5 of the Best Road Trips for Viewing New England's Fall Foliage
Routes that give you ample views of the northeast's breathtaking autumn scenery.
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Fall foliage is one of New England's more popular and vibrant sights. The seasonal change from deep green to bright oranges and reds can be found throughout the northeastern states, and a well-planned road trip in the region is a great way to see and photograph the changing tree colors. To help you get started, we've identified five of the best leaf-peeping destinations in the New England states.
New England Leaf-Peeping Pointers
Most of New England enjoys reasonably warm daytime and cool nighttime temps throughout the fall, making the area ideal for seasonal leaf peeping. But not every part of the region turns colorful at the same time. It's wise to plan your autumn-themed road trip based on the time of the leaf-peeping season where you're headed.
Northern Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont see leaf color changes earlier than more southern locations, so a late September or early October trip may mean going north. Some New England news stations offer leaf-peeping calendars and guides, making it easier to figure out the best travel times.
While gas stations are plentiful throughout New England, electric vehicle (EV) stations can be more scarce. Leaving metro Boston, you'll likely be able to charge up periodically as you head north, but stations are less plentiful the farther you go. Keep in mind, too, that plugging your EV in tends to be more difficult on rural routes and other regional roads.
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Boston to Bar Harbor, Maine
Drive time: Around 5 hours/285 miles
One of the longer trips on this list, the drive from Boston to Bar Harbor, Maine, passes through towns including Salem, Massachusetts, which offers a range of seasonal activities, including tours, boat rides, and more.
From there, you have two choices to see leaves farther up the coast. The first is Interstate 95, which is a more straightforward and faster route through New Hampshire and past some of southern Maine's busier coastal towns, such as Portland. Although I-95 can be fast moving, it may not offer the best opportunities to view the changing leaves.
U.S. Route 1 is the more scenic path to Bar Harbor, and it offers plenty of opportunities to stop and grab a bite at local restaurants. Additionally, the coastline presents scenic photo spots along the way.
As the gateway to Maine's Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor can be a good place to settle in for your leaf-peeping efforts in the region.
Vermont: Burlington to Stowe
Drive time: Around 1 hour, 30 minutes/47 miles
Burlington and Stowe aren't that far apart — fewer than 40 miles, depending on the roads you take — but the route that starts from Vermont's largest city through Jericho, Underhill, and Cambridge takes drivers to the heart of what's arguably some of the best leaf spotting in New England. The drive, which should take about an hour and a half, avoids the interstates and includes many of the small towns Vermont is known for.
Visitors can take the gondola up Stowe's ski mountain to get a breathtaking view of the foliage, but make sure you've planned to arrive early enough — the hours are limited.
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Connecticut: Hartford to the Litchfield Hills Region
Drive time: Around 1 hour/32 miles
Connecticut's Litchfield Hills region comprises several towns, almost any one of which would likely be an excellent spot to settle in if you want to stay in one place to enjoy fall foliage. The trip from Hartford, Connecticut, takes just over an hour through a rural part of the state that features rolling hills and a lack of industrialization.
Though Hartford has more lodging and dining options, the route into and through the Litchfield Hills area has some smaller inns and cafés that can make the road trip feel more leisurely. If driving the entire time isn't your thing, the area also has many hiking and scenic viewing locations.
Portland, Maine, to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Drive time: Around 2 hours/95 miles
New Hampshire's White Mountains extend up through the state and into western Maine, offering many opportunities to view the leaves or stop for a quaint night in the hills. People typically flood the region in September and October, but there are places to escape the crowds.
The drive from Portland to Bretton Woods takes about two hours and passes some of New England's most dramatic inland landscapes, including historic inns such as the century-old Mount Washington Hotel.
The region's popularity and relatively easy commute from Boston and Portland, Maine, make it crowded most of the year. That said, the slower pace of traffic on the mountain roads can create ideal leaf-peeping opportunities, and the frequent scenic pull-offs make the trip one for the family photo album.
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Maine: Bangor to Moosehead Lake
Drive time: Around 2 hours, 30 minutes/105 miles
From Bangor, Maine, it's a reasonably straight shot into one of northern New England's best leaf-peeping spots, Moosehead Lake.
Moosehead is the largest lake in Maine and second largest in New England after Vermont's Lake Champlain. About 100 miles north of Bangor, Moosehead Lake is situated in a mostly wild region. While popular, the region's remoteness likely keeps some tourists away, making it a prime spot for leaf peeping and photography.
The remote location, however, doesn't preclude multiple lodging options, as the region is familiar with housing out-of-towners looking for pristine waterways and breathtaking sights.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Chris TeagueAfter working in the technology and software industry for several years, Chris Teague began writing as a way to help people outside of that world understand the sometimes very technical work that goes on behind the scenes. With a lifelong love of all things automotive, he turned his attention to breaking news, writing new vehicle reviews, and detailing industry trends.
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