New York · Vermont · New Hampshire · Massachusetts
We mapped when the leaves should peak at each Happy Grounds campground this October, so you can book the week the hills turn.
Find your peak week See the road trips
Forecast issued Sep 22, 2026. Peak dates can shift by about a week with the weather.
Follow the color south
Leaves turn first in the northern valleys and at higher elevation, then move south and toward the coast. Pick the park that peaks the week you can get away.
12 parks, four peak weeks
Fall color usually reaches the northern valleys first, then moves south and toward the coast. Each colored county below holds a Happy Grounds park, shaded by the week its leaves should peak.
Scroll to follow the color south, week by week.
Adirondacks, Lake Champlain and central New York
Color starts up north. The Champlain Valley, the Lake George region and the hills around Oneida Lake should turn first, in the second week of October.
Southern Vermont and New Hampshire
The Connecticut River valley and the Sunapee region follow close behind. Maple and birch on the hillsides peak in the same week as the Adirondacks.
Four fall drives, park to park
Want the season to last longer? String a few parks together. Each drive stays inside one peak window, so the color is at its best at every stop.
4Lakes to LocksOct 6 to 13 · 4 parks
Start at the top of Lake Champlain and work south along the Lakes to Locks Passage, the scenic byway that follows the lake and the Hudson. You finish in Saratoga County as the valley color peaks.
3Green Mountains to the MerrimackOct 7 to 13 · 3 parks
2The Mohawk TrailOct 11 to 13 · 2 parks
Check the local color report
Color moves with the weather. Each state posts a weekly foliage report through the season, so check it a few days before you drive up.
Up north, book early October. Down south, book mid-October.
The same week can be past peak in the Adirondacks and still green in eastern Massachusetts. Pick the park first, then the dates.
Forecast source: More Than Just Parks county foliage tracker, issued Sep 22, 2026 (model corrected by ground reports, median error about 6 days). Regional timing cross-checked with the Old Farmer’s Almanac 2026 foliage map. Every date on this page is a forecast, not a promise.
Fall color questions, answered
When will fall foliage peak in New England and New York in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color between October 6 and October 19, moving north to south. The Adirondacks, Lake Champlain and central New York turn first, around October 6 to 13. Southern Vermont and New Hampshire follow October 7 to 13, the Berkshires and central Massachusetts peak October 11 to 13, and southern New England and the Catskills finish the season October 14 to 19.
How accurate is this fall color forecast?
It is a forecast, not a promise. We issued it on September 22, 2026 using the More Than Just Parks county foliage tracker, which is corrected by ground reports and carries a median error of about six days, and we cross-checked regional timing with the Old Farmer’s Almanac 2026 foliage map. Weather can shift peak dates by about a week, so check your state’s weekly foliage report a few days before you travel.
Which campgrounds are best for early October color?
Book a northern park. Kings Bay in Champlain, Ausable River in Keeseville, Glen-Hudson in Warrensburg, Heritage Acres in Galway and Riverbend East in Blossvale are all forecast to peak between October 6 and 13. Crown Point in Vermont joins them October 7 to 13.
When should I book a campsite for peak foliage?
As early as you can, and always direct on the park’s own page. Up north, aim for early October. Down south, aim for mid-October. The same week can be past peak in the Adirondacks and still green in eastern Massachusetts, so pick the park first, then the dates.
What are the best fall drives near the campgrounds?
We mapped four park-to-park fall drives that chain the campgrounds together (see the road trip section above). Standouts near the parks include the Prospect Mountain Highway near Glen-Hudson, open through November 11, the Mount Ascutney auto road near Crown Point, and the Mount Greylock summit road near Bonnie Brae, open through October 30.
Where can I check current foliage conditions?
Each state posts a weekly foliage report through the season: I LOVE NY for New York, the Vermont Tourism tracker, the Visit NH foliage tracker, and Mass.gov for the Massachusetts state parks. All four are linked in the Before You Go section above. Check a few days before you drive up, since color moves with the weather.
Pick your week. Save your site.
Choose the park that turns the week you’re free, then book your site direct.
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