When do the leaves change in Boston?
Boston sits at the doorstep of New England's famous color: the Common and the Emerald Necklace turn in late October, and the White Mountains and the Berkshires are both an easy weekend drive away.
Peak: October 20–October 24
Color builds from October 10 · mostly bare by November 12
Sampled at Boston’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Boston itself at 9 m elevation. Street trees vary block to block, so check locally before you plan a weekend around it.
This window comes from 4 weather points across Massachusetts, nudged 3 days later to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com and almanac.com. Massachusetts is running 2 days earlier than its own average this year. Across Massachusetts the first place to turn and the last sit about 6 days apart. How the forecast works
Fall activities in Boston
Drag the date slider to see when color moves through the country around Boston, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
State park
Peak October 21
Thoreau's kettle pond in Concord rings itself in oak, maple, and hickory color by mid-to-late October.
in Massachusetts
Colt State Park
48 miState park
Peak October 26
Industrialist Samuel Colt's former farm gives Bristol 464 acres of Narragansett Bay shoreline, its open fields lined by a mile of stone…
in Rhode Island
Newport Cliff Walk
63 miTrail
Peak October 27
A 3.5-mile National Recreation Trail traces Newport's rocky Atlantic shoreline below the Gilded Age mansions of Bellevue Avenue, from…
in Rhode Island
State park
Peak October 8
Massachusetts' highest summit rises 3,491 feet over the Berkshires, and its northern hardwood forests turn a week or more ahead of Boston.
in Massachusetts
Kancamagus Highway
117 miScenic drive
Peak October 11
New Hampshire's Route 112 through the White Mountains is New England's benchmark foliage drive: 34.5 miles of maple, birch, and beech over…
in New Hampshire
Where locals go
Boston Public Garden
GardenPeak October 22
America's first public botanical garden colors gently through late October, with weeping willows around the lagoon, ginkgos and maples over…
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Garden cemeteryPeak October 22
America's first garden cemetery is quietly one of Greater Boston's best foliage walks: 175 acres of century-old sugar maples, beeches, and…
Arnold Arboretum
ArboretumPeak October 22
Harvard's 281-acre living museum in Jamaica Plain holds one of North America's great tree collections (maples, hickories, ginkgos, and…
Middlesex Fells Reservation
State parkPeak October 21
Twenty-five hundred acres of rocky oak-and-hickory woodland just north of the city.
Things to do in fall in Boston
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season. These are the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Boston.
Spellbound Tours
Ghost tourColor nearby peaks October 22
Salem's original paranormal walking tour, running since 2001 and starting at the Revere Bell outside the visitor center downtown.
Salem
Historic townColor nearby peaks October 22
The site of the 1692 witch trials leans fully into October, when Essex Street's pedestrian mall, museums, and Salem Common host Haunted…
Lookout Farm
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 22
Farmed continuously since 1651, Lookout Farm ranks among the oldest working farms in America.
Barrett's Haunted Mansion
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks October 24
A mansion-themed haunted house south of Boston that combines indoor sets with an outdoor haunted trail, built up over more than two decades…
Connors Farm
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks October 21
A working farm on the North Shore where the corn maze gets a new theme every year, this season built around bumble bees as the Bee Happy…
Topsfield Fair
19 miFall festival
Color nearby peaks October 21
Running since 1818, America's oldest agricultural fair fills the Topsfield Fairgrounds for ten October days with livestock shows, a midway…
in Massachusetts
Guides
2026 Fall Foliage Forecast: When Leaves Peak in Every State
Our 2026 fall foliage forecast for the US and Canada, region by region, built from ERA5 weather data and a phenology model, with live peak dates on the map.
What's New: A Map of 465 Fall Destinations
Autumn Guide's Explore hub now covers 465 spots worldwide (orchards, scenic drives, hikes, and festivals) with category pins, live status, and a near-me search.
The Best Fall Hikes in New England
Eight trail-tested fall hikes across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, from short overlooks to a full above-treeline ridge walk.
5 Leaf-Peeping Road Trips for 2026
Five real fall road trips for 2026, from Vermont's Route 100 to Germany's Alpine Road, with route feel, standout stops, and how many days to plan for each.
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Boston in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 20–October 24 (best estimate October 22). Color starts around October 10 and trees are mostly bare by November 12. These dates are computed for Boston itself, at 9 m elevation, using the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Boston?
- Boston colors during autumn (September to November). Counting from the first turn to bare branches that is about 33 days, and the best of it falls in the week either side of October 22.
- What's the best foliage near Boston?
- Walden Pond State Reservation (16 mi); Colt State Park (48 mi); Newport Cliff Walk (63 mi). For a longer trip: Massachusetts (38 mi, peak ~October 21); New Hampshire (95 mi, peak ~October 14); Vermont (144 mi, peak ~October 9).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Boston?
- Beyond the leaves: Spellbound Tours (14 mi); Salem (14 mi); Lookout Farm (15 mi); Barrett's Haunted Mansion (16 mi); Connors Farm (18 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.