Every week during New England fall foliage season we’ll tell you where to find the best fall color. Check here for 2024 updates.
By Jim Salge
Oct 10 2024
Cloudland Drive in Pomfret, Vermont.
Photo Credit : Mark FlemingThe wonderful thing about New England is that the region always has peak colors from late September until early November. And it often feels like peak-hits-peak during the big three-day weekend in October.
It will be the case this year, though the colors have shifted a bit south of where they usually are. Much of the far north has already peaked and is starting to fade. The highest elevations of the White and Green Mountains and mountains of western Maine are also past peak, with colors rapidly descending the slopes. Past peak color doesn’t mean no color, but the brightest hues have moved on.
For this weekend, you’ll have great viewing across much of the rest of northern New England, including the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Even the coastline will see some advancing color. Some trees have browned, but much of this year’s color has been bright, and the trend will continue further south. You can read more about this weekend’s forecast here: 2024 New England Fall Foliage Update | Surprises, Bright Spots, and Where to Go This Weekend.
One place we think will be exceptionally well positioned for some great foliage is Woodstock, Vermont.
If you want the quintessential New England small town experience, with great food, shopping, and lodging, there are few better places to visit than Woodstock, Vermont. And if you throw in ample access to great hiking, biking, and outdoor attractions, you’ve got all the makings of an amazing fall weekend.
Start the day at the Mon Vert Cafe right down town, or take the short drive over to the Skinny Pancake east of the village. After fueling up, the perhaps a hike up Mount Tom, or down to the river in the dramatic Queechee Gorge. There is an extensive trail network at the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historic Park as well, all graded well for horses too. One of the most unique attractions in the area is the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences Nature Center, with a canopy walk that can’t be beat in autumn.
For a drive, try the backroads of neighboring Pomfret and Barnard will bring you over rolling hills alternating between farms and forests. A longer drive to the west will bring you to the spine of the Green Mountains, the Appalachian Trail, and Killington’s famous adventure center. And you’ll pass the famous Long Trail Brewery on the way back to town right on Rt. 4.
Back near town, you can’t do a fall Vermont weekend without apples, cheese and maple syrup, and you can’t beat Whitman Brook Orchard and Sugarbush Farm, just a mile from each other to check those boxes. Dinner options abound in Woodstock, and you might try The Prince and the Pauper, or Malaza Bistro, both downtown. Or you could dine at Richardson’s Tavern inside the famous Woodstock Inn.
The colors in the area will be peaking this weekend, and the town certainly sees a bit of traffic, but the walkable downtown, and wide range of area attractions absolutely still make it our top weekend choice.
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It looks amazing across the northern tier of New England this week, and the show is just starting! Bold, bright reds were the highlight of last weekend across Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the Great North Woods of New Hampshire, and the northern mountains of western Maine. The colors weren’t quite peak last weekend but will be this weekend. And it’ll only expand from there!
To know how fast the rest of northern New England will change, we have to look at temperatures, especially overnight. We consistently see temperatures drop into the upper 40s and lower 50s at night, and morning fog has been a regular sight, but it hasn’t gotten truly cold yet, and may not until next week. As such, we aren’t predicting a huge expansion of color across the area quite yet. But you’ll see nice turning to moderate color all across the higher elevations of the Green and White Mountains and the highlands in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. Things will slowly get started in the Berkshires, too.
Western Maine’s highlands are looking especially colorful right now, which is why we’ve highlighted them, and the town of Bethel, this week.
Another important question to ask this week and beyond is how long will the colors last on the trees. Fortunately, we finally got some widespread rainfall last week, and that should add some resiliency to the forests. Typically dry weather and drought make for a short period of peak, so we’ll watch the northern forests carefully now that they are truly ablaze with color. It’s worth noting that some of the earliest autumn hues that emerged all across New England in mid-September have browned and fallen with the heat and dry weather, but there’s plenty more green to turn. We can call that the pre-show this year.
In summary, this is definitely the best weekend for the most northern tier of New England leaf peeping, and the other key areas that always turn first. And there is much more peak color to come!
More than just a ski town, Bethel is a charming village with central access to limitless year-round outdoor recreation. It has a quintessential New England feel, with cozy inns, local shops, cafes, and restaurants. But Bethel is also centrally located on great fall foliage driving routes, making it an ideal hub for leaf-peeping this weekend.
You’ll find many downtown breakfast options before setting out, like Cafe DiCocoa, Gemini Cafe, and the Local Hub, all with rave coffee reviews. From there, head up to Route 26 through Grafton Notch for some of the most dramatic mountains and waterfalls in western Maine. Don’t miss the dramatic roadside Screw Auger Falls or the rapids through Step Falls preserve. For a moderate hike, try Table Rock, which is different from the one in Dixville Notch, but just as dramatic. If you want to keep driving, you could loop with Route 16 back down through the thirteen mile woods in New Hampshire, or a longer loop all the way up and around the beautiful Rangeley Lakes.
Once back, try biking on the Bethel Village Trails, or take a scenic lift ride up Sunday River resort just up the road. Or visit the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum, showcasing the area’s rich mining history. For happy hour, there are several fantastic breweries in the area, including Steam Mill Brewing and Sunday River Brewing Company. And dinner, you can’t beat Butcher Burger! Bethel was hit hard by flooding last December, and all the local businesses definitely appreciate this second busiest season before winter.
Heading out of town at the end of your stay, taking the wild trek through Evans Notch can’t be beat, though foliage will be a bit early there.
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The emergence of the fall foliage continues to be a complex situation this year. Cooler air and the ongoing dry spell led to an astounding amount of bright color across New England leading up to our September forecast update, and this past weekend, we saw areas in the north and higher elevations progress through moderate color towards peak. These areas are isolated, but well-known, and should expand in the run-up to this weekend.
We also saw some of that early color across the rest of New England really struggle to hold on against the recent hot and persistently dry weather. After our last update, nine days in a row saw temps in the 80s, and with low humidity, strong sunshine, and lack of rain, some of the early bright colors browned and are on the ground. However, there is still plenty of green and turning trees to go, and the next round of color should start the real wave of fall foliage.
This weekend we should see the first peak colors in northern Vermont, higher elevations of northern New Hampshire, and western and northern Maine. However, moderate color will likely predominate the typical White and Green Mountains foliage regions, with low to moderate color across the rest of the region. This will include our foliage pick of the week, Littleton, NH, which we chose because it is central to areas with peak color.
There will be some pops of bright color everywhere in New England, though – a sign of things to come. And now that seasonably cool weather is again in the forecast, it should only continue!
Littleton, New Hampshire, is a charming classic New England mountain town. It has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, both as a tourism destination and a place to call home. The downtown has been revitalized with shops and restaurants and is surrounded by a wealth of recreational opportunities.
Start your day at the Crumb Bum Bakery downtown for great sandwiches and coffee, or make the pilgrimage to Polly’s Pancake Parlor in nearby Sugar Hill, but expect a long and worthwhile wait for the latter. From there, peak color will generally be north. You could head towards the Northeast Kingdom through Willoughby Gap or Newport for great foliage over lake views, or ride the Kingdom Trails near Burke. Alternatively, you could head to Dixville Notch and hike Table Rock for a view that has found substantial Instagram fame.
Back in town, make sure you stop by Chutters and experience the world’s longest candy counter, and for a unique shopping and art experience, don’t miss Shaun Terhune’s stunning gallery just a few doors down. For dinner, there are many great restaurants in town like the Beal House and Freehouse Taproom, but you can’t miss a traditional brew and pretzel at Schilling Brewery next to the covered bridge. Alternately, the Wildbloom Beer taproom is bright and welcoming, and they often host great food trucks on site. For lodging, the historic Thayers Inn offers a convenient downtown experience.
Fall colors south of Littleton will also be coming on strong, but nearby Franconia and Crawford Notches won’t be quite as bright yet.
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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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