New Hampshire Fall Foliage 2026
In a typical season, high ground around 6,300 feet peaks about Sep 18, while the statewide peak is Oct 3, within the Sep 29–Oct 7 window. Notches and high passes generally peak in late September, while 650-foot valleys reach peak color around Oct 7. The Lakes Region and seacoast typically hold color into mid-October.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
When New Hampshire peaks
Sep 29 – Oct 7
Centered on Oct 3. Notches and high passes peak in late September; the Lakes Region and seacoast hold on into mid-October.
moderate confidence. A few weeks out. Expect this to move by several days.
Where peak usually lands. Drought or an early freeze moves it by a few days. Method
What turns here
- sugar maple
- white birch
- red maple
- beech
Yellows show up every year. Reds need sunny days and cool, frost-free nights. A bad year takes those first.
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 3Typical color progression for New Hampshire. No change from Aug 26 to Sep 12. First color from Sep 12 to Sep 21. Approaching peak from Sep 21 to Sep 29. Peak from Sep 29 to Oct 7. Past peak from Oct 7 to Oct 17. Bare from Oct 17 to Oct 31.
New Hampshire is typically at first color on this date.
New Hampshire by county
8 days from Coos County to Rockingham County.
Tap a location marker for coordinates and light times. Where peak usually lands. Boundaries: US Census, 2023. Elevation: USGS 3DEP + SRTM. Method
A county is still an average. Coos County spans 5 days on its own, ridge to valley.
Every county, as text
| County | Typical peak | Stage today | Median elev. | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belknap County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 738 ft | 1 days |
| Carroll County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 768 ft | 3 days |
| Cheshire County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 1,082 ft | 3 days |
| Coos County | Sep 30 – Oct 8 | First color | 1,307 ft | 5 days |
| Grafton County | Oct 2 – Oct 10 | First color | 1,203 ft | 4 days |
| Hillsborough County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 750 ft | 3 days |
| Merrimack County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 710 ft | 2 days |
| Rockingham County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 214 ft | 1 days |
| Strafford County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 516 ft | 2 days |
| Sullivan County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 1,172 ft | 2 days |
Peak by elevation
19 days between the ridges and the valleys below them. The county map above averages that away.
| Elevation band | Approx. elevation | Typical peak | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| High ridges & passes | 6,300 ft | Sep 18 | Peak |
| Mid elevation | 1,800 ft | Oct 3 | First color |
| Valleys & lowlands | 650 ft | Oct 7 | First color |
Foliage stages
- No change 0–10%
- First color 10–25%
- Approaching peak 25–60%
- Peak 60–90%
- Past peak 40–70%, dropping
- Bare <20%
Light at peak
New Hampshire on October 3, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:17 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 95° | 6:45 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 38 min of low, warm light | 7:24 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:35 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 38 min before sunset | 5:45 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 265° | 6:24 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:52 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 38m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Where to shoot in New Hampshire
6 researched locations, earliest peak first.
- Kancamagus Highway at Kancamagus Pass First color
White Mountain National Forest · 2,854 ft · peaks Sep 30
NH Route 112 crosses its height of land at 2,855 feet between the Pemigewasset Wilderness and the Hancock ridges, with no buildings, wires, or services along 34 miles of road. The paved overlooks within two miles of the pass look down on unbroken hardwood slopes.
- Mount Willard First color
Crawford Notch · 2,846 ft · peaks Sep 30
The summit ledges end at a drop straight into the U-shaped floor of Crawford Notch, with US Route 302 and the Saco River threading south between the walls. Both sides of the notch face the camera at once, so the shot holds up in flat light as well as at dawn.
- Artists Bluff First color
Franconia Notch · 2,337 ft · peaks Oct 1
A bare rock knob above Echo Lake looks down the length of Franconia Notch, with Cannon Mountain's cliffs facing you across the gap. Both notch walls fill the frame, so the color reads as two opposing slopes rather than flat canopy.
- Mount Washington Auto Road First color
Presidential Range · 1,564 ft · peaks Oct 4
The toll road climbs 7.6 miles from the Glen House to the 6,288-foot summit, crossing hardwood, spruce, krummholz, and bare rock in under an hour. Pullouts above the four-mile mark look down into the Great Gulf, where the color line shows as a distinct band across the slopes.
- Sugar Hill / Sunset Hill Road First color
Franconia Notch region · 1,557 ft · peaks Oct 4
Open hayfields on the ridge look east across the Gale River valley to Cannon Mountain and Mount Lafayette, about eight miles off. Late sun front-lights the ridgeline while the fields and roadside maples in front of you fall into shadow.
- Chocorua Lake First color
Mount Chocorua & Tamworth · 574 ft · peaks Oct 8
Mount Chocorua's bare rock cone rises four miles north across the water and reflects on the lake on windless mornings. Shoreline pines break up the foreground and the hardwood slopes below the summit carry the color.
Recent reports from New Hampshire
Report what you sawCommon questions
- When do the leaves change in New Hampshire?
- New Hampshire typically peaks Sep 29 – Oct 7, centered on Oct 3. Notches and high passes peak in late September; the Lakes Region and seacoast hold on into mid-October. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
- Does elevation change when fall color peaks in New Hampshire?
- Yes, by about 19 days. High ground around 6,300 ft peaks near Sep 18, while valleys near 650 ft wait until Oct 7. Peak moves roughly 3.5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb. Try lower valleys after high ground has passed peak, or higher ground while valleys are still green.
- Where are the best places to see fall color in New Hampshire?
- The guide includes 6 researched locations in New Hampshire, including Kancamagus Highway at Kancamagus Pass, Mount Willard, Artists Bluff. Kancamagus Highway at Kancamagus Pass turns first, around Sep 30, and Chocorua Lake is last, around Oct 8. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
- What trees turn color in New Hampshire?
- Mainly sugar maple, white birch, red maple, beech. Yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that are already in the leaf, so they show up every year. Reds are made fresh each autumn and need warm sunny days with cool, frost-free nights, which is why a dry summer or a warm September produces a duller year.