Foliage map › National parks and forests › White Mountain National Forest
White Mountain National Forest fall foliage
The White Mountain National Forest covers about 750,000 acres of northern New Hampshire and western Maine, from the Presidential Range, topped by 6,288-foot Mount Washington, down to the notches and river valleys below. Color starts on the high ridges and in the notches, where it typically peaks in the first days of October, then works down into the valleys, where it peaks around October 10.
- Typical peak
- Oct 3 – Oct 10
- Location
- New Hampshire and Maine
- Size
- About 750,000 acres
- Elevation
- About 500 to 6,288 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 9 at Lincoln. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s status and the five-week outlook.
Status shown for Lincoln, at 810 feet. See below for other parts of the forest.
Peak by place and elevation
Bars show the typical best-viewing window for each place. The dark mark is the typical peak. The last column shows today’s status.
The season at Lincoln
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Where to see the color in the White Mountains
The Kancamagus Highway crosses the heart of the forest between Lincoln and Conway, climbing to nearly 2,900 feet at Kancamagus Pass, with the Hancock and Pemigewasset overlooks near the top and short walks to Sabbaday Falls and the Lower Falls of the Swift River. Franconia Notch, between Cannon Mountain and Franconia Ridge, has the Flume Gorge and the view from Artist’s Bluff over Echo Lake. On the east side of the forest, Crawford Notch carries US 302 between steep walls, past Arethusa Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in New Hampshire, and Pinkham Notch on Route 16 has Glen Ellis Falls at the foot of Mount Washington.
Scenic drive
The Kancamagus Highway (Route 112), a National Scenic Byway, runs about 34 miles through the forest from Lincoln to Conway. For a full loop, continue north from Conway on Route 16 through North Conway and Jackson, head west on US 302 through Crawford Notch, and come back south through Franconia Notch to Lincoln.
Trees you’ll see turning
Scenic drive guide
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in the White Mountain National Forest?
In a typical year, the high ridges and notches peak in the first days of October, and the valleys around Lincoln, Jackson, and North Conway peak around October 8 to 10. The best overall window usually runs from the last days of September to mid-October.
Where is the best fall color in the White Mountains?
The Kancamagus Highway, Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch, and Pinkham Notch are the classic places, each with mountain walls of color rising above the road.