The alpine vegetation near the summits of New England’s highest mountains always changes in Mid-September
Photo Credit : Jim Salge
Summer’s official end always seems like a technicality. Already, mums and pumpkins are adorning the rural landscape, and orchards and farms are welcoming visitors to celebrate the harvest. The goldenrod is fading, the asters are ablaze, and our raptors are making their mass exodus. Our own mindset flips before the calendar, but soon enough, it will officially be autumn, and folks start wondering in earnest where to find the earliest fall foliage in New England.
Summer is drawing to a close, but fall foliage has yet to emerge across most of New England. Photo Credit : Kate Stinnett
The widespread, colorful foliage that transforms our landscape should be emerging shortly. Select environments are already beginning their show, and we can learn a lot from what these early colors say about our coming autumn.
Where to Find the Earliest Fall Foliage in New England
The earliest color in New England will typically emerge in one of two specific, unique environments, depending on the late summer weather patterns. If it’s hot and dry, the birches and young maples on the ledges go first, if it’s cool and wet, the swamp maples steal the early show. You can read about this year’s forecast and updatesfor more.
Swamp maples are usually the first trees to turn in New England. Photo Credit : Kevin Talbot
If you want to find New England’s earliest fall foliage, blasted ledges along roadsides seem to have some of the best color, but those looking to get out and hike will find similar displays in the craggy viewpoints of our many mountain ranges. The forests below will be almost entirely green, but the trees surrounding the viewpoint itself will undoubtedly be adorned with color.
Ledges, exposed rock, and areas with thin soils are good spots to watch for emerging color. Photo Credit : Jeff Sinon
For those willing to hike a little higher, or take advantage of one of the region’s summit drives, the New England alpine zone will also be nearing peak color. The catch…there are no trees. These truly arctic and subarctic landscapes are covered in sedges, shrubs and scrubs that rarely exceed a foot tall, but turn a most magical kaleidoscope of colors in mid-September. If you visit, it’s important to remember that they are as fragile as they are beautiful, and care should be made to keep to the established trails or on the rocks.
The alpine vegetation near the summits of New England’s highest mountains changes in mid-September. Photo Credit : Jim Salge
The other place where the earliest foliage tends to emerge is the far northern hills of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, with normal peak times typically during the last week in September.
Autumn color emerges in the higher terrain of Northern New England in Franconia Notch, NH. Photo Credit : Kate Stinnett
Be sure to visit NewEnglandFoliage.com for weekly fall foliage forecasts and reports, as well as our live peak foliage map and everything else you need to plan your foliage trip in the region.
We can’t wait to share this most beautiful season with you!
As a former meteorologist at the Mount Washington Observatory, foliage reporter Jim Salge is a keen observer of the progression of the seasons in New England. He uses his knowledge of weather, geography and climate to pinpoint the best time to visit various New England locations to find the best light, atmosphere, and most importantly, color.
