Boston, Massachusetts fall foliage

Boston peaks in late October, and its color is in the parks. The Arnold Arboretum, in Jamaica Plain, has about 281 acres of trees from around the world, part of the Emerald Necklace, Frederick Law Olmsted’s chain of parks through the city. Downtown, the Public Garden and Boston Common have old trees close to the State House, and the Charles River Esplanade follows the river with views across to Cambridge. Just across the river, Mount Auburn Cemetery, the country’s first garden cemetery, has winding paths and a tower with a view of the city. South of the city, Great Blue Hill in the Blue Hills Reservation looks back over Boston from its stone tower.

Route 2 heads west from Boston to Concord, where Minute Man National Historical Park preserves the Old North Bridge and the Battle Road, lined with stone walls and woods, between Lexington and Concord. Just south of the town center, Walden Pond is surrounded by woods and a path along the shore.