A Field Guide to the White Mountains in Autumn

When to come, where the color peaks first, and the back-road drives most leaf-peepers miss.

Autumn in the White Mountain National Forest is the headline event, and for good reason — but most visitors crowd the same overlooks in the same two weeks. With a little timing, you can have the color and skip the traffic.

Peak moves downhill. The high ridges turn first, usually in the last week of September, while the valley floors around Stoneham hold their color into mid-October. Book the shoulder of peak and you'll catch the best of both — plus fewer crowds and softer rates.

Our favorite routes start right outside the door: the climb to the summit tower for a 360° view of the color, the back roads toward Kezar Falls, and the drive up Route 5 past Keewaydin Lake. Ask us at check-in and we'll mark up a map.