There may be no place in America with more spectacular fall foliage than Northern New England. Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont truly come alive this time of year, and our real estate agents are here to help you get the most out of it!

If you really want to see the best fall foliage in New England, the best way to do it is to leave your car at the trailhead and set out on foot. Enjoy the crisp fall air and the crunch of leaves beneath your hiking boots on these extraordinary hiking trails, where you'll see some of the best fall colors that New England has to offer!

• Grafton Notch State Park - ME-26, Newry, ME 04261
  Located along the western edge of Maine near the New Hampshire State Line, Grafton Notch State Park offers some beautiful and easily accessible mountain scenery just off State Route 26. The park encompasses 3,129 acres around the rugged Grafton Notch, a mountain pass between Baldpate Mountain and Old Speck Mountain. The latter is the more popular hike and offers an expansive view. That said. it's considered a challenging route, with some significant elevation gain. Utilizing a section of the Appalachian Trail to reach the summit, it's a 7.4-mile out-and-back hike from the trailhead on Route 26. For an easier hike in Grafton Notch State Park, check out Mother Walker Falls. 
  
  
• Mount Cardigan - 658 Cardigan Mountain Rd, Orange, NH 03741
  Located within New Hampshire's Cardigan Mountain State Park, Mount Cardigan is a picturesque peak that gives you great bang for your buck when it comes to scenery. Though the 3.1-mile loop hike to the summit is considered moderately challenging, it's significantly easier than many of the more famous mountains in New Hampshire. Mount Cardigan's summit stands at 3,121 feet—less than half the elevation of Mount Washington—but Cardigan's bare rock summit provides stunning 360-degree views from which you can spot the White Mountains to the north and Mount Monadnock to the south. You'll get some amazing fall colors from this vantage point.
  
  
• Prospect Rock Trail - 663 Rootville Rd, Manchester, VT 05255
  There are virtually endless options for beautiful fall hikes with Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest. The Prospect Rock Trail is a great option if you're looking for a relatively short hike with a great view. This 3.1-mile out-and-back trail ascends gently through Downer Glen Ravine beneath a thick canopy of leaves that provide dazzling colors in fall. The trail culminates in its namesake vista from Prospect Rock, where you can enjoy a great view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. A moderately challenging hike, the Prospect Rock Trail typically takes about 2 hours to complete, but leave yourself some extra time to linger at the top and enjoy the view.
  
  
• Jesup Path & Hemlock Path Loop - Suier de Monts Rd, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
  Although the mountains get much of the glory, Coastal Maine also offers stunning scenery and great fall foliage. You'll find some of the best views in Acadia National Park, which includes hundreds of miles of trails and carriage roads near Bar Harbor. When it comes to brilliant fall colors, one of the park's best-known hikes is the 1.5-mile loop formed by the Jesup Path and Hemlock Path. This loop traverses varied meadows and woodlands, but one of its most picturesque sections follows a series of boardwalks through a boggy white birch forest, which is simply stunning in autumn.
  
  
• Franconia Notch State Park - Daniel Webster Hwy, Lincoln, NH 03251
  Nestled in the heart of the White Mountains, Franconia Notch State Park offers some of the best fall scenery in New Hampshire, with a variety of trails for hikers of all experience levels. The Lonesome Lake Trail is one of the best options, forming a 3.0-mile loop that ascends partway up Cannon Mountain before encircling a charming mountain lake. You won't get a panoramic mountaintop view, but the lake itself is beautiful. It's considered a moderately challenging hike. For an easier trek, try the Artist's Bluff Trail, a loop of about 1.5 miles that provides a stunning view from one of the park's most photogenic overlooks with only about 500 feet of elevation gain. 
  
  
• Sweet Pond State Park - 2568-2812 Sweet Pond Rd, Guilford, VT 05301
  The aptly named Sweet Pond State Park is a hidden gem just 9 miles southwest of Brattleboro in Southern Vermont. A small and mostly undeveloped park, Sweet Pond features a 1.3-mile loop trail that circumnavigates the 18-acre pond at its center. Four overlooks provide views of the pond, where you'll have ample opportunity to photograph the brilliant foliage reflected on the calm waters. The trail in Sweet Pond State Park has no elevation gain to speak of, making this a great family hike with younger children who might not be ready to tackle a mountain just yet.

Contact us today to learn more about life in Northern New England. Our real estate agents have helped countless families find their dream homes in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, and we can't wait to help you find yours!