Vermont fall foliage

How fall color moves through Vermont

Vermont’s color starts in the high country and the far north, then works its way south and down into the valleys over about two and a half weeks. The first to turn are the high notches and the Northeast Kingdom along the Canadian border: Smugglers’ Notch and Jay Peak typically peak around September 30 to October 1. The central Green Mountains follow a week later, with Killington and Stowe around October 6 to 7. The Champlain Valley and the capital come next, with Burlington and Montpelier around October 9. Southern Vermont finishes the season: Woodstock around October 11, Manchester around October 12, Bennington around October 14, and Brattleboro in the Connecticut River valley around October 16.

Best places for Vermont fall foliage

• Stowe is the classic Vermont foliage village, where a white church steeple stands against Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest peak.
• Smugglers’ Notch is a narrow pass on Route 108 above Stowe, lined with cliffs and huge boulders, that turns about a week before the village below.
• Jay Peak sits in the Northeast Kingdom just south of the Canadian border and is one of the first places in Vermont to peak.
• Killington is the high point of the central Green Mountains, where Route 4 and Route 100 meet below Vermont’s second-highest peak.
• Woodstock has a classic village green and a covered bridge in the center of town, a short drive from Quechee Gorge on Route 4.
• Manchester lies in the valley between the Green Mountains and the Taconic Range in southern Vermont, below Mount Equinox.
• Burlington looks across Lake Champlain to the Adirondacks, with the Green Mountains rising to the east.
• Brattleboro, in the Connecticut River valley in the state’s southeast corner, is typically the last Vermont destination to peak.

Scenic drives

Route 100 runs nearly the length of the state along the eastern side of the Green Mountains, passing through or near Stowe and Killington, and is the classic Vermont foliage drive. Route 108 climbs from Stowe through Smugglers’ Notch, a narrow, winding pass between towering cliffs and boulders. In the south, Route 9, the Molly Stark Trail, crosses the mountains between Bennington and Brattleboro, and Route 4 links Woodstock with Quechee Gorge.

Planning around elevation

Elevation matters as much as distance in Vermont. Smugglers’ Notch, at about 2,160 feet, typically peaks a full week before Stowe village, which sits at about 720 feet just 8 miles away. On the same day, you can find peak color up high while the valley is still coming on, or bare ridges above valleys that are still bright. If the color you see from town looks early, drive up; if the ridgelines have gone bare, stay low.

Visiting in early, mid, or late October

Early October. Head north and up. Smugglers’ Notch and Jay Peak are typically at their best in the first week of the month, and Killington and Stowe reach their best viewing around October 4 to 5.

Mid-October. The Champlain Valley and southern Vermont take over. Burlington and Montpelier typically stay at their best until about October 15 to 16, Woodstock and Manchester until about October 17 to 18, and Bennington and Brattleboro come into their best viewing around October 13 to 15.

Late October. Most of Vermont is past peak by now. Brattleboro typically holds good color until about October 23. After that, head south: Worcester, MA and Hartford, CT are usually still at their best.