The upcoming holiday weekend is expected to be a great time for more fall foliage to reach its peak, according to Yankee Magazine.
With most of the north already having reached its peak and starting to fade, colors to the south have shifted, Yankee wrote on Thursday. The good news for Massachusetts is that this means colors should reach their peak as far south as the Berkshires, with even the coastline seeing “some advancing color.”
“Past peak color doesn’t mean no color, but the brightest hues have moved on,” the magazine’s website clarified. “…Some trees have browned, but much of this year’s color has been bright, and the trend will continue further south.”
So far, most of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have reached their peak, with some counties to the north already past that. The southern half of eastern Massachusetts, including the Cape, is seeing some color changes at this time. Other parts of the Bay State have a high abundance of colors, but have not yet reached their peak.
Yankee suggested one Vermont town as being the “quintessential New England small town” during this time of year, Woodstock. The town is expected to see “a bit of traffic, but the walkable downtown, and wide range of area attractions absolutely still make it our top weekend choice,” Yankee wrote.
“Start the day at the Mon Vert Cafe right downtown, or take the short drive over to the Skinny Pancake east of the village,” the author wrote. “After fueling up, perhaps a hike up Mount Tom, or down to the river in the dramatic Queechee Gorge. There is an extensive trail network at the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historic Park as well, all graded well for horses too. One of the most unique attractions in the area is the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences Nature Center, with a canopy walk that can’t be beat in autumn.”
Then take the backroads of nearby Pomfret and Barnard, or head west to “the spine of the Green Mountains, the Appalachian Trail and Killington’s” Snowshed Adventure Center, Yankee wrote.
Along with Woodstock, Yankee recommended that people also visit Conway, New Hampshire; Naples, Maine; and North Adams.
Massachusetts residents who want to keep an eye on fall foliage in the Bay State can the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation‘s fall foliage map. As of Friday, most of the state’s colors are at their midpoint while much of western Massachusetts’ fall foliage is at its near point.
