Last fall was shaped by drought (you can read my 2025 fall foliage forecast for how that season was expected to play out), so it is a pleasure to report that 2026 looks very different. After a cold, snowy winter and a wetter summer, the trees are healthier and the color in the north has been some of the best in years. That makes this the perfect moment for a proper New England foliage itinerary, one that chases the color south over four days and puts you in a lovely inn every night.
My rule for leaf peeping is simple: follow the peak, not the calendar. Color moves from the mountains of the north down to the coast over about a month, so the trick is to start high and end low.
The final weeks of summer called for one more New England road trip. Fall is when that idea makes even more sense.
Where the Color Is Right Now
As of the first week of October, peak color has arrived in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and northern Maine. One photographer told NBC Boston it was the best color in at least five years. Forecasters expect strong color around Franconia Notch and North Conway through the long holiday weekend of October 10–12.
Further south, the Berkshires, southern New Hampshire and the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut are expected to peak in the second half of October. Boston comes late in the month, often right around Halloween, and Cape Cod usually holds out until November.
How to Use This New England Foliage Itinerary
The route below runs north to south in four stops. You can drive it as one four-day trip, but if your dates are flexible I would do it in two halves: Days 1 and 2 now, while the north is at its best, and Days 3 and 4 in the second half of the month, when the color reaches Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Day 1: The White Mountains, New Hampshire
Start in Franconia Notch, about two and a half hours north of Boston on I-93. Walk the Flume Gorge or take the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway for the view, then drive the Kancamagus Highway, the 34-mile stretch of Route 112 between Lincoln and Conway with no gas stations or shops, only mountains.
Where to stay: The Sugar Hill Inn in Sugar Hill, a small, romantic inn a few minutes from the Notch with a serious dinner program. If you prefer a grand hotel, the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods has one of the best porches in New England.
For a full plan of the area, see my White Mountains fall foliage itinerary.
Day 2: Woodstock, Vermont
Cross into Vermont and head to Woodstock, which for me is the most beautiful village in the state in the fall: the covered bridge, the town green and the hills around it all turn at once. Stop at the Billings Farm & Museum and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park for an easy walk up through the forest.
Where to stay: The Woodstock Inn & Resort, right on the green, is the classic choice and you can walk to everything. For a true splurge, Twin Farms in nearby Barnard is an all-inclusive Relais & Châteaux property set on hundreds of acres of hills and woods.
Day 3: The Berkshires, Massachusetts
Drive south on Route 100 and then Route 7 into western Massachusetts. If you have time, take the Mohawk Trail (Route 2), one of the most famous fall drives in New England. In Lenox, the Mount, Edith Wharton’s home, is lovely in October and the gardens frame the color beautifully.
Where to stay: Blantyre, a Tudor-style mansion in Lenox and a Relais & Châteaux property, is my pick for a grown-up night in the Berkshires. Book dinner at the hotel and plan a fire afterward.
Day 4: The Litchfield Hills, Connecticut
Finish in northwest Connecticut, about an hour south of Lenox. Drive Route 7 along the Housatonic River, stop at Kent Falls State Park and the West Cornwall covered bridge, then spend the afternoon in Washington or Litchfield.
Where to stay: The Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington is one of the best spa hotels in New England. Winvian Farm in Morris, with its individually designed cottages, is a wonderful alternative.
From here, Boston is about two and a half hours home.
My Tips for Doing Foliage Well
- Go midweek if you can. Weekend traffic on the Kancamagus and in Woodstock can be slow, especially over the holiday weekend.
- Book inns now. The best rooms for the second and third weekends of October go first.
- Drive early or late. The light is softer in the morning and late afternoon, and the roads are quieter.
- Check the reports every few days. The New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts state foliage reports are the most reliable way to adjust your route.
- Pack layers. Mountain mornings can be near freezing while the afternoons in Connecticut feel like late summer.
If you want more ideas for this New England foliage itinerary, my list of 10 fall road trips in New England has routes for every state. For me, the best part of a fall drive is not the most famous view. It is the small town, the farm stand and the fire at the end of the day.
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