Vermont & New Hampshire in the Fall
Six days of maple forests: Vermont’s Route 100, Stowe, Franconia Notch and the Kancamagus.
- Distance
- About 600 mi
- ≈ 970 km, rounded
- Time
- 6 days
- at a comfortable pace
- Best season
- Late Sep–mid-Oct
- Start → finish
- Boston → Boston
This is the shorter, inland version of our New England fall road trip: no coast, all forest. Six days in the two states where the maples turn first and brightest — Vermont’s Route 100 through farm valleys and ski towns, the narrow pass of Smugglers’ Notch, the granite gaps of New Hampshire’s White Mountains and the Kancamagus Highway, 34 miles without a single gas station or billboard.
Day by day
- 1
Day 1 · Boston to Woodstock, Vermont
Northwest across New Hampshire on I-93 and I-89. Woodstock is the postcard village: a covered bridge, a green, and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller, Vermont’s only national park, with forest trails above the town. Quechee Gorge on the way in.
about 150 mi · 2 h 45Sleep: Woodstock
- 2
Day 2 · Route 100 to Stowe
Vermont Route 100 runs up the spine of the Green Mountains through Plymouth Notch (Calvin Coolidge’s birthplace), Killington and the Mad River Valley’s Warren and Waitsfield, with farm stands and cider mills. End in Stowe.
about 100 mi · 2 h 30Sleep: Stowe
- 3
Day 3 · Stowe and Smugglers’ Notch
Route 108 squeezes between boulders through Smugglers’ Notch (closed in winter, not for RVs or trailers). Gondola up Mount Mansfield if it runs, then the Stowe Recreation Path through the valley and a cider stop in Waterbury.
about 40 miSleep: Stowe
- 4
Day 4 · Into the White Mountains
East across the Connecticut River into New Hampshire. Franconia Notch State Park: the Flume Gorge boardwalk, the Basin, and the cable car up Cannon Mountain for the view over the notch.
about 110 mi · 2 h 15Sleep: Lincoln
- 5
Day 5 · The Kancamagus & Mount Washington
Route 112, the Kancamagus Highway, early in the morning: the Lower Falls, Sabbaday Falls, the Pemigewasset Overlook. Then the Mount Washington Auto Road or the Cog Railway to the summit if the weather is clear — it is famous for the worst weather in the East.
about 90 miSleep: North Conway
- 6
Day 6 · Back to Boston
South through the Lakes Region, with a stop at Lake Winnipesaukee, and back to Boston by the afternoon. See our Boston guide.
about 140 mi · 2 h 45Sleep: [Boston](/cities/boston/)
Short on days? Part of this route also works as a short trip, planned hour by hour:
Best week for the leaves
Color moves from north to south and from high to low ground. In a typical year, the high White Mountains and northern Vermont turn in late September, Stowe and the notches around the first week of October, and the valleys around Woodstock and the Lakes Region in mid-October. A warm, dry September or a windy storm can shift it by a week, which is why we suggest watching the state foliage reports (Vermont and New Hampshire both publish them through the season).
What to book ahead
- Hotels in Stowe, Woodstock and Lincoln/North Conway: fall is the peak season and October weekends fill months ahead. Free cancellation lets you move the trip a week if the forecast says so.
- Flume Gorge tickets, sold online by New Hampshire State Parks: buy them ahead for fall weekends.
- Mount Washington Auto Road or Cog Railway: open until late October in a normal year, weather permitting.
- Dinner reservations on Saturday nights in Stowe and Woodstock.
Shorter or longer
White Mountains only
3–4 days
Boston – Lincoln – Kancamagus – North Conway – Boston. The most color for the fewest miles.
Add the Maine coast and Acadia
9 days
Continue from North Conway to Portland and Bar Harbor: that is our 9-day New England fall loop with Acadia.
Burlington and Lake Champlain
+1 day
From Stowe, 40 minutes west to Burlington’s lakefront, then back across via Route 2.
Where to sleep along the way
Book the nights that matter first — inside or next to the parks, and in towns hosting a festival — then fill in the rest. Free cancellation keeps the plan flexible.
Partner links · Trip.com
Our hand-picked hotels on this route
Road trip questions
When is peak fall foliage in Vermont and New Hampshire?
Usually from the last week of September in the high mountains to mid-October in the valleys. It varies by a week or so each year with the weather.
How many days do you need for a fall foliage trip?
Five or six days covers Vermont and the White Mountains from Boston without rushing. Add three days for the Maine coast.
Which is better for fall colors, Vermont or New Hampshire?
Vermont for farms, villages and rolling hills; New Hampshire for mountain passes and big views. This loop does both.
Is the Kancamagus Highway open in the fall?
Yes, it is open all year; it is just busiest on October weekends. There are no services along its 34 miles, so fill up in Lincoln or Conway.
Written by Kylian Dev. Distances and drive times are without stops or traffic; add 25% for a realistic day.