New England has some of the most beautiful foliage in the country and the end of October is the best time to do. If you don’t know why leaf peepers - which is the official term for those who flog to New England during the fall season - get so excited, check out these foliage photo sites:
Where to Go
With six different states that are ideal to tour through, you are spoiled for choice. Each state has it’s own unique history and landscape. The Official New England Tourism site provides resources about each state and you can call the Fall Foliage Hotline for information about each state.
If you are visiting New England for the foliage, you want to keep up to date on which areas are changing. Before you decide where to go, you should look at each state and when their foliage is at it’s peak colouring. Each state has a specific site with information about the best dates to visit:
New England has a range of different activities to do while enjoying the foliage. It’s also the start of the festive season, with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner:
- Wine and Cheese Tasting: Wine enthusiasts will be thrilled to find out that there are over 70 wineries in the six New England states. New England Vine has a list of wineries and tours you can take to taste the tipple. new England cheeses are famous throughout the world. In the past few years there has been an increase in artisanal cheese making, with more and more dairy farms reviving traditional recipes.
- Fairs and Festivals: Up until Christmas, you can find a number of fairs and festivals, from farmer’s markets to craft events. Yankee Foliage has an extensive list, divided by state. There are also a number of other festivals happening in New England that aren’t foliage-focused but are worth a visit, for instance Boston’s International Fine Art Show is on the November 15th weekend.
- Foliage Drives: The weather’s already getting a bit cold, but you can still enjoy the season through the car window. If you want to find the perfect driving route to maximize your leaf peeping, New England Scenic Drives has maps with six different routes.
- Historical Sites: When visiting New England, you will inevitably come across some of its history and heritage. Historical sites tend to incorporate the Halloween and foliage aspect of the season into their schedule, such as Salem’s Halloween celebrations.
- Outdoor Sports: New England winter weather is brutal, but the fall still allows for many outdoor sports. You can pick from a range of hiking, biking, fishing, and canoeing or opt for some more extreme sports such as extreme hiking, rafting, and rock climbing, all with the added bonus of being surrounded by the beautiful foliage.
New England in the fall is also a great place for children. Besides Halloween and sugar candy, there are a number of events that are a mix of educational and fun, with a focus on nature:
- Halloween Events: Salem is obviously a great place to go during Halloween as the town throws itself into creating a spooky atmosphere. In fact the whole month of October is full of Haunted Happenings.
- Family Drives: Northern New England has some great spots for kids, including Vermont’s Ben & Jerry Ice-cream Factory (there’s also the Sandwich Creamery in New Hampshire if you are in a need of another ice cream fix).
- Leaf Collecting: Leaf picking and collecting is fun way to get your kids interested in nature and there are dozens of craft projects that can be done with their collections.
- Pumpkin Patches and Mazes: Pumpkins are obviously a necessary part of October and New England is covered in farms that open their doors for family fun. Check out Pumpkin Patches and More to find pumpkin activities and corn mazes.