Low sun breaking through clouds over mountains and a forest of red, orange and yellow autumn trees along the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire's White Mountains

New England Fall Foliage Drive: 6-Day Itinerary from Boston

Four classic scenic roads, three states and six nights in real towns: when to go, where to sleep and what closes.

616 mi · 6 days · Easy
By

Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0

This is a road trip for next autumn, written in November when the 2026 season is over. It leaves Boston, crosses the White Mountains on the Kancamagus Highway, drops into Vermont along Route 100 and returns through the Berkshires on the Mohawk Trail. It covers about 616 miles (991 km) in six days with a night in a real town every evening.

There is no single official foliage loop across three states. This one strings together four classic roads: the Kancamagus Scenic Byway in New Hampshire (a National Scenic Byway), Route 100 in Vermont, the Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts, and the eight miles of I-93 through Franconia Notch. The six days are our own split of the road.

The one decision that matters is the week. Color peaks in the north and on high ground first, so a loop that starts in the White Mountains and ends in the Berkshires is a compromise, and the stretch where you will miss peak is whichever end you reach out of season. Aim for the first week or two of October, and read the state foliage reports about ten days before you leave.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified.

Day by Day

6 legs and 5 nights on the way, each in a different place.

  1. Day 1

    Day 1: Boston to North Conway: across the Lakes Region

    BostontoNorth Conway

    Distance
    160 mi 258 km

    The longest day is the first one, and it is mostly transit. Take I-93 north into New Hampshire, leave it for Route 25 across the Lakes Region through Meredith, then follow Route 16 north to North Conway. Leave Boston early, because a day that starts in the afternoon on a Friday in peak season starts in traffic.

    North Conway is where you set up for the next two days. The Mount Washington Auto Road toll house is on Route 16 in Pinkham Notch, north of town, and the east end of the Kancamagus is a few miles south in Conway. If the Auto Road is on your list, read the next leg before you book a room, because it decides how early you leave.

    Sleep
    North Conway · Town
    Signal
    Normal on the interstate and in the towns.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
  2. Day 2

    Day 2: North Conway to Lincoln: the Kancamagus Highway

    North ConwaytoLincoln

    Distance
    40.8 mi 65.6 km

    This is the short day, on purpose. The Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) runs 34.5 miles (55.5 km) from Conway to Lincoln through the White Mountain National Forest, and in October it is the road most people picture when they think of New England color. From Conway you reach it by Route 16 south; the line on the map starts in North Conway and joins the byway there.

    The Mount Washington Auto Road is the optional morning. It climbs 7.6 miles (12.2 km) from Route 16 in Pinkham Notch to the 6,288-foot (1,917 m) summit, takes about 30 minutes up and 30 to 45 minutes down, and needs no reservation. The detour is not in this leg's distance: the toll house is north of North Conway, so allow time to drive up and back. In 2026 it ran daily from September 28 to October 18 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (the last cars up), then from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to November 1, always weather permitting. Do it first thing, then be on the Kancamagus after lunch; if the summit is in cloud, skip it, because the view is the reason to go.

    The peak for Franconia Notch, Lincoln and the west end of the Kancamagus falls around the second week of October, on either side of Columbus Day weekend. Points to the north peak about a week earlier, and points east and south a half week to a week later, which means the east end of the Kancamagus near Conway colors a few days after Lincoln. Fill the tank before you start.

    Sleep
    Lincoln · Town
    Signal
    Little or none on the highway itself, by guide reports.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
  3. The Glacial Boulder beside the Flume Gorge trail, a huge rounded granite block with a sign, in woods with yellow leaves on the ground
    Day 3

    Day 3: Lincoln to Stowe: Franconia Notch and into Vermont

    LincolntoStowe

    Distance
    92.3 mi 149 km

    From Lincoln, I-93 north climbs into Franconia Notch State Park. For eight miles (12.9 km) the interstate winds between the Kinsman and Franconia ranges. The Flume Gorge is the main stop: a 2-mile (3.2 km) loop through an 800-foot (244 m) gorge with walls 70 to 90 feet (21 to 27 m) high, and the state strongly encourages reserving online for a specific arrival window. The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway is retired and was being replaced in 2026, so do not plan the day around it.

    Stay on I-93 north into Vermont, then take Route 15 west across the Northeast Kingdom to Morrisville and Route 100 south into Stowe. This is where the loop moves north in latitude and, in peak weeks, earlier in the color calendar: Vermont's color starts in the north and on high ground first.

    Stowe is the Vermont base. Mount Mansfield, the state's highest peak at 4,393 feet (1,339 m), has a gondola that Vermont's tourism board lists as running daily through October 18, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    Sleep
    Stowe · Town
    Signal
    Normal on the interstate; patchy in the notch and on the back roads.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0

  4. Day 4

    Day 4: Stowe to Woodstock: down Route 100

    StowetoWoodstock

    Distance
    87.1 mi 140 km

    Route 100 is the north-south road of the Green Mountains, and today is the reason to put Vermont on this trip. Follow it south from Stowe through the villages of the Mad River Valley and over to the junction with Route 4 at Killington, then turn east on Route 4 to Woodstock. It is a day of small towns, farm stands and pullouts, not of famous stops, so leave the afternoon open.

    The valleys and the south turn later than the north. Color can last longer than you expect: the state tourism board says leaves can hang on until the last week of October or the first week of November, although most will be down by then.

    Killington's gondola is listed as running daily from September 11 to October 12, which is a useful reminder that the lift-served views stop before the foliage does.

    Sleep
    Woodstock · Town
    Signal
    Weak in the valleys between the villages; normal in the larger towns.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
  5. Day 5

    Day 5: Woodstock to North Adams: south Vermont and the Berkshires

    WoodstocktoNorth Adams

    Distance
    104 mi 167 km

    Leave Woodstock on Route 106 south, pick up Route 11 west across southern Vermont, then turn south on US-7 through Manchester and Bennington to Williamstown, Massachusetts, and east a few miles on Route 2 to North Adams. This is the southern end of the loop, and it colors last.

    North Adams is the base for the Mohawk Trail. If you arrive in good light, spend an hour on the western end of the Trail before dinner and save the long drive for the morning.

    Sleep
    North Adams · Town
    Signal
    Normal in towns; weaker on the ridge roads.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
  6. The stone arches of the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, reflected in the Deerfield River, with red buildings and autumn trees behind
    Day 6

    Day 6: North Adams to Boston: the Mohawk Trail

    North AdamstoBoston

    Distance
    132 mi 212 km

    Route 2 east out of North Adams is the Mohawk Trail. Its length is quoted anywhere from 63 miles (101 km) to 69 miles (111 km). The Hairpin Turn, its best-known bend, comes near the North Adams end of Route 2, in the first minutes of the drive.

    Stay on Route 2 through Greenfield and across central Massachusetts, then take I-95 and I-93 into Boston. Weekend traffic in the Berkshires and on Route 2 is heavy at peak, so allow extra time, and avoid a flight on the same afternoon.

    Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0

Permits

No permit is required

Driving these roads needs no permit. Three things cost money along the way, and one of them is best reserved online.

Mount Washington Auto Road: the toll was $36 for each adult (13 and over) and $15 for each child aged 4 to 12 in November 2026, with children up to 3 free. You pay at the toll house, with no reservation, and the toll includes the Mount Washington Observatory Museum at the summit. The Auto Road publishes a new hours and dates calendar every year.

**Flume Gorge (Franconia Notch State Park):** in 2026 adults (13 and over) paid $18 with an online reservation or $21 at the ticket window, and children aged 6 to 12 paid $16 online or $19 at the window. The state asks you to reserve online for a specific arrival window, because walk-up space is not guaranteed.

White Mountain National Forest: the federal byways listing says there are no fees for driving the Kancamagus, but unattended cars in the National Forest need a recreation pass. Treat any stop where you leave the car, such as a trailhead or an overlook lot, as needing one, and check the Forest Service passes page for current prices and where to buy.

Fall hours: all of these run on a seasonal calendar and end in October or early November, so check the dates before you build a day around one.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the New England Fall Foliage Drive, and how to get home from the end.

The start

Boston. The loop starts and ends in the city, so a rental car picked up and returned in Boston avoids a one-way drop-off charge. If you are spending days in town first, the 5 Days in Boston guide covers them; pick up the car on the morning you leave.

The end

Boston, by Route 2, I-95 and I-93. Return the car in the city, or at the airport if you are flying out the same day.

Parking

Parking at White Mountain National Forest trailheads and at the Auto Road summit follows each site's own rules. In towns, ask your lodging about parking when you book, because small inns on this route have only a few spaces.

Safety

  • Peak-weekend traffic: the Kancamagus is a two-lane road through national forest, and the west end peaks around Columbus Day weekend (the second Monday of October). Traffic and stops at the overlooks can stretch the crossing by hours in peak season. Cross it on a weekday if the calendar allows, and allow extra time for every road on a weekend.

  • Mount Washington Auto Road: the road is steep, narrow and has no guardrails, with an average grade of 12% and sections of 18%. The operator says to drive up in your normal gear and down in your lowest gear, to pump the brakes rather than ride them, and to stop at a turnout to cool them if they overheat. It closes whenever weather and road conditions warrant, and some heavily loaded vehicles are not allowed up.

  • Fuel and signal on the Kancamagus: the 34.5 miles (55.5 km) between Conway and Lincoln run through national forest with no gas stations or other services, and phone signal is reported to be spotty to absent. Fill the tank in Conway or Lincoln and download your maps before you start. For road closures on the rest of the route, use New England 511 for New Hampshire and Vermont and Mass511 for Massachusetts.

  • Attractions close early: Franconia Notch's Flume Gorge closed for the season on October 26 in 2026, and Vermont's tourism board lists the Stowe gondola running through October 18 and Killington's through October 12. If a ride or a gorge walk is the point of your day, confirm the closing date before you book the night.

New England Fall Foliage Drive: FAQ

When is the best time for a New England fall foliage drive?

Aim for the first week or two of October for a loop like this one. The White Mountains peak from the end of September through the second week of October, Vermont from the last week of September through the first or second week of October, and the northern Berkshires start coloring in late September, with early October often a good time on the Mohawk Trail. No one can predict the exact week, so check the state foliage reports about ten days before you leave.

How many days do you need for a foliage drive from Boston?

Six days works if you accept long driving days: the first and last days are about 160 miles (258 km) and 132 miles (212 km) of mostly transit. Seven or eight days lets you spend a full day in the White Mountains and another in Vermont without rushing.

Do you need a permit to drive the Kancamagus Highway?

No, driving the Kancamagus is free. The federal byways listing says unattended cars in the National Forest need a recreation pass, so buy one before you leave the car at a trailhead or overlook, and check the Forest Service passes page for current prices.

How much does the Mount Washington Auto Road cost?

In November 2026 the toll was $36 for each adult aged 13 and over and $15 for each child aged 4 to 12, with children up to 3 free. You pay at the toll house with no reservation, and the toll includes the Mount Washington Observatory Museum.

Is the Mount Washington Auto Road open in October?

In 2026 it ran daily from September 28 to October 18 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., then to November 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it closes whenever weather and road conditions warrant. The operator publishes a new calendar every year, so check it before you plan a day around it.

Is the Kancamagus Highway crowded in October?

It gets busy at peak, and the west end peaks around Columbus Day weekend, the second weekend of October. Traffic and overlook stops can stretch the crossing by hours, so a weekday crossing is calmer.

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