When do the leaves change in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire's White Mountains produce some of New England's most vivid color, with the Kancamagus Highway as the signature drive.
Peak: October 12–October 16
Color builds from October 1 · mostly bare by November 4
This window comes from 4 weather points across New Hampshire, nudged 3 days later to match 1 published peak date from almanac.com. This year's weather has the peak running 2 days earlier than a normal year. Peak dates spread about 4 days inside New Hampshire, so the high ground turns well before the valleys. How the forecast works
Known for
Things to do in fall in New Hampshire
11 iconic stops, including scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Kancamagus Highway
Scenic drivePeak 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…
Franconia Notch State Park
State parkPeak October 10
The White Mountains' other great pass carries I-93 as a two-lane parkway past Cannon Mountain and Echo Lake to the Flume Gorge, an 800-foot…
Mount Washington Cog Railway
Scenic railwayColor nearby peaks October 7
The world's first mountain-climbing rack railway has hauled passengers up Mount Washington's west slope since 1869.
Bath Covered Bridge
Covered bridgeColor nearby peaks October 10
Built in 1832 over the Ammonoosuc River, this 375-foot bridge is the oldest working covered bridge in New Hampshire and still carries daily…
Color nearby peaks October 19
A 1740s working farm in Lee that plows its six-acre corn maze into a new aerial design every year, with sheep, hogs, and Belgian draft…
Applecrest Farm Orchards
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 20
Continuously operated since 1913 on land settled in 1665, Applecrest is the oldest working apple orchard in the United States and New…
Castle in the Clouds
ViewpointPeak October 13
Shoe magnate Thomas Plant's 1914 mountaintop mansion, Lucknow, sits on a 5,500-acre former estate above Lake Winnipesaukee, with trails…
Fright Kingdom
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks October 19
The largest indoor haunted house in New England, forty minutes from Boston, built around five separately themed attractions from the gothic…
Farms & harvest
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.
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.
Understand the season in New Hampshire
Short explainers on why and when the color arrives here.
Photography & Observation
Editing Fall Foliage Photos: A Simple Workflow
A repeatable fall foliage editing workflow: fix white balance, recover exposure, add contrast, and use vibrance instead of saturation so color stays believable.
2026-07-18 · 6 min read
Leaf Science
How to Identify Trees by Their Fall Leaves
A field method for naming trees by autumn leaves: check the branching pattern first, then leaf shape, then color, and most common species sort themselves out fast.
2026-07-18 · 6 min read
Activities & Food
Apple Picking, Explained: Timing, Varieties, and Orchard Etiquette
How apple picking timing actually works, which varieties ripen early versus late, and the orchard etiquette that keeps pick-your-own farms running smoothly.
2026-07-17 · 5 min read
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in New Hampshire in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 12–October 16 (best estimate October 14). Color starts around October 1 and trees are mostly bare by November 4.
- How reliable is the New Hampshire forecast?
- The forecast blends recent-year weather normals with photoperiod and elevation; it tightens as the season approaches. Against published peak dates the model lands within a few days for most regions, but it can be a week or more out. Mountains and coastlines are the hardest. Higher elevations turn roughly one day earlier per 300 m.
- When is New Hampshire's autumn season?
- New Hampshire is in the northern hemisphere, so its color season is autumn (September to November). The turn takes roughly 35 days end to end, centered on October 14, and the last 12 of those are thinning canopy rather than color.
- What are the best things to do in fall in New Hampshire?
- The iconic stops: Kancamagus Highway, Franconia Notch State Park, Mount Washington Cog Railway, Bath Covered Bridge, Coppal House Farm, Applecrest Farm Orchards. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
Nearby & similar
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak October 12–October 16
October 1 → November 4