After an unseasonably warm and dry start to September, fall in New England has officially arrived. The leaves have slowly started to change color, and before you know it, the local landscape will be awash in an explosion of yellows, oranges, and reds. Meanwhile, in Northern New England, the 2025 fall foliage season is already in full swing.
New England is renowned for its brilliantly hued leaves, attracting leaf peepers from all over the U.S. seeking the autumnal tapestry of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and sometimes even the lower half of New England, including the fall colors of the Boston area.
Due largely to the aforementioned lack of rain, the early 2025 fall foliage forecast for New England from meteorologist and leaf peeping expert Jim Salge suggests that brilliant fall colors will still be present, but for a shorter amount of time.
“Beautiful colors will be out there, and likely plentiful,” Salge wrote. “But leaf peepers should plan their adventures to include different elevations and aspects to ensure they catch the show.”
Translation: Unless some last-minute rain not currently in the weather forecast moves through New England, peak fall foliage will come earlier and quicker than usual — so making your fall foliage travel plans now is a good idea.
Here is a full guide to 2025 fall foliage in New England, including detailed maps and dates to see the best fall foliage in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and the Boston area.
Jump to specific 2025 fall foliage information with the links below:
2025 fall foliage forecast for New England
Peak fall foliage map, dates for New Hampshire, Maine, Boston, and Massachusetts
Best fall foliage spots in New England
2025 fall foliage forecast for New England
What’s the latest 2025 fall foliage forecast for New England?
If you’re reading just the headlines, the 2025 fall foliage forecast for New England sounds positively radiant. Accuweather’s fall foliage forecast calls for “vibrant displays” across the region, and highlights New England as one of the best places for leaf-peeping in the U.S. this year.
Read a bit deeper, however, and there are some significant caveats to that rosy outlook.
Right now, a lack of rain could cause leaves exposed to direct sunlight to brown early, and others to run through their cycle of colors quicker and earlier than usual.
Ironically, the larger problems for this season’s fall foliage forecast are due in part to record-breaking rainfall back in May, during what’s known as “leaf-out” season.
Because leaves couldn’t dry off for weeks, fungus and mildew growth impacted several tree species in certain areas of New England, including hickory, striped maple, and cherry trees. This could make prime foliage conditions “more of a complex patchwork” than usual, according to Salge.
There has also an “unbelievably rapid expansion” of beech leaf disease, which could permanently decimate the species in New England.
“It’s a really sad thing, honestly,” Salge told WBZ’s Eric Fisher. “We love, in Northern New England, seeing the beech understory turning bright golden orange. It’s the last leaves to turn, they last a long time. You hike through these beautiful tunnels of beech leaves.
“But this beech leaf disease has shown up in the last two or three years, and has spread more rapidly than any pathogen we’ve seen,” Salge continued. “This might be the last year for that glowing understory — ever.”
Looking for a silver lining? The red maple, the unquestioned star of New England fall foliage, has been the most resilient tree in New England in the face of drought and disease.
“The big show, your big hike, your big drive is going to be OK so far this year,” Salge said. “New England is always beautiful, and you’re gonna find beauty in all of the activities that we love about fall.”
In general, when is the best time to see fall foliage in New England for 2025?
Historically, the oranges and reds typically arrive earlier at higher elevations, which means trees in the mountainous regions of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine turn first. It also usually takes a few weeks for the same colors to show up in Southern New England, including the Boston area.
In previous years, peak foliage has arrived in early October in places like the White Mountains, Northern Vermont, and Maine, then arrived in mid-to-late October in Southern New England.
For 2025, foliage forecasters are calling for a brilliant flash of reds that will arrive earlier than usual, will spread across New England more rapidly than usual, and will disappear more quickly than usual.
The best time to see the leaves in New England always varies by region, but for 2025, a general suggestion would be to bump up your usual leaf-peeping trip by a week. We’ll go into more detailed dates for “peak” fall foliage region by region below.
What are the best trees for fall foliage in New England?
You can spot gorgeous fall colors in many plants, even spruces and shrubs. However, the main attraction in New England is the majestic maple, found across the region’s forests and particularly in Maine and northern New Hampshire.
“The maples are really the prime trees that create the great colors New England is known for,” Salge told Boston.com. “Red maples are turning already in the swamps. Sugar maples make up a lot of the Northern Forest.”
Though the Boston area can offer excellent colors, Salge said that oak trees are more commonly found here than maples, and oaks aren’t quite the color superstars that maples are.
“Oaks tend to be a more muted, rusty color,” Salge said, “while maples tend to be really, really vibrant.”
When is peak fall foliage in New Hampshire and Maine for 2025?
The drought conditions have made the 2025 fall foliage forecast for New England more unpredictable than usual. It’s still possible that a late rain could slow the process down, but as of now, that seems unlikely.
Based on a number of forecasts and models synthesized into a single map by Explore Fall, peak fall foliage in the northern half of New Hampshire, Vermont, and the upper reaches of Maine will arrive by September 26 and will mostly be done by October 13. If you’re going to be high up in the White Mountains, you may see some brown by Columbus Day weekend.
Meanwhile, peak fall foliage in the southern half of New Hampshire and swaths of Southern Maine will arrive in waves beginning Columbus Day weekend (October 10-13). The leaves will begin to fade by the following week (October 19-25) starting farther north.
When is peak fall foliage in the Boston area and across Massachusetts?
There is typically a difference in timing for peak fall foliage conditions in Western and Central Massachusetts versus the Boston area. That appears to be the case for 2025 as well, if Explore Fall’s maps are to be believed.
For Western Massachusetts and Northern parts of Central Massachusetts, peak fall foliage will arrive by October 14, and will start to fade by October 24.
The Boston area (along with the Cape and the islands) will be the last to hit peak fall foliage, with many areas holding off until October 24. Salge told Boston.com that proximity to the coast is a major factor for fall foliage, and that many towns slightly inland from the water will turn earlier.
Additionally, some of the best places to see fall foliage in Boston (like Blue Hills Reservation) are at higher elevations, and will thus hit their peak a little earlier. (More on that below.)
What does a map of current fall foliage conditions in New England look like?
Rather than rely on predictive models for its maps, The Foliage Report creates maps based on reports from on-the-ground leaf peepers.
The Foliage Report’s most recent fall foliage map for New England (as of September 16) shows that trees in Northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine have started to change color.
Dedicated leaf-peepers on social media have been sharing fall foliage photos as well, providing visual evidence that some parts of Vermont and New Hampshire are starting to show color.
Best fall foliage spots to visit in New England
What are the best places to see fall foliage in the Boston area?
When it comes to fall foliage, Boston can’t compare with other parts of New England (or even other parts of Massachusetts), thanks to the sheer volume of trees. Nevertheless, Salge pinpointed a few opportunities for admiring the Boston area’s trees, including Blue Hills Reservation and Boston Common.
According to Salge, Blue Hills Reservation typically peaks “sometime from Columbus Day through mid-October” due to its higher elevation.
“There’s miles of hiking, great views, and opportunities to be a little more remote,” he said.
Boston Common, meanwhile, is “a beautiful place to see foliage, as is a trip along the Charles,” according to Salge. If you’re busy earlier in October, the Common doesn’t typically reach peak colors until the last week of October.
Another of Salge’s favorites just outside of Boston is Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.
“There’s a great diversity of trees in the arboretum,” Salge told Boston.com. “There’s a lot of oak, which turns this beautiful flame-orange, flame-red. You just get this beautiful view over the city.”
What are the best leaf-peeping sites across Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a vast expanse of forests in the central and Western portions of the state that provide excellent vistas for fall foliage.
Amy Wilmot, regional interpretive coordinator for the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation, recommended Borderland State Park in Easton, home to gorgeous fall colors and the historic Ames Mansion.
“The grounds are beautiful,” Wilmot told Boston.com. “The mansion is surrounded by woods, so during peak foliage it’s really just beautiful.”
Wilmot also suggested F. Gilbert Hills State Forest in Foxborough, a 1,000-acre state forest with 23 miles of trails.
“Mother Nature is putting on her grandest art show,” she said. “The fall really is a special time.”
If you’re looking for a road trip out of Boston, Salge suggested the Mohawk Trail, the first scenic road in Massachusetts that began as a Native American trading path.
Following 60 to 75 miles of Route 2 through the Berkshires to the New York border, the drive immerses you in the fall foliage of Mohawk Trail State Forest, which is also a great place for a fall foliage hike.
To see a larger list of leaf-peeping destinations in Massachusetts, check out our comprehensive guide to seeing the best fall foliage in Massachusetts.
Where are the best places to see fall foliage in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire is the real haven for the best fall foliage in New England, with the White Mountains and surrounding areas consistently ranked among the must-see leaf-peeping destinations.
Any New England fall foliage guide has to mention the Kancamagus Highway, a 32-mile stretch of Route 112 that runs through the White Mountains from Lincoln to Conway. Designated as an American Scenic Byway, “The Kanc” gets busy enough during peak fall foliage that locals avoid driving on it when possible.
Another White Mountains-adjacent area to see leaves this autumn is Bretton Woods, which was selected by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best places to see fall foliage in America. Those making a weekend of their leaf-peeping trip can stay in one of the many area resorts, including the historic Omni Mount Washington.
Finally, in his list of the best places to see fall foliage in New Hampshire, meteorologist Dave Epstein suggested a loop featuring five New Hampshire towns: Lancaster, Colebrook, Dixville Notch, Errol, and Gorham.
Epstein singled out Dixville Notch in particular as an “overlooked spot.”
“You can take a drive through Dixville Notch State Park, which boasts beautiful sights along a scenic gorge and several areas to pull off and stop,” he wrote.
Where are the best fall foliage destinations in Maine?
Due to its size and its lengthy coastline, fall foliage season in Maine lasts longer than most New England states. While the northern and Western portions of the state see their leaves change color earlier, spots along the Atlantic coastline can hold off into mid-October.
The most consistently recommended place to see fall foliage in Maine is undoubtedly Acadia National Park. With its location on the Maine coastline, Acadia gives visitors the added bonus of seeing both incredible leaves and breathtaking shorelines.
For his Maine fall foliage picks, Epstein highlighted two mountainous areas: Baxter State Park and Mount Bigelow, located among the home stretch of peaks along the Appalachian Trail.
Where are the best fall foliage spots in Vermont?
As the only New England state with zero coastline, fall foliage season in Vermont is the earliest in the region, with brilliant colors beginning to show by mid-September.
One town highlighted by numerous publications for its leaf-peeping is Stowe, which boasts a veritable bounty of sugar maples in the shadow of Mount Mansfield. Whether traveling by car (Smugglers’ Notch Pass) on foot (Smugglers’ Notch State Park) or by gondola (Stowe Mountain’s Gondola SkyRide to the summit of Mount Mansfield), Stowe has it all.