Mohawk Trail (Hairpin Turn)
Scenic drive · Massachusetts
Route 2's 63-mile run through the Berkshires climbs to a 1,700-foot hairpin turn on the North Adams-Clarksburg line, opening onto a 90-mile view across the Hoosac Valley toward Mount Greylock. It's New England's oldest official scenic auto route, marked in 1914.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 10–October 14
Color builds from September 27 · mostly bare by November 2
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Mohawk Trail (Hairpin Turn)’s own coordinates and elevation (591 m) rather than a regional average. Estimates, not promises — check locally before you plan a trip around it.
Mohawk Trail (Hairpin Turn) on the map
More things to do in Massachusetts
Boston Public Garden
GardenPeak October 23
America's first public botanical garden colors gently through late October, with weeping willows around the lagoon, ginkgos and maples over the promenades, and the Common's big oaks and elms right across Charles Street.
Don’t miss: Lagoon willows · Commonwealth Avenue Mall next door
Arnold Arboretum
ArboretumPeak October 23
Harvard's 281-acre living museum in Jamaica Plain holds one of North America's great tree collections (maples, hickories, ginkgos, and conifer-framed hillsides), usually at its best from mid-October to early November.
Don’t miss: Maple collection · Peters Hill view of the skyline
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Garden cemeteryPeak October 23
America's first garden cemetery is quietly one of Greater Boston's best foliage walks: 175 acres of century-old sugar maples, beeches, and oaks over Victorian monuments, with a tower view back to the Boston skyline.
Don’t miss: Washington Tower view · Auburn Lake dell
Middlesex Fells Reservation
State parkPeak October 22
Twenty-five hundred acres of rocky oak-and-hickory woodland just north of the city. The Skyline Trail's ledges open over reservoirs ringed in October color, close enough to reach on the Orange Line.
Don’t miss: Skyline Trail ledges · Wright's Tower
Plan from a city
Frequently asked
- When does Mohawk Trail (Hairpin Turn) peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 10–October 14 (best estimate October 12). Color starts around September 27 and is mostly bare by November 2.
- What is Mohawk Trail (Hairpin Turn) best for?
- Western Massachusetts' classic mountain drive.
- How do I get to Mohawk Trail (Hairpin Turn)?
- The closest city is Hartford, about 68 mi away. It's part of Massachusetts's fall lineup.
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