Autumn colors come
early to New Hampshire, typically starting to lose its summer green by mid
September. By mid-October, most of New Hampshire is brown contrasted with the green
of the evergreens. Expect to see a lot of orange and red on the sumacs and
maples. The white ash turns a deep, dark purple while the black ash shows a
beautiful yellow seeming to compete with the bright yellow of the poplars. The beech and birch are yellow,
or dull orange or, sometimes, an almost red.
A favorite loop for
viewing autumn leaves in the White Mountains is between I-93 and US-302.
Starting at North Woodstock/Lincoln (I-93 exit 32) head north to exit 35. Take
the exit and follow US-3 north to Twin Mountain. Turn right (east) on US-302
and follow it along the Saco River to the intersection of VT-16 (about 5 miles
south of North Conway). Bear right following VT-16 west, past Conway, to the
intersection of VT-112 (about 5 miles). Turn right and be prepared for awesome
beauty! This is the well-known and popular Kancamagus Highway. You start by
following the Swift River upstream, past Bear Mountain and Tripyramid Mountain
to Kancamagus Pass (elevation 2,860 feet) then down, past Mount Osceola and
Mount Hitchcock to Lincoln and I-93 exit 32. If you are a shutter bug there
are many, many picture-taking opportunities except while you're on I-93. And, remember, the higher elevations turn
color before the lower elevations. But, if you are looking at a mountainside, you'll see color somewhere if not everywhere.
Most hotels and motels are 'booked up' during the autumn leaf-viewing season. If you haven't made your hotel or motel reservations yet we have included a list of area hotels and motels with access to an on-line hotel reservation system for your convenience.
