Franconia Notch State Park
State park · New Hampshire
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 boardwalk chasm through 12,000-year-old granite walls draped in ferns and, by October, flaming maple.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 3–October 7
Color builds from September 17 · mostly bare by October 26
Sampled at Franconia Notch State Park’s own coordinates and elevation (541 m) rather than a regional average.
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. How the forecast works
When to go to Franconia Notch State Park
Good color holds through about October 14, giving you roughly 27 days from the first turn to past peak. That is about 8 days earlier than New Hampshire as a whole. The 1,775 ft elevation accounts for most of the difference.
Franconia Notch State Park on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of New Hampshire, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does Franconia Notch State Park peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 3–October 7 (best estimate October 5). Color starts around September 17 and is mostly bare by October 26.
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