Welcome to the 2023 White Mountains Fall Foliage Tracker!
Follow along as we track this year's foliage. As we start to see more color, we will track by region to give you the most up to date information. Check here for weekly updates.
9/25/23
It's really only been in the last few days that we have begun to notice some real changes in color in certain areas of the White Mountains. The bright green shades of summer are giving way to a yellow and orange haze on the hillsides, and bold red is starting to pop through in wetter areas such as rivers, lakes, and marshes. With the cooler evening temps we've been experiencing, we expect to start to see the leaves start to change to an even greater extent over the next week or so.
Where to head this week to see some color:
*Bright shades of yellow, orange, and reds have been seen in Crawford Notch and points further north (like the Great North Woods and the Lake Francis area in Pittsburg). While there is still a lot of green, the balance is shifting more to the bright fall colors.
*In the Lancaster/Whitefield area there are a few red and yellow trees starting to show through the green.
*If you are planning on taking a ride on the Cog Railway or the Bretton Woods Gondola, the town of Bretton Woods is starting to showcase brilliant pops of yellow, orange, and red.
*In the Franconia Notch area and points north (like Bethlehem, Littleton, and Franconia), this weekend's cooler temps have prompted a shift in color. Shades of orange and yellow have grown bolder these past few days on select trees.
*In the southern and western White Mountains (and particularly Campton area and Route 118 headed west), there is a distinct orange haze to the leaves on the hillsides and mountaintops. The green is gradually fading and giving way to the orange and yellow hues of autumn. Some shades of red are also starting to mix in, but they remain muted as of today.
The White Mountains as a whole is reporting at 15-20%
If you need some ideas on where to stay , play, and dine, while you are out leaf-peeping, head to our Fall Itinerary blog to get some inspiration.
*Please note that the foliage does not all change at the same time and varies based on region, elevation, weather, and temperature. We will have our "Leaf Peeps" out to find out where the foliage is changing and at what percentage. We typically see "peak foliage" conditions start in the Great North Woods and work its way south and that can happen anywhere from the end of September to the middle of October.
For more information on the Fall Foliage forecast throughout New Hampshire, visit the State of New Hampshire website at www.visitnh.gov (link is external)
