New England Travel
Your one-stop guide to 2024 fall foliage for New England, including detailed maps and specific dates to see the best fall colors in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and the rest of New England.
After an unseasonably warm and dry start to September, fall in New England has officially arrived. The leaves have only just started to change color in the Boston area, but before you know it, the local landscape will see an explosion of yellows, oranges, and reds. Meanwhile, in Northern New England, the 2024 fall foliage season has already begun in earnest.
New England is renowned for its brilliantly hued leaves, attracting leaf peepers from all over the U.S. seeking the autumnal tapestry of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and sometimes even the lower half of New England, including the fall colors of the Boston area.
Thanks to the aforementioned lack of rain, the 2024 fall foliage forecast for New England saw a major shakeup earlier this month.
What was initially predicted to be a fantastic season for fall colors has been downgraded slightly by Jim Salge, a former meteorologist at Mount Washington and longtime foliage expert for Yankee magazine.
“It’s a shame, as this year was so close to working out perfectly,” Salge wrote. “We need weather like we’ve been having to bring out the best colors, but the lack of rain has been too much.”
That quote doesn’t tell the whole story, however. There are still good opportunities to see dazzling fall foliage across New England in 2024. But because of the lack of rain, timing is everything.
Here is a full guide to 2024 fall foliage in New England, including detailed maps and dates to see the best fall foliage in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and the Boston area.
Jump to specific 2024 fall foliage information with the links below:
2024 fall foliage forecast for New England
Why did the 2024 fall foliage forecast for New England change?
During the initial prediction phase for the 2024 fall foliage season in New England, experts like Salge rely on weather conditions from earlier in the year. Salge previously told Boston.com that a late spring and a summer with adequate rainfall helps to promote overall tree health, which helps to produce fantastic colors.
That appeared to be the case for this year as well, with Salge’s initial 2024 fall foliage forecast in mid-August telling New Englanders to stay “primed for a big show” due to minimal impact from droughts, overwatering, insects, and fungus.
But the weather immediately leading up to autumn is an even more important factor for brilliant fall foliage. Due to August and September’s almost-complete lack of rain, there have been some major changes to the predictions of when and for how long we will be able to see peak fall foliage in New England for 2024.
According to Salge, peak fall foliage for New England in 2024 will arrive earlier than usual, and will happen more quickly.
In general, when is the best time to see fall foliage in New England for 2024?
Historically, the oranges and reds typically arrive earlier at higher elevations, which means trees in the mountainous regions of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine turn first. It also usually takes a few weeks for the same colors to show up in Southern New England, including the Boston area.
In previous years, peak foliage has arrived in early October in places like the White Mountains, Northern Vermont, and Maine, then arrived in mid-to-late October in Southern New England.
For 2024, Salge is predicting that there will be a brilliant flash of reds that will arrive earlier than usual, will spread across New England more rapidly than usual, and will disappear more quickly than usual.
The best time to see the leaves in New England always varies by region, but for 2024, a general suggestion would be to bump up your usual leaf-peeping trip by a week.
What are the best trees for fall foliage in New England?
You can spot gorgeous fall colors in many plants, even spruces and shrubs. However, the main attraction in New England is the majestic maple, found across the region’s forests and particularly in Maine and northern New Hampshire.
“The maples are really the prime trees that create the great colors New England is known for,” Salge told Boston.com. “Red maples are turning already in the swamps. Sugar maples make up a lot of the Northern Forest.”
Though the Boston area can offer excellent colors, Salge said that oak trees are more commonly found here than maples, and oaks aren’t quite the color superstars that maples are.
“Oaks tend to be a more muted, rusty color,” Salge said, “while maples tend to be really, really vibrant.”
Could the 2024 fall foliage forecast still change?
It’s already fall, so it seems like we should know definitively what the foliage will look like in New England by now, right?
Not when the conditions are unlike any that have been previously observed, according to Salge.
Salge told Yankee magazine that his updated 2024 fall foliage forecast is based in part on how the leaves looked in 2020, another recent drought year. But in reality, 2024’s rainless streak is much more extreme than 2020, and has almost no comparison in the historical record.
While it’s possible that recent rainfall could help save the fall foliage season, but there isn’t enough data to form a reasonable hypothesis.
“The problem is that a rainless streak this long is unprecedented at this time of year, as the last dry streak in autumn that was remotely comparable was before New England was reforested after the collapse of sheep farming and then the hurricane of ’38,” Salge wrote on Facebook. “When the seasonal forecast is constantly working through the extreme ends of the climate range, questions simply have to remain until we live through it.”
Peak fall foliage dates, maps for New England
When is peak fall foliage in New Hampshire and Maine for 2024?
The drought conditions have made the 2024 fall foliage forecast for New England more unpredictable than usual.
But based on a number of forecasts and models synthesized into a single map by Explore Fall, peak fall foliage in the northern half of New Hampshire and the northernmost part of Maine will arrive by September 30 and will begin to disappear by October 7.
Meanwhile, peak fall foliage in the southern half of New Hampshire and swaths of Southern Maine will arrive in waves beginning Columbus Day weekend (October 11-14). The leaves will begin to fade by the following week (October 17-24) starting farther north.
When is peak fall foliage in the Boston area and across Massachusetts?
There is always a significant difference between peak fall foliage conditions in the Western Massachusetts and the Boston area, often by a few weeks. That appears to be the case for 2024 as well, if Explore Fall’s maps are to be believed.
For Western Massachusetts (specifically the Berkshires), peak fall foliage will arrive by October 7, and will be gone by October 17. Central Massachusetts will follow the same pattern, but a week later, with peak arriving by October 14 and dissipating by October 24.
The Boston area (along with the Cape and the islands) will be the last to hit peak fall foliage, with many areas holding off until October 25. Salge told Boston.com that proximity to the coast is a major factor for fall foliage, and that many towns slightly inland from the water will turn earlier.
Additionally, some of the best places to see fall foliage in Boston (like Blue Hills Reservation) are at higher elevations, and will thus hit their peak a little earlier. (More on that below.)
What does a map of current fall foliage conditions in New England look like?
Rather than rely on predictive models for its maps, The Foliage Report creates maps based on reports from on-the-ground leaf peepers.
The Foliage Report’s most recent fall foliage map for New England shows that only a few small pockets of New England have already hit peak foliage. (Don’t be fooled by the shade of tan on the map, which indicates moderate color, not past-peak color.)
Dedicated leaf-peepers on social media have begun sharing fall foliage photos as well, revealing that areas in Vermont and New Hampshire have begun to change, but are by no means at peak or past peak (as of September 25).
Best fall foliage spots to visit in New England
What are the best places to see fall foliage in the Boston area?
When it comes to fall foliage, Boston can’t compare with other parts of New England (or even other parts of Massachusetts), thanks to the sheer volume of trees. Nevertheless, Salge pinpointed a few opportunities for admiring the Boston area’s trees, including Blue Hills Reservation and Boston Common.
According to Salge, Blue Hills Reservation typically peaks “sometime from Columbus Day through mid-October” due to its higher elevation.
“There’s miles of hiking, great views, and opportunities to be a little more remote,” he said.
Boston Common, meanwhile, is “a beautiful place to see foliage, as is a trip along the Charles,” according to Salge. If you’re busy earlier in October, the Common doesn’t typically reach peak colors until the last week of October.
Another of Salge’s favorites just outside of Boston is Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.
“There’s a great diversity of trees in the arboretum,” Salge told Boston.com. “There’s a lot of oak, which turns this beautiful flame-orange, flame-red. You just get this beautiful view over the city.”
What are the best leaf-peeping sites across Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a vast expanse of forests in the central and Western portions of the state that provide excellent vistas for fall foliage.
Amy Wilmot, regional interpretive coordinator for the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation, recommended Borderland State Park in Easton, home to gorgeous fall colors and the historic Ames Mansion.
“The grounds are beautiful,” Wilmot told Boston.com. “The mansion is surrounded by woods, so during peak foliage it’s really just beautiful.”
Wilmot also suggested F. Gilbert Hills State Forest in Foxborough, a 1,000-acre state forest with 23 miles of trails.
“Mother Nature is putting on her grandest art show,” she said. “The fall really is a special time.”
If you’re looking for a road trip out of Boston, Salge suggested the Mohawk Trail, the first scenic road in Massachusetts that began as a Native American trading path.
Following 60 to 75 miles of Route 2 through the Berkshires to the New York border, the drive immerses you in the fall foliage of Mohawk Trail State Forest, which is also a great place for a fall foliage hike.
To see a larger list of leaf-peeping destinations in Massachusetts, check out our comprehensive guide to seeing the best fall foliage in Massachusetts.
Where are the best places to see fall foliage in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire is the real haven for the best fall foliage in New England, with the White Mountains and surrounding areas consistently ranked among the must-see leaf-peeping destinations.
Any New England fall foliage guide has to mention the Kancamagus Highway, a 32-mile stretch of Route 112 that runs through the White Mountains from Lincoln to Conway. Designated as an American Scenic Byway, “The Kanc” gets busy enough during peak fall foliage that locals avoid driving on it when possible.
Another White Mountains-adjacent area to see leaves this autumn is Bretton Woods, which was selected by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best places to see fall foliage in America. Those making a weekend of their leaf-peeping trip can stay in one of the many area resorts, including the historic Omni Mount Washington.
Finally, in his list of the best places to see fall foliage in New Hampshire, meteorologist Dave Epstein suggested a loop featuring five New Hampshire towns: Lancaster, Colebrook, Dixville Notch, Errol, and Gorham.
Epstein singled out Dixieville Notch in particular as an “overlooked spot.”
“You can take a drive through Dixville Notch State Park, which boasts beautiful sights along a scenic gorge and several areas to pull off and stop,” he wrote.
Where are the best fall foliage destinations in Maine?
Due to its size and its lengthy coastline, fall foliage season in Maine lasts longer than most New England states. While the northern and Western portions of the state see their leaves change color earlier, spots along the Atlantic coastline can hold off into mid-October.
The most consistently recommended place to see fall foliage in Maine is undoubtedly Acadia National Park. With its location on the Maine coastline, Acadia gives visitors the added bonus of seeing both incredible leaves and breathtaking shorelines.
For his Maine fall foliage picks, Epstein highlighted two mountainous areas: Baxter State Park and Mount Bigelow, located among the home stretch of peaks along the Appalachian Trail.
Where are the best fall foliage spots in Vermont?
As the only New England state with zero coastline, fall foliage season in Vermont is the earliest in the region, with brilliant colors beginning to show by mid-September.
One town highlighted by numerous publications for its leaf-peeping is Stowe, which boasts a veritable bounty of sugar maples in the shadow of Mount Mansfield. Whether traveling by car (Smugglers’ Notch Pass) on foot (Smugglers’ Notch State Park) or by gondola (Stowe Mountain’s Gondola SkyRide to the summit of Mount Mansfield), Stowe has it all.
In addition to Stowe, Epstein recommended two other Vermont towns for fall foliage: St. Johnsbury and Westmore. For Westmore, Epstein recommended visiting Lake Willoughby, an area he calls “absolutely stunning.”
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