potential because of his athletic chops, and Gould ab-so-lutely flies down the field. Carlies and Simpson are two totally different safeties. I love adding the blend of a rangy middle-of-the-field type and an in-the-box masher. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

After Thomas Jr. in Round 1, which happened after a trade back, I liked but didn't love what the Jaguars did. Smith has immense upside but never quite put it together at LSU, and Jones was one of the better nickel corners in the class. Foster has girth to play with power consistently. After that, their Day 3 picks left a lot to be desired in my estimation. Just minimal upside with those selections. 

Kansas City Chiefs

GM Brett Veach went on a heater with this draft class. Worthy and Suamataia were two awesome additions, even if the latter has some rough edges to his game right now. Wiley can really separate at the tight end position, and I think the Chiefs know a thing or two about that type of tight end. 

Hicks had no business going in Round 4. He's an intimidating do-everything safety. Nourzad is a true battler at center, and Hanson gave me Cole Strange vibes when I watched his Holy Cross film. With some huge offensive line contracts upcoming for the Chiefs, this was a smart class. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Rollercoaster draft for the Chargers. I wasn't as high on Alt as everyone else but certainly understood him going at No. 5. McConkey is a fun separator with deceptive run-after-the-catch talent. But then, I didn't see it with Colson outside of how stellar of a tackler he was. 

After that, it took until the Round 6 selection of Vidal for me to get back on board with this draft. And Vidal can eventually become the RB1 there in Los Angeles. You heard it here first. Rice and Johnson are essentially the same receiver, but Rice has more downfield juice. They aren't get-open pass catchers but Linear downfield assets. 

Los Angeles Rams

Les Snead is one of the most underrated GMs in the NFL . He proved that again with this draft. The Florida State duo with the first two picks -- spectacular. Older but instant-impact types. Neither Corum nor Kinchens are premier athletes; they just handle their jobs at a high level. Jackson has some upside as a thick but sleek edge rusher, and Davis is one of the preeminent run-stopping defensive tackles in this class. 

Oh, and Limmer is an eventual starter given his time destroying worlds in the SEC as an explosive and powerful pivot.

Las Vegas Raiders

GM Tom Telesco got another opportunity to run a draft and did not squander it. Bowers fell into their lap, and everyone thought Powers-Johnson would be a first-round pick. Glaze is a smooth athlete who can stay at tackle, and Richardson is a long plus athlete, which is precisely what this defense desperately needs to add. Eichenberg already plays like he's a five-year veteran, and, vitally, makes plays in coverage with good regularity. 

Laube will outplay his draft position because of his receiving talent and deceptive side-to-side juking skill. Taylor and Devonshire have the athleticism to outplay their respective draft positions.

Miami Dolphins

I like many of the prospects the Dolphins picked, but their plan was somewhat confusing. Robinson was my EDGE1. Sensible. Paul is the opposite of a scheme fit for what McDaniel asks of his blockers. Wright is a rocket when given space, which is fun, but now the running back room is super crowded. 

I'm all about adding more weapons at receiver today, but two slot types? Although Malik Washington was a second-round talent on my board, which is why I gave that a perfect grade. 

  Grade: B-

Minnesota Vikings

We have to applaud the Vikings for not having to trade the farm to get a quarterback in this class. Essentially, McCarthy fell into their lap. Turner's upside is through the roof. But the trade up was expensive, especially considering what they traded to originally obtain the No. 23 pick. 

Jackson is the ideal long, press-man cornerback for Brian Flores to deploy, and Rouse can eventually become a powerful tackle. Reichard will represent an upgrade at kicker. 

  Grade: B+

New England Patriots

The first non-Bill Belichick draft in 20-plus years for the Patriots went... amazingly. I'm serious. Maye at No. 3. Spectacular. Polk is a fun, versatile piece who tracks the ball awesomely, as does the fourth-round pick Baker, who has future No. 1 wideout upside. 

Robinson has a tremendous burst and power combination at guard, and Bell was the steal of the seventh-round. I have no idea how he lasted this far into the draft. He's a chiseled and athletic yards-after-the-catch weapon. 

New Orleans Saints

The Saints needed offensive tackle badly and added two big, powerful ones with their first and last picks in this draft. The McKinstry trade up was costly, but he is a first-round talent with a high floor. Rattler is a nice roll of the dice in Round 4, and Means can be another downfield weapon for Derek Carr in this offense. That was needed beyond Rashid Shaheed . 

New York Giants

The Giants' theme was pinpointing big-time athletes in this class. Nabers was my WR1, so fine start there. Phillips was one of the most impressive plant-and-drive corner in the class, and Johnson was the most athletic tight end with his best football in front of him. 

Tracy can threaten Devin Singletary for the RB1 and, if he can shore up his tackling, Muasau's play-recognition skills are spectacular. He beats blockers with relative ease, too. 

New York Jets

Fashanu and Corley to start -- magnificent. Allen is the best pass protection back in this class and has effortless power through contact given his supreme size. I didn't understand why New York would then add another running back a round later. Travis is an ascending quarterback with improvisational skill who can throw with anticipation. 

Philadelphia Eagles

GM Howie Roseman knows how to balance the draft as well as any GM in the league. Sometimes he's ultra aggressive, other times he trades back multiple times and lets the draft come to him. Either way, it always feels like quality prospects fall into his lap, doesn't it?

Mitchell AND DeJean? HELLO. Hunt has immense upside based on what he showed in 2023 at Houston Baptist, which came after a switch from safety at Cornell. Smith and Wilson are two divergent specimens but both experienced productive collegiate careers at marquee programs. And Trotter has the coverage ability and range to be a star in Philadelphia, just like his dad. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers absolutely needed to address the offensive line in this draft, and did exactly that. Fautanu didn't do it for me on film because of his lack of strength, but his mobility unquestionably jumped off the film. Frazier is an instant starter at center, and the Wilson duo in Round 3 perfectly filled needs. 

McCormick feels like a future starter at guard because of his athletic gifts, power, and awareness.

Seattle Seahawks  

Scattered draft here from Seattle. Murphy was the finest, most explosive rusher in the class with run-stopping prowess. Haynes is a rocket at guard in an ideal guard frame with length. Barner has the dynamic movement skill and reliable hands to be a better pro than he was in college. Laumea is another masher on the interior. James' feet are lightning quick, and he plays the ball aggressively on a routine basis. 

San Francisco 49ers

Very 49ers draft here. Pearsall feels like a future boundary weapon who'll get open with great regularity in Kyle Shanahan's system. Puni can play anywhere along the offensive line, and Mustapha is a chippy, split-field safety. Green is one of the steadiest cornerbacks in the class -- I mean that -- and Cowing has the juice to uncover at all three levels. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I liked the Braswell pick much more than the Barton selection, and McMillan will be a favorite target of Baker Mayfield because of his route-running skill, speed, and ball-tracking talent. Irving has the inherent elusiveness to outplay his draft position and poor pre-draft workout. Smith is a powerful rocket of a safety who tackles like a veteran. 

Tennessee Titans

The Latham pick was a bit surprising, yet it wasn't a brutal selection. Sweat in the top 40 was. After that, GM Ran Carthon pieced together a rock-solid haul. Gray is one of the younger but polished off-ball linebackers in the class, and Jackson can really get down the field with elite burst and long speed. 

Williams finds the football frequently because of his length and movement skill. Don't sleep on Harrell, either. He's young and really flashed as a pure outside rusher with a diverse set of pass-rush moves at Michigan. 

Washington Commanders

GM Adam Peters began his tenure in Washington with a bang. Daniels, Newton, Sainristil, Sinnott, Coleman, McCaffrey. My word. Those are all plus athletes with clean film who excel in their specific roles. Magee is a bendy off-ball linebacker with serious juice, and Hampton, while older, has as much athletic prowess as anyone in the class. 

   Grade: A

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J. Geils Band’s Peter Wolf announces summer tour dates around New England

It’s been a minute since Peter Wolf hit the road, but that’s about to change. The former J. Geils Band singer has announced a string of New England dates that’ll give longtime fans a chance to see the Hard Drivin’ Man do what he does better than most: Perform live onstage.

Wolf, who celebrated his 78th birthday last month, is doing a series of unplugged shows he’s calling the “Waiting On The Moon Tour: An Acoustic Evening of Stories and Songs.” He’ll be joined on the July dates by two frequent collaborators — guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry.

Though best known as the electrifying frontman of the J. Geils Band, Wolf has released eight well-reviewed albums under his own name, including 2002′s “ Sleepless ,” which Rolling Stone ranked No. 427 on a list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Lately, Wolf, who grew up in the Bronx but has lived in Boston for several decades, has been keeping a low profile while he writes a memoir. Anyone familiar with the singer’s backstory knows the book could be fascinating. In his late teens, Wolf lived in an apartment around the corner from Club 47, the Harvard Square coffeehouse that became Club Passim, and hung out with the likes of Mose Allison, Bill Monroe, Otis Spann, Howlin’ Wolf, and Muddy Waters.

The first of the seven shows are July 5 and 6 at Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, Maine. Wolf will also perform in Fall River July 12, Westerly, R.I., July 13, Natick July 18, Norfolk, Conn., July 19, and Rockport July 25. Ticket info can be found at peterwolf.com .

Mark Shanahan can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @MarkAShanahan .