Best New England Towns for Fall Foliage

Middlebury, Vermont
Middlebury, the shire town of Addison County, was chartered in 1761 and was settled just after the Revolutionary War. Today, the village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to many shops, businesses and architecturally distinguished churches and public buildings. It is the largest community in the county with a population of approximately 8,200. Passing through the heart of the historic village is the Otter Creek, the longest river in Vermont. You can see its powerful waterfall from the Battell Bridge and through the windows of the art gallery that was once a mill.
 

  

  
Williamstown, Massachusetts
There’s no other place quite like it! Nestled in the midst of some of the East’s most beautiful scenery lies Williamstown, a thriving rural community of just over 8,000 ranked in The 100 Best Small Towns in America. Williamstown is great for families. There’s plenty to do and see for all ages and interests. Active adventures both outdoors and indoors, many and varied concert series, art, culture, scenic beauty, hands-on exhibits, night life, fine and fun dining, charming lodgings, plenty of hometown celebrations and a multitude of parks…. Williamstown has more than something for everyone.

Kent, Connecticut
Yankee Magazine has named Kent the #1 town in New England for fall foliage travel. The September/October issue celebrates the publication’s 75th anniversary and identifies the top 25 towns — the first time the magazine has ever ranked towns by this standard. “The heart of the New England leaf-peeping experience lies in the details: the farm stands and covered bridges, the waterfalls and antiques stores that provide the eye candy, framed by the colors of our most glorious season” writes Michael Blanding, author of the article. “All of these things Kent has in abundance, in a perfect blend of uncommon natural beauty and culture that might shame cities 10 times its size.
 
Bethel, Maine
Bethel is a town where the common is uncommon; where Brooks Bros. sells pliers and wrenches, Victoria’s Secret is a chocolate raspberry dessert and the Timberland Outlet is an exit for logging trucks. Astride the Androscoggin River, nestled at the base of Paradise Hill, Bethel is truly “just this side of Paradise.” Most rural villages are one-industry towns. Bethel is a rare blend of farming, forestry, woods product manufacturing, education, and tourism. In the past decade, the community has become home to active retirees and professionals who have chosen the small town lifestyle over that of the megalopolis.

Camden, Maine
This scenic coastline nestles into the Camden Hills, among them Mount Battie, part of Camden Hills State Park. From its 790-foot summit, reached by 26 miles of hiking trails and an auto road, the panorama stretches from Rockland and its islands to the Blue Hill peninsula. Camden resident and Pulizer Prize-winner Edna St. Vincent Millay immortalized this vista in her 1912 poem "Renascence": "All I could see from where I stood was three long mountains and a wood. I turned and looked the other way and saw three islands in a bay." On the shore side of U.S. Route 1, the park contains hiking trails and picnic areas.
 
Waitsfield, Vermont
The Town of Waitsfield has a rich history and heritage grounded in the Vermont doctrine of freedom and unity. Our agrarian past has left a legacy that is prominent in our landscape and continues to influence the character of our community. While we are indebted to our past, the town’s recent history has been one of transition. The changes that have affected the town mirror those influencing the state as a whole. Our resource based economy, founded on agriculture and forestry, is now built on recreation and an enviable quality of life. Thus, the town has been transformed from a quiet farming town to a resort destination, bedroom community and, increasingly, a center for innovation and commerce. This transformation has not been without costs: to tranquility, to the landscape and to the insular nature of the community. Waitsfield has managed, however, to retain many of the best elements of its past and merge them with a modern economy driven by tourism, technology, accessibility and respect for our natural and social heritage. 
 
Conway/North Conway, New Hampshire
With a backdrop of over 700,000 acres of protected White Mountain National Forest and boasting the tallest peak in the East (Mt. Washington 6,288 FT.), visitors to the North Conway NH area have many activities to choose from which span all four seasons including some of the finest skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, golfing, fishing, canoeing, camping, family attractions, scenic tours, shopping and leaf peeping in the entire country.
 
Sandwich, New Hampshire
The Town of Sandwich, New Hampshire, with a population exceeding 1200 is located on the shores of Squam Lake, and nestled between two major tourist regions of the Granite State - The Lakes Region and the White Mountains. It is a classic new England setting with colored forests, winding roads and rolling hills. Sandwich is designated as an historic town, and surrounded by rolling hills and small valleys, potholes, hiking trails and some extraordinary views. With cross country skiing, snowmobiling, bike trails, pothole adventures and hikes across the 17 ranges there is always something to do.
 
Stowe, Vermont
Only Stowe Vermont combines a classic 200-year-old village with Mt. Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. This unique juxtaposition imbues Stowe with a character reminiscent of great European mountain resorts.
 
Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
Waterville Valley, New Hampshire has a deep cultural and historical heritage. This is an unspoiled land, a place of small villages, porch rockers and crackling fireplaces. A place of lilacs, apple blossoms, brilliant fall foliage. A place of true Yankee hospitality. Travel the winding country roads and explore museums, antique shops, and historic buildings. Discover stone walls, church suppers, maple sugar houses, and covered bridges.
 
   
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This listing of the Top Ten New England Town for Fall Foliage in the United States is constantly being revised as we experience and learn new things about about different areas of the country. So, if you feel we are missing one, please email us and let us know!