The Ultimate New England Fall Foliage Travel Guide

Updated: September 9th, 2023 | Posted by: Grace Kim

You know when fall has arrived when coffee shops start getting flooded with people only to get a hold of pumpkin spice lattes. It sets the mood perfectly with the New England fall foliage, as you might only have a week of snapping photos of your latte in front of beautiful bright red trees. But besides pumpkin spiced lattes, you’re probably wondering. when do the leaves start to fall? When is the best time to see fall colors in New England?

Late heat and early cold indicates vibrant foliage. These yellow, orange, red, and purple leef peepers scatter throughout areas with trees that produce chlorophyll during the summer. And for this reason, the pigment in the leaves change color. But before the leaves fall off entirely, chase and capture the New England fall foliage to your fullest advantage.

>> Check out my hiking essentials when chasing foliage

How to Plan for a Road Trip in New England During the Fall

I’ve lived in the east coast my entire life but have never cared to explore New England during the fall season. The leaves on the trees will divert your focus as you’ll be gazing left and right for the brightest ones. But after getting into photography and scrolling through your Instagram feed, I’m sure you’ll want to explore the Northeast during the autumn season.

Heads up that if you’re a planner, don’t expect to follow your itinerary exactly as planned. In order to capture the peaks of the foliage, you pretty much have to “chase” after the colors. So, if you’re not a last minute type of traveler but want to experience the foliage, have a general route of where you want to go and what you want to see. When I flew into the Boston Logan International Airport, all we had were three days out of the 3-week trip planned.

But if you want to set plans that are longer than 3 days, when is the best time for the New England fall foliage? The best time to come see the fall foliage is between late September through mid-October.

Housing + Accommodations

Before your arrival, hopefully you have a car rental already secured. For a party of 4, we rented a mini van, which was perfect for the long road trip. For hotels, we booked our stays either the day before or the morning of and thankfully, there were enough hotels that weren’t sold out for the day. Some hotels that we preferred staying at did sell out, but I guess that’s what last minute planning does although we didn’t have an issue finding accommodations.

>> Book your car rental here.

During our 3-week trip, we ended up staying at 11 places. These range from sleeping at hotels and Airbnb’s, and car camping at a Walmart parking lot for one night. On average, one night’s hotel stay will cost you around $80 – $150. If you’re traveling by yourself, hotel accommodations do get expensive, but that’s what Walmart parking lots are for! Car camping is allowed without any type of registration at Walmart parking lots. Maybe you’ll find other travelers camping out to catch the New England fall foliage as well.

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Consider Weather Conditions When Planning

While planning your autumn trip, don’t get bummed out if rain suddenly appears in your forecast. There’s a high chance of rainfall during your trip, but hopefully it doesn’t pour all day long. During our 3-week trip, it rained about 3-4 times, with another day of light rainfall during sunrise. Thankfully we took our chances and caught sunrise anyways.

If you’re in need of planning ahead, note that the colors don’t peak the same time every year. There’s a lot of factors that may allow the colors to peak earlier than the previous year, but it’d be good updating yourself on conditions starting from the beginning of October. But if you just need to put in your PTO days at work, I’d suggest booking a flight the last week of October into the second week of November as your safest bet.

>> Read More: How Often Do Travel Bloggers Actually Travel?

What to Bring…

Wherever you’re traveling from, note that temperates vary from cold to warm throughout the day. There are going to be days where it’s okay with only a sweater, but there will also be days where you will need layers of jackets. It’s also colder in the mornings, so be prepared to layer up.

If you haven’t experienced chasing the New England fall foliage yet, I’d highly recommend bringing the items listed below to have you fully prepared. I don’t think I was entirely ready for the season, as I constantly had to borrow other people’s jackets. Thankfully, everyone else was more prepared than I was, although I could’ve easily walked into a Walmart or Target and purchase additional clothing.

But if you’re looking to take beautiful pictures with a little pop, you definitely want to consider bringing these outerwear for your autumn road trip.

Because you’re going to be dealing with fluctuating weather, I can’t emphasize enough that you pack extra layers. I used ever single item listed on the daily, as they completed the autumn look and feel.

I can’t emphasize enough that if you’re hiking early in the morning or after a killer sunset, to bring a headlamp. Headlamps will safe you from tripping over unexpected rocks and branches while getting down the trail, and it’ll also help prevent you from getting lost. It was a huge lesson I learned firsthand!

Where Are The Best Places to See The Fall Colors in New England?

Now for the fun part. You’re probably stoked to venture out on the hikes and gorges that provide beautiful aerial views of the autumn leaves. And for this reason, I’ve created a list of top destinations that are worth visiting, providing amazing scenic views when visiting during peak. Again, chasing after the New England fall foliage is like a game, as you’ll find yourself constantly checking Instagram Stories to ensure that conditions are peaking in real time. Listed are some of the best places to see the fall colors in New England:

1. Sleepy Hollow

Known as the most visited and photographed spot in Vermont, catching sunrise at Sleepy Hollow is worth those sleepless hours. Surrounded by dirt roads and big barns, prepare to set up your tripod next to 20 other photographers. And if you’re worried about parking, don’t be because the house sits along a long road without any parking restrictions.

There isn’t one particular “shot” at Sleepy Hollow as there are a ton of angles to shoot the big red barn from. You will find people taking photos right by the fence of the driveway, some getting higher ground on the street level, and others attempting to get as close to the house as they can.

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2. Smugglers Notch

Driving up a long windy road, make sure you have a drone to capture this road shot. Unfortunately, my drone had a software issue and didn’t work when we got to Smugglers Notch, but that just means I have to come back next year with it fixed. The aerial views of Smugglers Notch is what people drive up this road for, as it provides some of the most beautiful colors during peak. It’s also a popular tourist attraction so make sure to come early enough to find a place to park along the windy road.

This notch is a mountain pass that separates two mountains from Spruce Peak and Sterling Range, the highest peaks of the Green Mountains. There’s a lot of history behind this notch as it was requested by Thomas Jefferson to prevent Americans getting involved in war. But who knew that Smugglers Notch was going to end up as a popular photographed New England fall foliage spot back then?

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3. Flume Gorge

Known for its infamous red barn, Flume Gorge is a hot spot for visitors during the fall season. Approximately taking 1.5 hours to go around the entire loop, get ready to walk up and down a handful of stairs. If you plan your trip correctly and go during the peaks of the New England fall foliage, you’ll feel as if you’re walking through a patch of rainbow leaves. It’s a beautiful and relaxing walk as you’ll take pictures of the walk every few minutes. These trees are just so difficult to ignore!

Make sure that before arriving to Flume Gorge, you have tickets purchased in advance. They do not allow ticket purchases on site, but there should be enough available days in advance. Even if you’re budgeting, purchasing these tickets are well worth the visit as there are a handful of stunning waterfalls and walkways along the walk.

Hours of Operation:

9 AM – 5 PM

Ticket Pricing:

Ages 13 and over: $16

Ages 6 – 12: $14

Ages 5 and under: free

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4. Adriondacks Mountain

Filled with jaw dropping views, the Adriondacks is full of beautiful hikes. Knowing that I will probably be getting a ton of people asking where the exact hike is, the locals have kindly asked to not share the location. They are worried about the potential traffic the crowds will cause, as parking is extremely limited. But if you are hiking this trail, please be mindful and follow The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace, providing an understanding of minimum impact practices for visitors.

When you get to the trail, make sure to come early enough to avoid parking tickets as it gets extremely crowded. There are rangers who man the area, giving out parking tickets along no parking zone areas. There are two parking lots, one closer to the trail and one across the street. You will also find people parking their car about a mile away from the entrance of the trail. And although the last parking option is far, the holistic experience is worth every minute.

Exploring the New England fall foliage without getting to the top of this 11 mile trail just wouldn’t be complete. Round trip, you’re looking at around a 4-mile venture loop, with a 1,677 ft elevation gain. Note that before getting to the top, expect to walk about 45 minutes along a long, concrete road. The walk back might seem endless, but trust me. You’re going the right way back.

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5. Stowe

Known for its outdoorsy activities, wandering around the artsy town and and visiting all the white churches are staples you don’t want to miss out on. Stowe is a special place as the town is filled with brilliant foliage and coffee shops serving delicious pumpkin spiced lattes.

Driving through the scenic highways are activities to partake in as you’ll randomly find yourself pulling off to the side to take photos. Consider flipping through Go Stowe’s Scenic Drives Guide for suggested driving routes with exact direction.

With guided, self guided tours and festive events during the peaks of the autumn season, Stowe is a place you want to explore during your trip. In Vermont, Stowe is popularly known as one of the most booked hotels during the fall season. This puts to show how special of a place it is to capture the best of the New England fall foliage.

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6. Kancamangus Highway

Filled with epic road shots, driving through Kancamangus Highway is an experience in itself. Don’t forget to fill up your gas tank because the drive is 34.5 miles long with many off road shots. Filled with a ton of scenic areas and trailheads along the drive, keep an eye open out for places to park off the side. And when you safely park to take photos, be prepared to encounter hundreds of cars driving through the road, getting in the middle of your shots.

We pulled off to the road about three times and each time, we spent about 20 minutes running on and off the road just to get our highway shots of the road without any cars. Took more time than we thought, but the pictures were all worth it in the end. It also helps if you have a car watcher on the side of the road screaming to let you know that cars are coming.

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7. The Mount Washington Cog Railway

Make a reservation to go on a ride along the Mount Washington Cog Railway. If we had a bit more time, riding along the scenic routes of New Hampshire in a train would’ve been an amazing experience. For solo travelers and families alike, this train ride will be extremely fun for everyone. Round trip, the ride is just under 3 hours with an elevation to 6,288 ft in approximately 45 minutes. Enjoy this smoothly running experience as the rides run seasonally.

Ticket Pricing:

Adults: $41

Children: $29

Departing from Waumbek Station, there are very limited time slots in which the trains run. These time slots are as listed:

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

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8. Crawford Notch Mountains

Overlooking the beautiful Crawford Notch, this 3.2 round trip mile provides beautiful views featuring a small waterfall on the left once getting to the top. Dogs are permitted on this trail as the pathway to get to the top is pretty defined. The trail is pretty rocky, but wouldn’t label it as a challenging hike. Round trip, the hike takes around 2 hours with a 908 ft elevation gain. There’s a ton of parking right across train tracks so if you’re an inexperienced hiker, you’ll have no problem finding the entrance.

Although this trail is prime during the fall season, it’s pretty popular during the winter season as well. You’ll be getting different landscape views, but it depends if you want to see the New England fall foliage or patches of snow.

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9. Acadia National Park

Located in the coastal parts of Maine, visiting Acadia National Park should be listed on top of your New England travel guide list. With a number of beautiful hikes and trails in Acadia, Bar Harbor, and Schoodic, you’ll undoubtedly witness some of the best fall foliage.

Therefore, the best time to visit Acadia National Park is in the late spring and fall. Keep in mind that although it gets busy during this time, you can’t beat great fall conditions. In total, 3-4 days is enough time to spend in Acadia, but it all really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish on your trip. Are you looking to hike? Are you looking to try out restaurants? But if you ask me, visiting Acadia will be well worth your time, as again, the conditions are super unique and you’ll surely witness the most vibrant fall leaves.

Unfortunately, we were unable to add Acadia National Park, but will probably be the first place we will be visiting next year.

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10. Mount Sugarloaf State Park

Located right by the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mount Sugarloaf is a beautiful park with some of the most amazing views of the Connecticut River. With a tower in the middle of the park, swing by and get a hold of higher views of the park, or bring a basket of food to enjoy a picnic while overlooking an amazing sunset.

There are a number of hikes along the path that can be found on the official Sugarloaf Park site. Reservations can be made 48 hours in advance and tents can be reserved. Keep in mind that if you’re not camping out at the park, that park hours are from 9:00AM – sunset. So if you’re trying to capture a beautiful sunset, come during golden hour (about an hour before sunset) and take your snaps. We were the last group to leave the park, as we were attempting to capture the landscape with the least amount of sunlight.

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Overall Experience

Even if you might not be a huge fan of the cold, experiencing the fall foliage in the east coast provides a unique experience you really can’t get anywhere else in the world. Requiring flexibility and a passion for nature, chasing the New England fall foliage is a trip of a lifetime. Whether you choose to travel solo or with a group whose goals align with yours, get ready to layer up and indulge in large amounts of pumpkin spiced lattes and apple cider.

Because of the experience with the people I traveled with, you bet that I plan on heading over to the east coast every fall season. The ambiance, activities, hikes, and seasonal vibes encountered are total vibes as the life of a leaf has limited time before falling off their roots. Remember to also seize all the opportunities presented to you as it’s possible for the leaves to fall off the trees in a matter of days. It blew my mind (literally) that some places visited lost their color in such a short period of time.

As long as you remember to backup your photos after the end of each day, you’ll have enough photos and content to edit throughout your trip chasing the New England fall foliage.

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Don’t forget to get yourself a copy of the COMPLETE New England Travel Guide!

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