Fall Foliage Sightseeing in New England

One of the major reasons to visit New England is for its brilliant fall foliage and the sightseeing that comes along with it in these cool autumn months. Sort of like a distraction from the rough oncoming winter, fall brings about a beautiful change in leaf color throughout the entire six states, and throughout the country. While color does change all over the United States and throughout the northern hemisphere during the fall months, New England and the northeast of the USA has some particularly colorful displays of color.

Each area of New England has its own peak leaf change time. Much of the six states experience peak fall foliage during the 2nd and 3rd week of October, but higher elevations will peak much sooner. Along the coast and further to the south, foliage will peak later. Outside of New England, it isn’t unusual in the southern states for the most attractive autumn color to come about throughout November.

Here are five places you can visit in the United States to experience some brilliant fall color, as well as take up some of the local history and culture while you’re there.

1. Boston. The city of Boston has beautiful fall foliage displays. Unlike many other cities throughout the country, Boston has plenty of trees lining the streets and along the Charles River. Just outside the city, you can find great walking trails in the Blue Hills, complete with some spectacular overlooks of the city and harbor.

2. Killington. My personal favorite place to see autumn foliage, Killington is one of New England’s biggest ski resorts, but an underestimated place to see some beautiful sites in the fall.

3. The Berkshires. The western edge of Massachusetts has some incredible, isolated towns and peaks to peep more leaves. Towns like Lenox, Lee, and Williamstown are just a few miles from both Vermont and New York, making it an interesting vacation or weekend getaway.

4. Kancamagus Highway. The North Conway region of New Hampshire is probably the busiest part of the state during leaf peeping season, and its busiest highway is the scenic backroad highway, the Kancamagus. If you can, try to avoid the weekends and visit a few hours before sunset or an hour or two after sunrise for the best views.

5. Mount Monadnock, New Hampshire. The Monadnock region of New Hampshire is fairly isolated, and that’s the best part. Nearby is the town of Hancock, NH, one of the prettiest towns in New England, along with plenty of deserted backroads to travel and enjoy. If you’re looking for a more commercial route with plenty of stores, towns and rest stops, this isn’t it. For that experience, you might want to head to the middle of New Hampshire or to some of the more traveled coastal towns of New England.

Also, be sure to check out lensmaster Jazzodog’s lens on fall foliage in New England, where users have voted on and submitted their ideas for the best places to visit and see foliage in the six states.