Best Places to see Fall Foliage in New England

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. Leaves changing colors, fall foliage, transition to winter.. It speaks to me in more than one way. Not only is it breathtakingly beautiful, it appeals to me philosophically as well. While leaf peeping is an amazing experience, chasing the fall colors is a different game altogether. It’s a hit or miss regardless of how hard you try to catch them during the peak season. In general, the peak season arrives in the north first and slowly trickles down south. Luckily, there are multiple websites (listed below) that can help us track the best time to see fall colors in multiple states of Northeastern US.

https://www.visitnh.gov/foliage-tracker

https://www.vermont.com/foliage.cfm

https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report/

From Vermont to New York, here is a list of best 5 places to check out fall foliage in New England!

Woodstock, Vermont

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Woodstock is by far my favorite town for leaf peeping in New England. Only 140 miles from Boston, Woodstock turns magical during Autumn. It has all the elements of your ideal fall weekend or a day trip – Covered bridges, farms, country stores and a stunning gorge. Add to it, the beautiful town center with elegant architecture and numerous restaurants and you have the makings of a perfect itinerary.

It was raining the day we visited the town. However, the colors were even more vibrant and stunning due to the weather. It was like a blessing in disguise. Start your day by visiting the Quechee Gorge (in Quechee), also known as Vermont’s little Grand Canyon. The deepest gorge in the state was formed by glacial activity thousands of years ago. You can take in the views from the footbridge or hike the canyon on foot. If you have more time, do explore the Quechee State Park surrounding the region. Next, we headed to the Taftsville Covered Bridge. Spanning the Ottauquechee River in the Taftsville village of Woodstock, this historic red bridge is one of the oldest covered bridges in the nation.

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Thereon out, it was time to grab some lunch in the Village of Woodstock. We got a lovely window booth at ‘The Bench’ with view of the street. The food was delicious and the local beer was very good. Next we visited the most instagrammable spot in Vermont! The Sleepy Hollow Farm located in Pomfret is one of the most scenic spots in the region. Although it is beautiful year round, autumn is the best time to visit the property. It is a scenic drive to the farm with views of farm animals and a lovely pond.

Lastly, before leaving for Stowe, we made a stop at the Cedar Circle Farm. We clicked some pictures at the pumpkin patch and picked one up for carving back home!

Stowe, Vermont

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While we reached Stowe past the peak season, it is still one of my favorite places to visit in New England. We stayed at a lovely AirBnB in Waterbury ,only a few minutes walk from Cold Hollow Cider and few miles away from Ben & Jerry’s factory. It was pretty exciting as we had a lot of new things to try in Stowe & Waterbury.

Next morning, we started by biking the Stowe Recreation Path. This 5.5 miles paved public path is free to use and offers some gorgeous views along the way. People use it for hiking, biking, running and even for skiing during winters. We crossed a corn maze, a garden, some bridges (spanning a river), picnic tables and mountain views from various stops. The recreation path gives you ample opportunity to appreciate the fall foliage. Later in the day, we had reservations at Idletyme Brewing Company. The beer was very good, service not so much. Overall, a great first day in this scenic town of Vermont!

The morning after, we headed to the Trapp Family Lodge. A luxury resort with Austrian inspired architecture, it’s a vast property spread out at a prime location in the town. Although we did not have the budget to stay at the lodge, we bought a day pass to explore the property and have some breakfast. While I haven’t visited Austria, the architecture did remind me of Swiss Chalets. The Austrian bakery ‘Kaffeehaus‘ had some beautiful views and limited but good breakfast . We even spotted some farm animals on the way to the bakery.

We would have loved to come back for the ‘Bierhall‘ (brewery) but were pressed for time. Trapp Family Lodge is owned and operated by the family behind the movie ‘The Sound of Music’. There are tours available for those who are interested in knowing more about the history of the lodge. It was time to head back to Waterbury, checkout from our Airbnb and try some cider donuts at Cold Hollow Cider. I am not a big fan but it was definitely unlike anything I had ever tried before. Next, we had a maple flavored coffee at Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea and headed downtown to stroll the main street. Since we had already visited Ben & Jerry’s factory in the past, we skipped it this time. The main street was fun, tons of shopping to do and nice for people watching.

Considering we visited Stowe past the peak season for Fall Foliage, the Mount Mansfield auto-road and Smugglers Notch State park were closed. You should definitely check them out when visiting during the peak season (ends first week of October).

Kancamagus Highway

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Also known as ‘The Kanc’, this 35 mile scenic byway in New Hampshire is the best way to see fall colors in the region. With plenty of viewpoints, this scenic drive cuts through the White Mountain National Forest offering some of the best views from the comfort of your car. You can either go east to west from Lincoln to Conway or vice versa. Additionally, there are numerous hiking trails and campgrounds if you would like to extend your visit into a longer vacation rather than just a day trip (No regrets I promise!).

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We made following stops during our drive:

Loon Mountain Resort: You could take the Gondola ride up to the summit of the Loon Mountain, take a yoga class at the summit or grab some food at the cafe up top , do some downhill mountain biking or simply soak in the views.

Swift River (Albany Bridge) : Part of the larger Saco river basin, Swift river flows east along the Kancamagus Highway for 26 miles offering scenic views from different locations.

Pemigewasset Overlook: A scenic overlook offering panoramic views of the Osceola Mountains, it is considered the best overlook on this national byway.

Sugar Hill Scenic Overlook: Another worthy stop, this overlook offers views of Mount Tremont, Owl Cliff, Bear Mountain, Sugar Hill and the Swift River Valley.

Lower Falls Scenic Area: While it is a popular swimming area during summers, the waterfall is pretty gorgeous during autumn as well.

Sabbaday Falls: Sabbady falls offer more dramatic views and are surrounded by the woods. The gorge which reminded me of ‘The Basin’ was carved thousands of years ago by a glacier.

Rocky Gorge Scenic Area: While I have only seen a few gorges in my life, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this one. You can also access the footbridge and soak in the panoramic views from up there.

Bear Notch: After ending the drive, we took the Bear Notch road to Bartlett. We were again welcomed by beautiful colors all around, this bonus side trip added more fun to this lovely day!

This is by far the most we have seen on a single drive in such a short amount of time!

Mohawk Trail

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One of the first auto-touring roads in the US, Mohawk trail is a scenic byway in Western Massachusetts. The drive is even more rewarding during the Fall season. You drive by beautiful towns, forests, farms and lookouts. While there are multiple start and end points for this trail when you research online, the most beautiful drive is between North Adams and Greenfield (40 miles). You can make multiple stops along the trail. Greenfield is located about 90 miles from Boston. Highly recommended for leaf peeping during Autumn!

We spent a good amount of time in the historic village of Shelburne Falls. Stroll across the colorful Bridge of Flowers which attracts 35,000 visitors every year. The 400 foot long bridge originally built for trolleys is now covered in variety of flowers and plants (500 approx.). The bridge spans across the Deerfield river. On one end of the bridge is Water street in Shelburne Falls and on the other end is State Street in Buckland. There are a number of cafes, restaurants, bookstores and art galleries in the region.

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Next, we drove to Davenport Maple Farm which was on the way to our final stop below. The vast expanse of the farm during Autumn season is like a panoramic painting. The farm sells maple products year round. You can learn about the sugaring process, visit animals on farm and have a meal at the restaurant situated on property.

The final stop we made was the ‘Little Big House Gallery‘. While the gallery was closed at the time, the house and the surrounding gardens were right out of a post card. The drive up to the house was lovely and the foliage all around was surreal. If you are in mood for some hiking, do make a stop at Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont.

Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway

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Open 365 days a year, this 52 mile scenic byway stretches across 4 towns – Shandaken, Middletown, Olive and Andes. It also connects the historic hamlets of Phoenicia & Pine Hill, and the villages of Fleischmanns & Margaretville. Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway follows New York State Route 28 offering beautiful views of the Catskill Park’s forested lands, waterways, farmlands, mountains and much more. They have been an inspiration for artists over the years. Only 100 miles from New York City, Catskills are a perfect fall escape for New Yorkers!

I hope you get a chance to explore all of states above and much.. The entire North East region looks like a painting during Autumn. One of the best perks of living in New England is the opportunity to enjoy all four seasons. Looking forward to post more Winter content in the next few months. Adios!