Compare · 94 straight-line miles apart
Assabet River Refuge vs McKinney Refugefall color
Assabet River Refuge or McKinney Refuge: which comes first?
Assabet River Refuge usually comes first (Oct 11–20), McKinney Refuge about 6 days later (Oct 11–31), going by each place's own sources. Their usual windows overlap Oct 11–20. They're 94 miles apart in a straight line.
Checked Sep 28. Sources (4)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, A fall foliage tour of the Northeast ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Usual windows, side by side
Assabet River Refuge · usually oct 11–20
McKinney Refuge · usually oct 11–31
Shaded: Oct 11–Oct 20, in both usual windows.
Side by side
| Assabet River Refuge | McKinney Refuge | |
|---|---|---|
| Usually | Oct 11–20 | Oct 11–31 |
| This season | No official report yet | No official report yet |
| Elevation | 204 ft | -4 ft |
| First fall frost | Oct 6 Maynard 2, 2.2 mi | Nov 17 Orient Pt Sp, 14.7 mi |
Elevation at the point we map (USGS). Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, the average first 32 °F night at the nearest station.
Where to go at each
Assabet River Refuge
- Winterberry Way Trail1.5 miles past wetlands good for spotting wildlife
- Taylor Way Trail1.8 miles, another of the refuge's best wetland walks
- Otter Alley TrailShort trail along wetlands
- Puffer PondAccessible fishing and wildlife-viewing pier
McKinney Refuge
- Salt Meadow UnitHeadquarters in Westbrook on the Menunketesuck River; a 1.7-mile trail through forest, salt marsh, shrubland and meadow
- Great Meadows Unit421 acres of salt marsh and upland in Stratford, with two short trails, two blinds and two decks
- Milford Point UnitBarrier beach counted among Connecticut's best birding spots; deck at the entrance
Sources (14)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, A fall foliage tour of the Northeast ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge wildlife watching ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge trails ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, A fall foliage tour of the Northeast ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Questions people ask
Which has fall color first, Assabet River Refuge or McKinney Refuge?
Assabet River Refuge, usually Oct 11–20; McKinney Refuge usually Oct 11–31. Each place's own sourced window, not a forecast.
Can I see both on one trip?
In a typical year, Oct 11–20 falls in both usual windows. They're 94 straight-line miles apart; roads are longer.
Which is higher?
Assabet River Refuge: 204 ft at the point we map, against -4 ft (USGS). Higher places often turn earlier, but latitude matters as much.