Fall Foliage in New England
Fall Foliage in New England in 2026
The perfect travel plan for an entire weekend of fun!
The brilliantly colored maple trees of New England attract visitors every fall from around the world. This page is your portal to the best driving routes, and the places to eat and shop and visit in each New England state. For each state below, you will find:
- Updated foliage reports and state maps
- Scenic drives with maps
- Places to eat and shop
- Walking trails
- Pick-Your-Own farms
- Galleries, Museums, and Places to Explore
Find a State:
- Connecticut - Drives across rolling hills, farms and vineyards, historic architecture, antique hunting
- Maine - Magnificent forests, scattered towns and farms, maritime communities and fresh seafood, blueberries and apples
- Massachusetts - Lots of variety, historic coastal towns, thriving nightlife, expansive fields and the lofty Berkshire Mountains
- New Hampshire - Craggy White Mountains, brilliant lakes, long vistas
- Rhode Island - Charming small towns, magnificent coastal drives
- Vermont - Abundant maple groves, pretty towns in the river valleys
Where to Stay
Decide on your dates of travel and make reservations for inns, hotels, and motels early – preferably starting in July or August. Lots of travelers are competing for hotel rooms in the fall, especially in the northern states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Find foliage-worthy excursions from these fine lodgings in:
Where to Find Color
Once foliage season begins the report will be regularly updated. Also, take a map and explore some of the small, back roads as you wander. Look for roadside signs for pick-your-own farms and farm stands, parks, and public wilderness areas. Get out of the car, stretch, and look around. Don’t be afraid to wander. Ask local people where to find high ground and good vistas.
Current New England Foliage report
(Courtesy of The Weather Channel)
Experience Fall Foliage Through a Group Tour
Consider experiencing fall foliage through a luxury cruise or a bus tour. Both options allow you to see the natural beauty of New England without all the stress of planning or navigating yourself.
Spend more time enjoying and less time planning.
Try It From Up in the Air
Consider a foliage viewing adventure from above the treetops. You can do it on chair lift rides at many New England ski areas or on a thrilling flight in a hot air balloon.
Clothing and Gear
Even if days are warm, be prepared for chilly nights with long pants, long sleeves, and a sweater. Wear sneakers and jeans so that you can jump out of the car and scramble over a stone wall or ramble through a hillside meadow. Take a camera, but remember to put it down and just look around. Take visors and sunscreen and binoculars.
