New England Fall Foliage Road Trip Introduction
In October 2021 I finally made my first trip to New England and timed it with colorful fall foliage. This was a 7 day road trip that I went on with my mom, sister, and brother-in-law. Our route brought us to 4 new states: Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
To time our trip with peak foliage I referenced historical data, this Fall Foliage Forecast, and had a little luck. My trip was October 4 – 10 and was near peak colors at our stops in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Quick Links
Boston, Massachusetts
Stowe, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire
Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire
Portland, Maine
Salem, Massachusetts
Getting to New England
Boston is a great starting point for a trip to New England with many flights to Boston Logan International Airport. I flew direct from San Diego to Boston on Alaska Airlines. Because the flight is long (about 6 hours) and the 3 hour time difference, we essentially lost a day to travel.
After exploring Boston by foot for a couple days, I rented a car from Avis to get us to our other destinations.
Stop 1: Boston Massachusetts
Boston is a beautiful, walkable city with a lot of history. I felt I was able to do and see a ton with 2 days to explore. A few must dos in Boston are: walk the Freedom Trail, eat Italian food in the North End neighborhood, wander the Public Gardens, and explore Cambridge.
For more details on what to do in Boston, see my blog: 2 Day Boston Itinerary
Where to Stay in Boston
We stayed at an Airbnb in Cambridge. Other good areas to stay are either Beacon Hill or Back Bay neighborhoods.
Getting to Boston
Boston has an international airport.
Stop 2: Stowe Vermont
From Boston we drove to Stowe Vermont which is a small mountain town in northwestern Vermont. We took the gondola up Mt Mansfield, and then hiked the rest of the way to the peak. After the hike we enjoyed some beers at Alchemist Brewery.
For more details on what to do in Stowe, see my blog: Exploring Stowe and Burlington Vermont in the Fall
Getting to Stowe
Stowe is a 3 hour drive from Boston.
Stop 3: Burlington Vermont
After spending the day hiking in Stowe, we drove 40 minutes to Burlington, Vermont to get dinner and stay the night. Burlington sits on Lake Champlain on the border of Vermont and New York. We ate pizza at American Flatbread then checked into our hotel for the night, La Quinta Inn & Suites in South Burlington.
We started the next morning with breakfast at Myers Bagels, then rented bikes and biked the Island Line Trail. Before leaving Burlington we enjoyed a variety of ciders and tasty food at Citizen Cider.
For more details on what to do in Stowe, see my blog: Exploring Stowe and Burlington Vermont in the Fall
Getting to Burlington
Burlington is a 40 minute drive from Stowe, and just over 3 hours from Boston.
Where to Stay in Burlington
We stayed at La Quinta Inn and Suites in South Burlington, however I recommend staying in downtown Burlington.
Stop 4: Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire
From Burlington we drove to Franconia National Park in New Hampshire. We arrived with a couple hours of daylight left, just enough to do a quick hike.
We chose to do the popular Artist’s Bluff hike for views of Echo Lake and the surrounding area. After that we checked into our hotel, the Indian Head Resort, and then ate dinner at Black Mountain Burger Co.
For more details on what to do in Franconia Notch State Park, see my blog: Driving the Kancamagus Highway During Fall
Getting to Franconia Notch SP
Franconia Notch State Park is a 2 hour drive from both Burlington and Boston.
Where to Stay near Franconia Notch SP
There are hotel options near Lincoln, NH. We were happy with Indian Head Resort and would stay there again.
Stop 5: The White Mountains and Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire
The next morning we started our adventure through the White Mountains along the world famous Kancamagus Highway. We stopped at the most of the view points along the highway, and hiked to both Sabbaday and Champney Falls. I think the Rocky Gorge Scenic Area and Sugar Hill Scenic Vista are two stops that cannot be missed.
For more details on what to do in the White Mountains and along the Kancamagus Highway, see my blog: Driving the Kancamagus Highway During Fall
Stop 6: Portland and Ogunquit Maine
After driving the Kancamagus Highway, we headed to our fourth state, Maine. We arrived in Portland in the late afternoon and got drinks at Austin Street and Rising Tide Breweries. Then we set off on a mission to find lobster for dinner. We ended up at The Highroller Lobster Co. where we enjoyed a lobby pop, lobster tacos, and lobster rolls.
There were very few accommodations in Portland when I booked the trip, so instead I booked Footbridge North Hotel which is south of Portland in Wells, Maine. The next morning we walked along the beach and then continued our drive south. We also stopped at Fort Stark State Historic Site in Portsmouth, NH for views of the lighthouse.
Getting to Portland
Portland Maine is about 1.5 hours from Conway, NH which is the town at the eastern end of the Kancamagus Highway. Ogunquit/ Wells is another 45 minutes south of Portland.
Where to Stay in Portland
Ideally stay in Portland or near the beach in Ogunquit. There were very limited hotel options in Portland when I booked my trip.
Stop 7. Salem Massachusetts
Our final stop before finishing our trip in Boston was Salem, which was decked out for Halloween. During the month of October Salem has tons of festive decorations, street fairs, and performers. It is also the busiest time of year to visit the small town.
We parked outside the core downtown area and wandered through the festivities. Highlights were the Witches Memorial, the Witch House, people watching along the main drag, and checking out the historical homes in the Chestnut Street District.
If you are a big fan of Halloween and have a full day in Salem in October, I recommend getting in costume, eating a boozy brunch, and touring the Salem Witch Museum.
Getting to Salem
Salem is a 1.5 hour drive from Portland and just over an hour from Ogunquit Maine. Portland is also just 30 minutes from Boston.
Stop 8: Boston Massachusetts
We ended our trip back in Boston to return the rental car and fly out of the airport. We had a little time before we needed to be at the airport so we went to Piers Park which has some awesome views of the Boston skyline.
Final Thoughts
This was an awesome first trip to New England and we couldn’t have gotten luckier with the timing for fall colors. I enjoyed getting a feel for so many different areas within the region and especially look forward to revisiting the mountains in Vermont and New Hampshire.
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