Advice for timing your fall foliage trip to Distinctive Inns of New England

Fall scene near Rabbit Hill Inn

A fall scene near Rabbit Hill Inn. Photo by Joe Ruddy.

Fall in New England is just about as beautiful as any place in the world can be.  Combine gorgeous harvest hues with crackling fires, sumptuous breakfasts and the most welcoming of accommodations at 12 Distinctive Inns of New England (DINE) and as they say in Maine, this is the way vacations should be.  Add in colorful day trips from ziplines in Vermont to boat tours on the lakes of New Hampshire and Newport Harbor, and it’s no wonder that this is what draws people from throughout the world for the perfect romantic inn getaway.

According to the ultimate experts in all things foliage, Yankee Magazine predicted that the color this fall in New England would be outstanding this year. Going so far as to say that their foliage experts were more optimistic about the color this year than they’d been in a number of years, weather conditions apparently are optimally lined up for spectacular color with forests in the region healthy after moderate rainfall and temperate summer temps. Of course, we need the rest of September and all of October to line up with crisp mornings and warmer evenings to insure Yankee’s prediction, but it’s looking like that will happen.  Like clockwork, the shorter days add to the process; and that we can guarantee.

Here’s how the changing of colors happen. The orange and yellow pigments are present in the leaves all year, masked by the dominant green chlorophyll throughout the summer. The reds are produced in autumn in response to warm, sunny weather and shortening days, and the cool nights which eliminate the chlorophyll quickly while the other pigments remain

to shine through. Mother Nature has cooperated this year, delivering cool mornings lately with temps as low as the low 40’s.  Mount Washington, the tallest peak in the Northeast, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, has already seen snowfall.  This means that fall foliage is on its way, and in fact is arriving a bit early.  Those trees got the memo that Columbus Day will be early this year, (Oct 9th) and in keeping with Northern New England’s traditional peak foliage on Columbus Day, fall foliage in this part of New England is following suit.   The swamp maples are making their brilliant red debut already, throughout the White Mountains and Northeast Kingdom.

So, when is the best time to visit Distinctive Inns of New England to capture the fall colors?  The good news is, you can pick a date and find color throughout DINE country from now through mid-November. The fall foliage season extends from right now in Northern New England all the way to November on Cape Cod and the Connecticut and Rhode Island coastlines.  To plan your DINE fall foliage getaway, consider this schedule for planning your autumn romantic escape. Note: fall colors and conditions may still be impacted by weather and storms, like the possibility of Hurricane Jose hitting the Northeast, so this schedule is approximate.

From Mid-September to Columbus Day:  Enjoy beautiful fall color in Vermont and New Hampshire, staying at Grafton Inn, Rabbit Hill Inn, Chesterfield Inn and Manor on Golden Pond.

Mt Battie fall view

View of Camden Harbor from atop Mount Battie, near Camden Maine Stay Inn. Photo by Claudio Latanza.

From late September through October 15 to October 20th:  Find gorgeous color in the Berkshires in Massachusetts, staying at Deerfield Inn and Gateways Inn and Restaurant.  During this time, Maine reaches peak foliage, so a stay at the Captain Jefferds Inn and the Camden Maine Stay Inn reveals beautiful color against a blue sea backdrop.  You’ll also find this a great time to visit Marblehead, MA, not only for the fall colors but the Halloween Happenings in nearby Salem.  Plan your stay at Harbor Light Inn during this time.

From Early to Mid-October through early to mid-November:  Here’s when you’ll find colors turning in the Southern parts of New England, like Newport, RI, Mystic Country and Niantic, CT along with Cape Cod.  However, once again, fall foliage may come a little earlier this year. We’re already seeing twinges of color in Connecticut this fall.  This is the time to plan your fall foliage getaway at Cliffside Inn, where the roses stay in bloom into early November, Inn at Harbor Hill Marina where the mums provide just as much color as the foliage and Captain’s House Inn where beach walks are still pleasant well into November.

Start planning your fall foliage getaway at the 12 Distinctive Inns of New England by clicking on links below that will take you directly to each of their websites.

In Rhode Island: Cliffside Inn in Newport

In Connecticut: Inn at Harbor Hill Marina in Niantic

In Vermont:  Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford & Grafton Inn in Grafton

In Maine:  Captain Jefferds Inn in Kennebunkport & Camden Maine Stay Inn in Camden.

In Massachusetts:  Harbor Light Inn in Marblehead, Gateways Inn & Restaurant in Lenox, Deerfield Inn in Historic Deerfield and Captain’s House Inn in Chatham on Cape Cod.

In New Hampshire:  Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness & Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield.

Fall in Deerfield, MA

Main Street, Deerfield, MA, just steps from the Deerfield Inn.

Niantic fall sunrise

A fall sunrise from Inn at Harbor Hill Marina