Happy 1st Day of Fall! With recent warm weather, the mountains are still more green than anything else, however there is a blush of yellow and red that promises to become brighter every day. The cooler nights that are predicted will hopefully spur color change and ramp up the reds. It seems that each village has a few sentinel maples that are giving us a preview of what's to come by showing off colors bright enough you'll want to pull over and enjoy it for a moment. Keep checking back here as we continue to gather information from our "Leaf Squad" to report foliage conditions throughout the state!
You can find some gorgeous Vermont Fall scenery in our Autumn Photo Gallery, thanks to local photographers and visitors to Vermont. But truly, you've got to be here to fully enjoy the leaves. And remember, it's never too early to plan a fall vacation in Vermont!
Beyond leaf peeping, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Vermont's mountains, meadows and villages during the fall. Discover Vermont Fall Festivals and other fun things to do in Vermont with our Vermont.com Calendar of Events. Don't see your event? Feel free to suggest an event so we can add it to our Calendar.
The "Current Conditions" map provides an approximate view of the current foliage color in Vermont, based on the reports we receive.
Foliage color generally starts to change in the higher, cooler areas of the Green Mountains, spreading down into the Lake Champlain Valley and Connecticut River Valley, and moving from north to south across the state. The exact timing of the color change varies from year to year.
For more info on current conditions, call Vermont's Seasonal Hotline at (802)828-3239 ... and tell them Vermont.com sent you!
"It’s hard to believe that summer has officially come to an end, especially with the warm temps we have been experiencing all weekend. Pumpkins & Mums are lining storefronts and streets, and Vermont’s Pumpkin Chuckin’ event is taking place right on Stoweflake’s property on Sunday, Sept. 29th. Since we are having such beautiful weather, we are really taking advantage of the leaves changing poolside and at the local Waterbury Reservoir. Enjoy!"
-- Tera Dacek, Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, Stowe, VT
"This weekend felt just like fall here up north in Burlington. Mornings are getting cooler, with the temperatures reaching their highs in the late afternoon. The leaves are now definitely showing signs of early color change, especially as you move further out of Burlington.
This past weekend I attended the Waterbury Flea Market, which is open well into October. The drive over on I-89 was beautiful, as all of the trees on the mountains had begun to change colors. Although fall foliage is not in full force yet, early color change is definitely evident now everywhere, as can also be seen in this shot from Bolton Valley this week."
-- Shea Lincourt, Burlington, VT
"The fall colors are beginning to infiltrate the mountains around Smugglers’ Notch Resort. While some intense reds have been visible for a week or more, oranges are in abundance these days. The beautiful forecast for the weekend should make it ideal for nice drives through the Notch! Our FallFest celebration was a tremendous success this weekend, with a nice warm breeze passing through, bringing smells of autumn and a taste of what’s to come. AppleFest kicks off on September 25 and runs through the 29th. Join us for orchard tours, cider tastings, demonstrations, and more! As these colors set in, you won’t want to travel through the Green Mountains without a trip through Smugglers’ Notch. We have a feeling this will be an autumn to remember!"
-- Mike Chait, Smugglers' Notch Resort, Jeffersonville, VT
"Mother Nature is teasing us with what is to come! The reds keep getting brighter and more abundant by the day with blue skies and puffy clouds to amplify the beauty."
-- Jessica Bonath, Sterling Ridge Resort, Jeffersonville, VT
"With the September equinox, autumn is picking up the pace in the Killington Valley. Sugar maples, ablaze in red and orange, are first to turn, along the field lining Woodward Road on the way to the inn. The Red Clover Inn & Restaurant offers front-row seats to nature's show and the view is great for our weekly dining events, including the Monday Night Chef's Tasting Adventure for $35, and Jazz night with a live band on Thursday with $5 brews and 50% off select bottles of wine."
-- Carol Ryan, Red Clover Inn & Restaurant, Mendon, VT
"While the first 'official' day of fall might not feel like it temperature wise, the colors tell a different story. From singular fully transformed Maples on the golf course to the shades of red, orange and yellow now starting to paint the mountain ridge, Stratton is certainly showing the change of season. The village has donned the appropriate garb. Corn stalks and hay for each building column and updated plant life mirror the new fall collections arriving in the shops. Harvest Fest isn’t far off. A weekend of, hiking, music, chili, and brews October 11th- 14th promises to delight. Come dance to the sounds of the Indigo Girls, try a chili, or take in the splendor of the foliage."
-- Luke Robins, Stratton Mountain Resort, Bondville, VT
"What a great weekend! On Friday, my daughter went on her very first field trip with her Kindergarten class, to Mad Tom Orchard. It was a beautiful sunny day - perfect for picking apples! Saturday was another beautiful sunny day, and we visited Magic Mountain to ride their chairlift. Boy, what a view! You can see all the way across the valley, toward Bromley Mountain. On Sunday, I went to an event in Lebanon, NH and afterward, I took a drive across Vermont on Route 4, through Quechee, Woodstock, and Killington, toward Rutland. The drive was so relaxing, and I wished I had stopped to take some photos. After a little shopping in Rutland, I drove back home to Londonderry via route 103/100.
My overall report for the foliage is that there aren't a ton of colors out there yet, but you can definitely see the yellows and oranges emerging, with the occasional POP of red. I can't wait to see what next weekend looks like!"
-- Renee-Marie Smith, Vermont.com, Manchester, VT
"What a perfect Indian summer weekend to enjoy the color here in Woodford. Still not quite peak, but looking just beautiful."
-- Linda Warner, Woodford, VT
"It's that time of the year, the season of autumn! The evenings are cool and comfortable, after sunny days, some still with lingering summer warmth. Varieties of crisp apples are there for the picking off local orchard trees. Harvest your own pumpkins for Halloween Jack 'O' Lanterns and Thanksgiving pies. Trees are displaying their new fall colors. At the Manchester View, the impressive landscape includes many seasonal flowering plants including the huge yellow Dinner Plate Dahlia and several hues of Mums. We've decorated for the fall with hardy plants and pumpkins.
After a relaxing evening watching the sunset on the deck outside your room, sleep restfully. The Manchester View offers 36 rooms and suites, many with gas or wood-burning fireplaces. These accommodations are especially coveted during leaf-peeping and ski seasons.
Wake up refreshed, join us for breakfast and then head out for local and outlet shopping in town, a hike on the trails to the Pond Loop on the Equinox Preserve, or take a winding drive on Route 7A through Manchester Village, stopping in Arlington to see and drive over the historic Green Covered Bridge off Route 313. Go back to 7A and head south stopping on the way at the Sugar Shack for local products and mementos. Continue on through Shaftsbury to Bennington. Visit Bennington Museum, the Bennington Monument, and Camelot Village.
We, at the Manchester View, hope you visit this fall and make 'The View' your home-away-from-home in Vermont!"
-- Robin, Manchester View, Manchester, VT
A great place to stop while you're Leaf Peeping in Southern Vermont, is the Dutton Berry Farm Stands. Well known for their Vermont grown produce including farmer-grown fruits and vegetables, cider, maple syrup, plants, and other unique local products, the Dutton Berry Farmstands offer a cornucopia of great-tasting Vermont produce and products. Located on Route 11/30 in Manchester, Route 30 in Newfane, and Route 9 in West Brattleboro.
September 18, 2019
"Fall foliage is underway, and all factors are in place for another fabulous season to emerge. It’s been a strong growing season, and as the days shorten, we look forward to the onset of fall weather with bright, sunny days and cold nights to bring the next layer of color and vibrancy to our world-famous autumn landscape.
Vermont is still in the early phase of the foliage season, characterized by the gradual fade of green and the emergence of yellows and oranges. There is a touch of red scattered among the earliest changing trees."
-- Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing
The Vermont.com Foliage Reports are provided thanks to the Vermont Dept of Tourism, and by volunteer members of our Leaf Squad from around the state.
View Past Reports:
September 9, 2019
September 12, 2019
September 16, 2019
September 19, 2019