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State guide

When to catch New Hampshirethrough the year

We follow 6 places in New Hampshire for fall foliage and wildlife by season: fall at Crawford Notch and Zealand Valley and Great Bay Refuge and spring at Umbagog Refuge. Each timing below is the place's own source, in its words; none is a forecast.

When are you going?

Places in New Hampshire

Pin color: each place's season now or next
  • Spring
  • Fall
Places on this map, as a list
Map: approximate positions; state lines US Census.

Planning a New Hampshire trip

Everything here from each place's own sources

Towns to stay in

Nearest place we follow, straight-line miles.

Browse by season and event

Questions people ask

Can I drive Jefferson Notch Road or Mt. Clinton Road in winter at Crawford Notch and Zealand Valley?

No. The Forest Service lists both as not maintained for winter travel; Jefferson Notch Road becomes part of the snowmobile trail system.Source: US Forest Service, White Mountain NF forest roads status ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is there a fee at the Zealand trailhead at Crawford Notch and Zealand Valley?

Yes: $5 per vehicle per day, or an annual pass for $30 ($40 for a household). The trailhead isn't maintained in winter, and there's no fee then.Sources: US Forest Service, Zealand Trailhead ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Forest Service, White Mountain NF passes ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is this a tree-foliage stop at Great Bay Refuge?

Not mainly. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service features Great Bay for the fall change in its marsh, which it gives as mid-October, a reminder to look down as well as up.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, A fall foliage tour of the Northeast ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How do I get in at Great Bay Refuge?

Come in from the traffic circle off NH-16 (Woodbury Ave. exit) or from Arboretum Drive. GPS sometimes routes drivers to a gate on Nimble Hill Road that never opens, and there's no access from the west side of the bay.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Bay NWR, Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I hike up Tuckerman Ravine in late fall at Pinkham Notch?

From late fall through late spring the Forest Service says to treat the Tuckerman Ravine Trail as a mountaineering climb, not a hike: it is covered in snow and ice, and it shouldn't be tried without an ice axe, crampons and avalanche gear. Each spring the stretch from Lunch Rocks to the Alpine Garden Trail is closed.Source: US Forest Service, Tuckerman Ravine Trail ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I paddle or boat near the loons at Umbagog Refuge?

Yes, but stay outside the float lines. The refuge often protects active loon nests with signs and float lines that keep boats away, and asks everyone to respect them and never cross over.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Umbagog NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Plan a New Hampshire trip for your dates →Alerts for New Hampshire

Nearby state guides: Vermont · Massachusetts · Maine · Connecticut

New Hampshire in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
A tall waterfall pouring through a narrow gap in pink and grey granite into a pool, green trees along the rim
Glen Ellis Falls on the Ellis River, New Hampshire (context; the item gives no date taken). Photo: Ken Gallager · public domain · resized
Clear shallow water swirling over golden-brown rock, with a mossy granite ledge behind
A clear pool on the brook along the Sabbaday Falls Trail off the Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire, October 10, 2013 (context). Photo: Robert Linsdell · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · resized

How we know

Every timing on this page, from these pages; checked Sep 30