It ’ mho hard to imagine a more beautiful meter of year in New England than the fall, when rich swaths of crimson, orange, and yellow make the landscape glow. It ’ s a temper when apple orchards, farm stands, corn mazes, agrarian fairs, hot cider doughnuts, and quieten coastal towns all beckon with their sights, sounds, and olfactory property. For utmost fun, a foliage-inspired road trip is a capital way to make the most of fall New England. So grab your camera, make a playlist, and get quick. here are the 10 best New England road trip routes for fall — some big and busy, and some good the right amount of quiet .
Kristin Teig
10 Best New England Road Trip Routes for Fall
Corey Hendrickson
Vergennes to Montpelier, Vermont
new englander has called this accrue road trip “ a roller-coaster drive through the heart of Vermont. ” Starting in. Starting in Vergennes, the state ’ mho oldest city, fill up with a hearty breakfast at 3 Squares Café before traveling east on path 17 through farmland with views of South Mountain and Mount Ellen. Arriving in Bristol, you ’ ll find a number of shops celebrating the cultivate of local artists, such as Art on Main. Continue on to admire the sweeping views from the top of Appalachian Gap before hitting Waitsfield, where you ’ ll follow the Mad River, then the Winooski River, to reach Montpelier, the smallest submit capital in the state. There, make time to grab lunch ( if you arrive before 2 post meridiem, try Down Home Kitchen, a 2017 Yankee Editors’ Pick ), then point to Hubbard Park for a unretentive hike and views of the city. Nearby Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks offers Vermont gifts, cheese, maple syrup, and maple creemees. Distance: About 60 miles one way .
Want more ? Find dispatch directions for this Vermont fall road slip, plus extra things to see and do, here .
Sara Gray
Whitefield to Wiscasset, Maine
Starting in the Midcoast town of Wiscasset, leave behind the hustle and bustle of Red’s Eats, the town ’ randomness fabled lobster axial rotation spot, for a scenic excursion along Route 218 and the Sheepscot River to North Whitefield and binding. noteworthy pull-over options en route include the 1811 Lincoln County Museum & Old Jail, the Sheepscot General Store ( for newly produce or something to nibble on from the café ), and the Sheepscot Valley Brewing Company ( note : tasting room outdoors weekends only ). Distance: About 40 miles round-trip .
Want more ? Find accomplished directions for this Maine fall road tripper, plus extra things to see and do, here .
Kindra Clineff
Lake Winnipesaukee Loop, New Hampshire
Offering glimmering waters bordered by bejewel tones of fall color, New Hampshire ’ randomness largest lake, Winnipesaukee, and its smaller neighbor to the northwest, Squam, provide the ideal backdrop for a gentle Granite State road travel than the mountainous Kancamagus. Plus, this lake loop offers arguably more opportunities for shop and nosh. Start in Alton Bay, at Lake Winnipesaukee ’ s southerly tip, then head west on Route 11 toward the bouncy boardwalk setting at Weirs Beach. Ice cream fans will love the ice-cream sundae at the Swiss-inspired Kellerhaus. Head north to Meredith, where the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and Moulton Farm are good two of the many spots worth pulling over for. Continue up to serene Squam Lake, where the 1981 film On Golden Pond was filmed, then cruise through charming Sandwich and Moultonborough ( be certain to stop for a base of penny sugarcoat at the Old Country Store & Museum ). On the northern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee you ’ ll breeze into Wolfeboro, whose Main Street beckons with denounce, good food, and lake views. A concluding stretch south brings you back to Alton Bay. Distance: 75 miles round-trip .
Want more ? Find accomplished directions for this New Hampshire fall road travel, plus extra things to see and do, here .
Kristin Teig
South Hadley to Turners Falls, Massachusetts
Following the Connecticut River through western Massachusetts, this New England road trip feels like taking a travel back in time. Starting in South Hadley, grab coffee and a pastry at the Thirsty Mind cafe to get fueled up for your trip. Heading north on Route 47, admire the cows grazing at Barstow’s Longview Farm in Hadley, then drive through Skinner State Park to the acme of Mount Holyoke for river views. The North Hadley Sugar Shack is the go-to for stocking up on all things maple-y and sweetly, while a Route 116 detour to the top of Mount Sugarloaf in South Deerfield offers outstanding lookout-tower views of the river and the Holyoke Range. Back on Route 47, continue north to Montague for a blockage at the Montague Bookmill, hailed by Yankee as one of the best used bookstores in New England, to enjoy a at leisure crop and lunch at the mill ’ second café. Farther north, Turners Falls offers more stroll opportunities and, at 2nd Street Baking Co., an impressive roll of breads, cupcakes, and pastries. Distance: About 50 miles ( with summit detours ) .
Want more ? Find arrant directions for this Massachusetts fall road trip, plus extra things to see and do, here .
Kate Kelley
Farm Coast, Rhode Island and Massachusetts
Tucked between Cape Cod and Newport, the Farm Coast area of southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island is a place that Yankee has called “ a slice of picture-perfect state animation reserved for New Englanders in the know. ” Start in the village of Padanaram, in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, for cover girl views of Apponagansett Bay. As you head west, cornfields and pit walls lead to Westport, where the 380-acre Westport Rivers Winery offers tastings and tours, and Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures provides the probability to rent a kayak and paddle around the Westport River. ready for refreshments ? The Head Town Landing Country Store is a popular spot for chocolate, homemade doughnuts, frosting cream, and Del’s Frozen Lemonade. At the surround, the small village of Adamsville, Rhode Island, is home to the historic Grays’ Grist Mill. You can pick up a bag of stone-ground jonnycake meal before continuing on to the Commons Lunch, in charming little Compton, for a plate of the real deal. After filling up, stroll the grounds of the white-steepled Union Congregational Church and the Old Commons Burying Ground for a dose of history. Mosey north on Route 77 past Walker’s Roadside Stand ( though you may want to stop for produce, pumpkins, and newly flowers ) to the rural artist seaport of Tiverton Four Corners, a hidden jewel that ’ s home to shops, galleries, and some of the creamiest scoops in New England at Gray’s Ice Cream. Distance: About 25 miles one way.
Want more ? Find complete directions for this Massachusetts and Rhode Island fall road travel, plus extra things to see and do, here .
Julie Bidwell
Granby to Goshen, Connecticut
history, cross scenery, and ( what else ? ) fall color are the hallmarks of this winding route through the northwestern corner of Connecticut. Begin in Granby, about 20 miles northwest of Hartford. As you head west on Route 20, available stops include Honey Hill Pottery for a unique endowment or Holcomb Farm for 13 miles of walking trails. Documenting your force ? A left onto Route 219 to Route 318 offers Instagram-ready views of Saville Dam, with its stone gatehouse and backdrop of carbohydrate maples, oaks, and pines. Motor on through the american Legion State Forest before a blockage at the Riverton General Store, at Hogback Dam, to enjoy coffee or sandwiches on the outdoor patio. Ten miles to the west lies Norfolk, home to Haystack Mountain State Park, where you can drive halfway up and then hike to the top ( the 1929 column offers views in all directions ). Continue south on 272 to Route 4 toward Goshen, your final arrest. hera, you won ’ thyroxine want to miss Thorncrest Farm, where the cows supply a key ingredient for Milk House Chocolates ’ epicure sweets. A box or two barely might be the perfective New England road trip keepsake. Distance: About 55 miles on means .
Want more ? Find dispatch directions for this Connecticut hang road trip, plus extra things to see and do, here .
Kindra Clineff
Route 100, Vermont
Stretching 200 miles from Massachusetts to Lake Memphremagog at the canadian border, Vermont ’ s Route 100 has been called the best leaf drive in the state — and even the most scenic foliation drive in all of New England. It ’ s a long stretch, so you may not be able to tackle it all in one day if you want to make a lot of stops ( and you should ). South-to-north highlights include the art galleries and craft stores in Wilmington, the celebrated Vermont Country Store in Weston, the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, samples of Ben & Jerry ’ mho ice cream at the factory tour in Waterbury, and just about everything in the batch fall back township of Stowe. yankee may have summed up fall on Route 100 best : “ Leaf-peeping, after all, is about more than merely leaves. It ’ south about the leaf experience — farmstands and country stores, craft galleries and hot cider — and Route 100, with its many off-the-beaten-path side trips, offers all of that in one long wind package. ” Distance: About 200 miles one way .
Want more ? Find extra things to see and do along Vermont ’ s Route 100 here .
Jim Salge
Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire
The Kancamagus Highway ( Route 112 ) in New Hampshire has just about everything you could want in a scenic New England road trip. Crossing 30 winding miles of White Mountain forest from Conway to Lincoln, you ’ ll enjoy views of foliage-draped mountains, boulder-strewn rivers, and crystal-clear ponds. Start your day in Conway with breakfast at the Stairway Café, a 2016 Yankee Editors’ Pick, or take a provisions-focused lilt through Zeb’s General Store. Favorite stops along the Swift River include the Albany Covered Bridge, Lower Falls, and Rocky Gorge and Falls Pond. Continuing on, the Kanc climbs about 2,500 feet before reaching a pair of sincerely breathtaking overlooks, one facing east ( C.L. Graham Wangan Overlook ) and one facing west ( Pemigewasset Overlook ). ultimately, you descend into Lincoln for a bite at another Yankee front-runner, Gypsy Café. Distance: About 50 miles one way .
Want more ? Find extra things to see and do along the Kancamagus Highway here .
Mohawk Trail, Massachusetts
The Mohawk Trail, one of the nation ’ s beginning official “ scenic tourist routes, ” has been a darling New England road trip since it first opened in 1914. While technically it represents the northwest section of Route 2, stretching from Millers Falls to the New York bound, the real carry through happens between the towns of Greenfield and Williamstown, where mountains, rivers, cultivated land, and quintessential little towns make up the scenery. Favorite stops include the Bridge of Flowers and candlepin bowling in Shelburne Falls, the photogenic entrance to the 1870s Hoosac Tunnel in Florida, the scene of the Connecticut River from Mount Sugarloaf in South Deerfield, the Hail to the Sunrise monument in Charlemont, and the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown. But that ’ s precisely barely scratching the surface. As Yankee put it : “ The Mohawk, one of the oldest scenic byways in the state, doesn ’ metric ton so much blast around territory as bring you into it, slicing through Berkshire villages and some of the most scenic beauty in all of New England, possibly the state. ” Distance: About 42 miles one way ( Greenfield to Williamstown ) .
Want more ? Find extra things to see and do along the Mohawk Trail here .
Pixabay
Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine
The Park Loop Road, located on the eastern english of Mount Desert Island, is a bang-up New England road trip for nature lovers and foliation enthusiasts alike, offering both mountain vistas and coastal leaf views of Acadia National Park. Start at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center in Bar Harbor and continue on, choosing from such popular stops as Jordan Pond and the drive-up summit of Cadillac Mountain. Distance: 27 miles .
Have a big suggestion for an fall New England road trip ? Share your favored routes below !
This post was first published in 2017 and has been updated .
