2016 Foliage Report | Autumn Color Arriving in Far Northern New England
The autumn foliage is fast approaching! Here’s our latest expert New England 2016 fall foliage report.
By Jim Salge|Sep 23 2016|
Fall Foliage Emerging in the High Valleys of the White Mountains This Past Week.
Credit: Stephen Godin Photography
Autumn color is arriving in Northern New Hampshire. This view from The Cabins At Lopstick should become much brighter this week
Credit: The Cabins At Lopstick WebcamCredit: The Cabins At Lopstick Webcam Those earliest places typically take some effort to get to, either in miles driven from the region’s population centers, or in elevation gained on foot. Far northern New England, places like the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, Coos County in New Hampshire, and the mountains of western Maine are typically quiet, lightly developed, traditionally beautiful and definitely beginning to turn now. These areas have seen the coldest temperatures over the past weeks, and even saw a frost last Saturday morning. More could be on the horizon this weekend and early next week, and the early colors we are already seeing should quickly race towards peak.
Intense red foliage is beginning to emerge near Sugarloaf Ski Resort in Maine
Credit: Jon SecordCredit: Jon Secord The best drives to see this early color include Route 5 in Vermont, between Lyndon and Newport, Route 3 in New Hampshire through Pittsburg and the Connecticut Lakes Region, and Route 16 from Berlin, New Hampshire into Maine past Rangeley and up to Flagstaff Lake. These routes all pass by plenty of viewpoints both at elevation and over large expanses of water, which should make them especially beautiful on cool, misty mornings.
Fall Foliage Emerging in the High Valleys of the White Mountains This Past Week.
Credit: Stephen Godin PhotographyCredit: Stephen Godin Photography For those not looking to put so many miles behind them this weekend, a hike in the mountains will bring you up into cooler climates and turning foliage. The high, cooler valleys above 2,500 feet in the western White Mountains are always among the first areas to turn, and the Zealand Valley should be peaking for a surprisingly mild hike of a few miles in. A more strenuous foliage hike this weekend would take you to any of the subalpine slopes on the Presidential Range, like in Tuckerman Ravine, where bright yellows from birches will dominate. Another early foliage hiking option might be in Maine, where the Bigelow Range north of Sugarloaf Ski Resort should have some nice color coming in this week. Most of the other mountainous areas in the Greens and Whites, and over to Baxter State Park will need at least another week before they peak, though early spots of color will begin to fill for nice early scenes. This would include areas like Groton State Forest in Vermont, and the hills above Warren in western NH.
The ridges near the Western Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire are starting to show color this week too.
Credit: Phillip Forsyth
