Where can I see Fall leaves in the Northeast US *this Thurs & Friday*

October 23, 2018 6:35 PM

I live in Philadelphia, I have Thurs-Sunday off work (but Sat & Sun are supposed to be rainy) and I want to take a road trip see some great fall foliage displays. I’ve wanted to see fall in New England for *years*. BUT I’ve been hearing/seeing mixed/conflicting things, including from the foliage predictors. So: have you seen great fall foliage displays in the past 48 hours? Where, very specifically? Also, bonus points for very cheap places I could stay nearby (is camping a crazy idea? I haven’t camped in cold weather before.)
posted by needs more cowbell to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

My mom and her husband just spent a weekend at the Mohonk Mountain House in New York State. The colors were just beginning to turn, so I expect they have even turned more so and are heading towards their peak. Even without the fall colors, it is a beautiful place to hike! It is roughly a 3-hour drive from Philadelphia, and, overall, isn't a bad one. I did the same drive three years ago for their wedding from the Philadelphia Airport. Mohonk Mountain House itself is very expensive to stay at, but there is way more affordable hotels and motels to stay at in the nearby town and plenty of camping sites in the area too. You can drive to Mohonk and just buy a day pass.

If you want to stay in Pennsylvania, the southern part of the state will probably in peak fall colors now. Think Gettysburg National Military Park? Or I'd just google "Peak Fall Colors Pennsylvania" plus the dates you're planning to go.
posted by Thirty7Degrees at 7:00 PM on October 23, 2018 [1 favorite]

PA has a wonderful Fall in PA map. Here's a link to the current week

Highly recommend Carbon, Blair, Huntingdon, or Cambria County. Also Warren County has a National Forest.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 7:08 PM on October 23, 2018

Camping isn't crazy - look into Tentrr.
posted by entropone at 7:12 PM on October 23, 2018

May as well point ya to the page as well. They have two loop road trips as well.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 7:14 PM on October 23, 2018

LeafPeepers.com for foliage reports. Enjoy your road trip!
posted by stachemaster at 7:41 PM on October 23, 2018

Response by poster: I want to reiterate that I am looking for individual/personal accounts, like “I went hiking in this spot yesterday and it’s totally at peak” and not more information about foliage report sites. Thanks!
posted by needs more cowbell at 7:51 PM on October 23, 2018

I was at Mononk this weekend and Thirty7Degrees is 100% spot on. I would estimate that this Thursday is peak up in New Paltz. I would go up to the mountain, hike around and stay in New Paltz which is a college town. Lots of book stores, coffee shops, tie dye shops, etc.
posted by AugustWest at 10:11 PM on October 23, 2018

I am in southern Maine and our foliage is nice right now. My parents from northern Vermont visit often and go over the kancamangus in New Hampshire and was beautiful last weekend. I’m pretty sure northern Vermont is past peak foliage at this point.
posted by pintapicasso at 2:33 AM on October 24, 2018

We're just getting there in Southern/coastal NH. Tracker here. We've got some trees that are fully turned, but some are still stubbornly green. A smidge north/west of here should be perfect--the Kancamangus, as mentioned by pintapicasso, was a little past peak yesterday, based on an instagram photo from a friend.
posted by damayanti at 4:33 AM on October 24, 2018

I drive from Nashua, New Hampshire to Andover, Massachusetts and back every day. I would not describe the foliage along the drive as "peak" yet. I'm not an expert, but I'd say we're probably about a week away from peak. Really, though, this area isn't a great foliage area. I'd look further north or west (although north will hit peak later). North of Andover will put you into the smidge north/west of the Seacoast that damayanti suggested. Maybe Barrington? I've never been in fall, but it's a nice, wooded area that would presumably have good foliage.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:56 AM on October 24, 2018

I was just on Cape Cod last Wednesday 10/17 through Sunday 10/21. Parts around the cape were already turning (not yet at "peak") but the Cape was still green. Apparently, the Cape gets fall colors later than the rest of New England, so you can always head to the Cape if you miss/missed the colors elsewhere!
posted by ancient star at 10:59 AM on October 24, 2018