Tours And Travel – Beachchannel.net

Fall foliage in New England provides a showcase for Mother Nature. Perhaps nowhere else in America, and maybe even the world, are the fall colors as stunning and spectacular as October in New England.

Fall foliage in New England really begins in August. The shortening daylight hours trigger the deciduous trees to begin the process of shedding their leaves. It happens all around North America, and all around the world. But in New England it results in a display of special landscapes painted with fiery autumn colors.

Why is fall foliage in New England so different and special?

It’s a factor of many things but mostly an abundance of different types of deciduous trees, warm autumn days, and cool – but not freezing – nights. When these and a few other conditions are all mixed in the right proportions, then you get the world famous stunning shades of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns on the hills and mountain sides of New England.

Between mid-September to late-October, visitors flock to New England to see the fall foliage. Many take special bus tours or even train rides. But most take to the road and these six scenic drives offer some of the best autumn views available from anywhere on the planet.

FALL FOLIAGE SCENIC DRIVE – MOHAWK TRAIL MASSACHUSETTS

In Massachusetts the most popular fall foliage scenic drives are along the famous Mohawk Trail, and the area known as The Berkshires. The Mohawk trail rolls out through the northwestern part of the state on route 2, and winds through the hills and mountains of the Berkshires, touching picturesque towns like Williamstown, Deerfield, Shelbourne, Colrain, Charlemont, and Shelburne Falls. The road follows an ancient foot path used to move between Massachusetts and New York by Native Americans.

Mount Greylock, the highest point in The Berkshires and Massachusetts, offers stunning views of the surrounding area and Mohawk Trail.

FALL FOLIAGE SCENIC DRIVE – KANCAMAGUS HIGHWAY NEW HAMPSHIRE

The White Mountain National Forest is home to many wonderful scenic drives but the most popular – and rightly so – has to be the 34-mile Kancamagus Scenic Highway that runs along route 112 from Conway to White Mountains Visitor Center in Lincoln. This drive is considered by many to be the top fall foliage New England scenic drive. You’ll see beautiful forests ablaze with autumn colors and plenty of photo opportunities with walks along gorges and streams, and with breathtaking views of the highest mountains in the Presidential Range.

FALL FOLIAGE SCENIC DRIVE – CENTRAL VERMONT AREA

Vermont is a popular destination state in the fall. With many fall foliage scenic drives to choose from, the Central Vermont area, around Killington, and the towns and highways of Woodstock, Rutland and Ludlow, offer up some of the most dazzling. This area is deep in The Green Mountain National Forest area, and not surprisingly offers dramatic fall foliage color and scenery.
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Fall foliage scenic drives in New Hampshire are bountiful covering Lake Winnipesaukee, Connecticut River and a bunch of trips throughout the White Mountain region. But the perennial favorite among locals and visitors alike remains the 34 miles between Lincoln and Conway on Route 112.

You can drive it in just about an hour. But you’d miss experiencing one of the most colorful scenic drives in the entire northeast – and some would say the U.S. for fall foliage.

Route 112, or as its better known the Kancamagus Highway, is the only road that runs directly east and west through the heart of the White Mountain National Forest. This is a dramatic road that shows off the magnificence of one of New Hampshire’s best-loved scenic spots. From this road your vistas include wilderness and the highest peaks in the presidential range.

During the summer and fall foliage months you’re likely to have plenty of company on your drive. But if the weather is clear who cares if the going is a little slow – this isn’t a drive to rush anyway.

You’ll find plenty of pull-offs to admire the views and take a bunch of photos if the weather cooperates. Be warned though… the White Mountains are notorious for generating their own weather, especially in the Presidential Range, where many of the peaks are above timberline. Mount Washington is cloaked with cloud cover 53% of its days.

So what will you see?

At the western end of this drive where Interstate 93 meets Route 112, lies Lincoln. The Lincoln, and close-by Cannon Mountain, areas abound in gift and specialty shops, including Clark’s Trading Post. A side trip takes you to The Flume a gorge carved during the glacial ages with a covered bridge and walking trails as well.

Lincoln is your starting point on this fall foliage scenic drive, and as you head east towards the Kancamagus Pass you’ll be climbing to 2,860 feet in the first 10 miles.

Just east of Lincoln you’ll find Loon Mountain, a ski resort by winter and a playground in the summer and fall foliage months. Loon is another side trip to ride the Gondola to the summit for breathtaking views, and exploring the Glacial Caves, and the summit observation tower. A favorite spot for hikes – Loon will bring out the pioneering spirit in you.

Continuing east on the two-lane highway you’ll enter the Pemigewasset wilderness region of the drive. Close to Hancock Campground is the parking lot entrance to the Lincoln Woods Trail. This popular and easy trail leads into the wilderness area and makes a great excursion to view the Pemigewasset River, and the wildlife that inhabits the area.

As you head out to the Sandwich Range Wilderness Area the road offers interesting turns and views through the Kancamagus Pass. You’ll find plenty of scenic overlooks to admire the mountain ranges, especially during the vibrant fall foliage season.

Another side excursion along this stretch of the road is the Greeley Ponds Scenic Area. Located about one mile from the highway and about 9 miles east of Lincoln this is a beautiful place to have a picnic lunch, and view the two ponds and towering cliffs.

Continuing east you’ll enter the Swift River valley region. This area abounds in scenic stops, and hikes through the forest offering stunning views of the valley and mountains. The hike offering the best views is the MT. Potash hike but at 4 miles requires an unrushed few hours to appreciate fully.

For a shorter and easier hike drive to the Rocky Gorge Scenic area and take The Lovequist Loop Trail. This is about an hours walk around Falls Pond and offers fishing and a marvelous window into the beauty of the natural plants and vegetation of the region. You’ll cross the gorge formed by the Swift River over a rustic footbridge.
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Spectacular fall foliage scenic drives are plentiful in Massachusetts from the south shore of Boston down to Cape Cod, and the Quabbin Reservoir area of the central region. But perhaps the most dramatic lay out west in the Berkshires and Mount Greylock region. Here the mountains provide the perfect terrain and temperatures to showcase fall in its entire splendor.

And nowhere is this most evident than on one of my favorite Massachusetts scenic drives. Stretching for 63 miles from the Massachusetts-New York border to Millers Falls on the Connecticut River is a stretch of road known as The Mohawk Trail. It offers one of Massachusetts most beloved and popular fall foliage scenic drive areas.

Attractions in the region of the Mohawk Trail are Mount Greylock, The Bridge of Flowers, Glacial Potholes, a natural marble bridge formed by erosion, state forests, old Indian hiking trails, and a plethora of villages, country inns, gift shops, and arts and craft attractions.

The trail more or less follows the footpath trade and travel route used by the peoples in this part of the northeast since postglacial age. The path was well trodden and used to move between the Hudson and Connecticut River valleys.

Anytime of the year traveling this same path by road through northern section of the Berkshire Hills is relaxing and inspiring… but especially during fall foliage season when everything is cloaked and carpeted in vibrant autumn colors.

This fall foliage scenic drive covers most of the major attractions and plenty of time for stopping and admiring the view or picking up an antique or two. The drive is approximately 65 miles but you should allow all day for viewing in an unhurried and gentle manner.

Start on Route 7 in Lanesborough, just south of Route 2. Follow Lanesborough one mile north to Rockwell Road on the right. This road leads to the summit of Mount Greylock – the highest peak in Massachusetts and one the loftiest in the long Taconic Mountain range.
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Fall foliage scenic drives in Maine are varied and include coastal drives around Acadia National Park and the rocky coastline of upper Northern Maine to Baxter State park region, to some of the larger lakes in the state. Many of the scenic drives emphasize the rugged wilderness of thick forests and impressive mountain terrain of the Maine backcountry.

Maine is one of the most heavily forested states in the nation, containing over 17 million acres of natural beauty, hikes, and magnificent summer scenic drives. One of the drives is nicknamed “The Lakes and Leaves” and I’ve chosen it because it’s especially stunning in fall foliage season.

The “Lakes and Leaves” route follows a 218-mile loop through central west Maine along the lower western shore of Moosehead Lake, and then runs parallel with the tree-lined banks of the Kennebec River. It’s best experienced over a few days rather than a one-day excursion trip, and lodging reservations are recommended during the popular fall foliage season.

Let’s get you started…

In the first part of the tour you’ll wind your way towards the town of Greenville on the southern tip of Moosehead Lake. Begin the tour in the town of Skowhegan by taking Route 150 to Route 151 in Athens. Follow Route 151 west to Newport where you’ll pick up Route 7 to Dover-Foxcroft. Take Route 6 to Guilford, and then follow Route 6/15 north to Greenville.

At Greenville stop and relax for a bit. Greenville is a center for those seeking the pastimes of hunting, fishing, hiking and boating in the area. It’s also home to a number of attractions in the area. One such attraction is the 110-foot SS Katahdin, a popular steamship that cruises on Moosehead Lake during the summer and through fall foliage. It leaves from the center of Greenville. The views from the ship are dramatic and worth the extra scheduling preparation.
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