2021 NH Fall Foliage and Leaf Peeping Travel Guide
If you love everything fall, including changing leaves, brisk air, pumpkin spice, and everything nice, then you probably know that leaf peeping season is just around the corner, especially in New Hampshire. Sometimes if you blink, you might miss it. The Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons in New Hampshire, during peak foliage season you can see colors from yellow, to orange, red, and even purple across the regions in the state. This year, it is predicted that the best time to come see the leaves is between October 5 and October 15, statewide. This will be when the leaves are their brightest and most photo-worthy. Since peak foliage season will be here before we know it, I’ve taken the time to create this NH Fall Foliage Trail with all of my favorite spots to view the leaves, the landscapes, and nature in general. This trail guide will take approximately 7–10 days to complete, depending on how adventurous and energized you are!
Be sure to keep up with the Fall Foliage tracker to be sure the peak season doesn’t change; sometimes weather (like lack of rain, or too much rain) can cause peak season to move slightly. I’ll put a link down below that you can use to track the season in NH.
This trail I’ve created can be followed from beginning to end and will take you across the various regions of NH, however, you could also station yourself at a hotel or AirBnB in the Manchester or Concord area and drive to any of these locations in less than 2 hours and create your own itinerary as well! I’ll leave links below for each destination on the trail.
First on my list is for Sunday October 3, and that is the Jefferson area. There are beautiful hiking trails in the Mount Washington area that have stunning views during the fall. Some popular destinations I wanted to call out are the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge, which is has 2 different trails you can take. One is flat and an easy walk, but can be great for photos, as there is a lookout or two before you get to a pond. The other trail goes through the woods a bit and is also great for photography. Second stop in Jefferson is Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, which is a much longer hiking trail that can lead you to points on Mount Washington if you make the full 8.2 mile trek. If you are not an avid hiker and don’t have the appropriate gear, I would skip the Ammonoosuc Trail, as there can be snow in higher elevations even in early October, but if you’re looking for a difficult challenge and are prepared for all of the elements so you can safely hike, then make sure to get some great photos at the top of the trail looking down at the ravine. Be sure to keep up with the NH Wildlife and Fish & Game websites to be sure this trail is safe to visit when you come.
And the last stop in Jefferson, one of my favorites in the entire state, is Santa’s Village. Many might see this as an attraction for a younger audience, but nothing gets you in the Christmas spirit like seeing Santa and his helpers around the park on a brisk autumn day. After Labor Day, Santa’s Village is open on select weekends and may require a pre-ordered online ticket as well as a park reservation. At this time each weekend in October is scheduled to be open 9:30am — 5pm. Be sure to check out their website to get your tickets before you head up!
For the second day of our trail, we have the Lincoln area as well as Laconia, if you have time. Lincoln is further south than Jefferson, but still offers beautiful mountain views. Our first stop in Lincoln is The Basin. This is a free state park located off the highway near Franconia Notch State Park. There is really only one brown sign on the highway that says The Basin, so keep your eyes out for it! The Basin is a 30 foot wide, 15 foot deep glacial pothole that was created by rushing waters down the granite cliffs. Less than a few miles north of the Basin exit is Profile Lake, which is part of the Franconia Notch State Park trail. You can get some fantastic ground-level views of the mountains that make you feel so small and in awe. And the third destination is just one town over in Woodstock called Cascade Falls. This is my new favorite river area that I just discovered last year!
See photos of The Basin and Cascade Falls below, respectively.
And if you’ve built up an appetite, there is a great restaurant across the street called the Woodstock Inn Brewery, which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you want something a little sweeter and still have energy left, the Kellerhaus in Laconia has an ice cream buffet, with ice cream they make themselves! I have a separate video on the Kellerhaus if you want to check that out before adding it to your itinerary!
Day 3 of this Fall Foliage Trail brings us to North Conway, where you can enjoy some downtown shopping, restaurants, and ice cream, or visit the Cog Scenic Railroad which takes you on a train ride through the Mount Washington area! There are a few different train rides to choose from, including a 1 hour valley ride, a 2 hour ride along the Saco River, or a longer 5 hour excursion. Don’t forget to book your tickets online for this one as well.
Now after those busy 3 days if you’re looking for a more relaxing day of just walking around and enjoying local shops, I recommend the Lebanon and Hanover downtown shopping areas, specifically Main Street in Hanover, where you can find restaurants and quaint shops.
Also on the western part of the state, we’ll find ourselves in Peterborough in the Monadnock Region on Day 5 of this trail. Peterborough has historic routes in the state, being a mill town, so it’s architecture is beautiful, the locals are friendly, and their ice cream is pretty good too. You can take a guided tour along the Riverwalk or visit Miller State Park to hike Pack Monadnock.
Travel 30 minutes east to Milford, and you can enjoy the opening day of the Great Pumpkin Festival on Day 6 of the trail on Friday night. The Milford Pumpkin Festival has been a yearly tradition on Columbus Day weekend (not counting the covid year) for over 30 years! The Pumpkin Festival opening ceremony wows crowds from all over New England when the famous Pumpkin Runner makes his way through the Milford Oval and then hoists a torch to a Milford fireman who then lights the jack-o-lanterns in the Milford Town Hall windows. The night is full of great food, drinks, and entertainment, as well as a Haunted Trail. Then follow it up on Saturday for another great day of food, entertainment, and a craft fairs in the Town Hall, face painting on the Community House Lawn, or scarecrow making!
If you haven’t had your fill of fall food at the Pumpkin Festival, then wake up early on Day 8 of the trail and head to Parker’s Maple Barn in Mason to get some deep fried French toast, maple ribs, or stuffed French toast with maple syrup made right at Parker’s sugar shack! Check their website for official hours, but typically in the fall Parker’s can see up to a 2 hour wait, so you’ll want to get there early. Once you’ve had your fill, drive to the end of the road to Brookline and check out the Andres Institute of Art Sculpture Garden. The name is a bit deceiving, because there is a bit of hiking, there are awesome sculptures scattered along the small mountain. Follow the trail and see if you can find all of them! Once you get to the top you’ll be rewarded by some stunningly beautiful tree scapes.
And on our last day of the trail, we visit the seacoast in historic Portsmouth, NH where you can yell to our neighbors in Kittery, Maine! Portsmouth is home to the Strawberry Banke Museum, which takes you through the history of NH and the seacoast area. The museum typically closes in mid-October, so if you plan your trip accordingly, you should be able to reserve some tickets! Downtown Portsmouth also offers some cafes, restaurants, and unique shops that will keep you busy for hours. Don’t forget to stroll through the flower gardens, or take photos of the harbor.
Make sure you pack warm! October days can be warm, brisk, or freezing, so be prepared and most importantly, enjoy the view!
Fall Foliage Tracker: visitnh.gov/seasonal-trips/fall/foliage-tracker
The Trail:
Sun Oct 3
Jefferson:
Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge — https://www.nh.gov/nhdfl/documents/pondicherry4.pdf
Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail — https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whitemountain/recarea/?recid=74559
Santa’s Village — https://www.santasvillage.com/park-info-tickets/
Mon Oct 4
Lincoln:
The Basin — https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-basin-lincoln-new-hampshire
Profile Lake — https://wildlife.state.nh.us/maps/bathymetry/profile_franconia.pdf
Woodstock:
Cascade Falls — https://seeswim.com/location/cascade-park/
Laconia:
Kellerhaus — https://youtu.be/4HmYryeUi6E
Tues Oct 5
Conway:
Cog Scenic Railroad — https://www.conwayscenic.com/
Wed Oct 6
Hanover:
Main Street — https://journeys.dartmouth.edu/uppervalleyfieldtrips/dartmouth-campus-field-trip/hanover-a-landscape-of-consumption-field-trip/ ; https://www.thegeographicalcure.com/post/how-to-spend-24-hours-in-hanover-new-hampshire
Thurs Oct 7
Peterborough:
Riverwalk, Mount Monadnock — https://discovermonadnock.com/6-fun-things-peterborough-new-hampshire/
Friday Oct 8 / Sat Oct 9
Milford:
Pumpkin Festival — https://www.milfordpumpkinfestival.org/
Sun Oct 10
Mason:
Parker’s Maple Barn — https://www.parkersmaplebarn.com/
Brookline:
Andres Institute of Art Sculpture Garden — https://www.andresinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2016_Trail_MapWithKey-rev.101316.pdf ; https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Sculpture-Garden/Andres-Institute-of-Art-108528314048/
Mon Oct 11
Portsmouth:
Strawberry banke — https://www.strawberybanke.org/
