This is a great updated weekly type of a report for New England. Great find!
From NewEngland.com
Year after year, New England has some of the brightest fall foliage in the world!
As we wind down the leaf peeping season in New England and gear up for Halloween next week, there is still a very surprising amount of autumn color to enjoy. We’re not just talking about southern New England either, as there are fall colors to be seen from the Canadian border to Newport, Rhode Island, if you know where to look. It’s been a weird year for fall foliage, and this much color, this late, is unusual, but appreciated.
The most widespread bright colors will be along the coast of northern New England, and then south throughout eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and then much of Connecticut. This swath includes our pick of the week, Putnam in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. Last year when we highlighted this area, suggesting Woodstock, Connecticut, it was two weekends earlier, so that is telling for how late the colors are this year.
The foliage throughout this region is following the same pattern as the rest of the region: A few waves of brighter color, with some bare trees, some brown from fungus and still plenty of green mixed in. But when you find a brighter area, the colors have been beautiful of late. This is partly because the weather we’ve been having during the week has been great for bringing on brighter colors. Warm, sunny days and crisp clear nights have been abundant midweek; we’re just not going to talk about the weekends.
North of this arc, in places like western Connecticut, western Massachusetts, and then southern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, the late maple turning trees are joining with the oaks this week to create a nice golden color palette in the forests. Many leaves are down already, but this late push of color is always beautiful especially on bright sunny days. Areas to focus on include the river valleys and around the big lakes, which hold on to head longer. South Hadley, Massachusetts, Brattleboro, Vermont, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, and Saco, Maine, all are great areas to focus on, as is the Maine and New Hampshire coastline.
Farther north, snow has fallen on the highest peaks, and many of the forests are trending towards bare. There were still bright spots though, as just this past week, North Conway, New Hampshire, had great views of a snow covered Mount Washington with a bright foreground of foliage. These areas will begin to fade fast now though, joining the rest of the north. Past peak though still hold some color, especially with areas that either have a beech understory, which turns very late, or with tamaracks, a deciduous conifer with needles that turn bright orange before shedding for the winter.
And then there’s Burlington, Vermont: Still widespread green and early color near the lake, surrounded by a sea of past peak. Burlington has yet to have a freeze this season, and is making a run for the latest on record (November 1st). It really highlights what a long and anomalous foliage year it’s been! And speaking of cities, for the same reasons, fall color is just starting to come into Boston, so the best colors in the city are yet to come!
Where is the best fall foliage in New England this weekend? Putnam, Connecticut!
Putnam, Connecticut, is a charming old mill town that comes alive with the vibrant colors of autumn and is an anchor of Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. This picturesque region offers an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities in late fall, making it an ideal destination for an autumn escape.
Start your day with a cup of coffee from the Chubby Dog Coffee Co. and enjoy it on a stroll along the Putnam River Trail through Rotary Park, where there’s a great view over a small dam and rushing rapids. Then head out on a leaf peeping tour. Just to the west, Route 169 is always highly rated by fall foliage enthusiasts for the mix of farms, forests, and old New England charm. You might head north to Roseland Park, a tranquil oasis where you can take a leisurely stroll by the lake, which mirrors the fall foliage, or south to Pachaug State Forest for hiking or birdwatching. The forest’s dense woodlands become a mesmerizing mosaic of autumn colors in the fall. If you want to enjoy the foliage by bicycle, the Air Line State Park Rail Trail is a regional resource spanning fifty miles from the Tri-State Border to East Hampton, passing through Putnam and Pomfret.
While a week late for Putnam’s Fall Festival this year, they are having downtown trick or treating this Saturday, a great event for families with children. There are also nearby fall attractions like the corn mazes at either Fort Hill Farms or Defazio Orchard nearby, and Lapsley Orchards down Route 169 has wagon rides, cider donuts, and is still picking apples. Back in town, locals love both 85 Main and the Black Dog Bar and Grille for dining options. We’ve also heard that the pizza is great at the Broken Crust, and we can’t wait to try it ourselves!