weekend_celebrations

Could someone recommend the actual places (names of towns or parks) in The Southern New Hampshire for some foliage admiring and mild - possibly leveled terrain- hiking? Thank you

dfrostnh

The Portsmouth NH atea is nice plus you might consider a harbor or inland rivers cruise. Prescott park is small. Odiorne Point has lots of walking area. Also check out the Urban Forestry Center. I love the area around Dover Point and the bridges over Great Bay. There's a park where we used to stop with our camper to make lunch. The name escapes me right now.

I also like rt 101. The Nashua part is busy but Peterborough is a delightful small town. We like the Toadstool Bookstore. Dublin is scenic. You can end up in Keene for lunch but if the far,ers market in Brattleboro VT is still running, I would start there. The Fitzwilliam and Hancock areas are also pretty. Check out Maple Hill Farm in Brookline NH - Beaver Brook Association for hiking opportunites, also Hollis area for apple orchards and farmstands.

MainerGirl

Try Pawtuckaway State Park ... gorgeous lake and some easy-moderate hiking. http://www.nhstateparks.org/explore/...tate-park.aspx

Also Blue Job Mountain in Farmington is a easy short "hike". http://thefreelanceadventurer.blogsp...icking-at.html

Exeter is looking beautiful and so is Portsmouth for town foliage.

zootsi

There are lots of beautiful towns and drives in southwestern NH. Hancock, Francistown, Lyndeborough are a few that come to mind. Peterborough is a lively, artsy somewhat larger town. I don't think you'll have trouble finding walking trails, most towns have footpaths thru town forests or state parks. Keene is the major city in this part of the state, with lots of interesting dining and shopping.

weekend_celebrations

thank you everyone. it may be important to add that this would be a day trip from (south of) boston suburbs.

Waldo

I don't know if I should believe this, but I read some time ago in a reputable magazine, that the only places on earth that the foliage turns color in the fall, are the US and China. Is this real?

zootsi

Canada of course has amazing foliage. I think the sugar maple (which is probably the most colorfull tree) is only found in the USA and Canada. However I would think that other northern countries like Norway, Sweeden and Russia would also have color in the fall from birches and other trees.

schnauzer

Can I jump on here as I am wanting to join a hiking "tour/group" next year to see the foliage in the White Mts. I am solo and don't want to head off on my own. I have having real trouble finding any groups. Does anyone have any suggestions? So many want you to get your own group together, then they will guide you, but I need a group to start with!! Cheers

dfrostnh

schnauzer, you might try looking for meet up groups although the popular ones fill up quickly. meetup.com Also check NH Audubon. The Science Center in Holderness at Squam Lakes has pontoon boat rides to see loons etc. Even if you had to go alone, that would be a great trip. If you have to go alone, The Flume is a wonderful place to visit which is very popular (so might be crowded).

I would also see if you can get some local newspapers on-line. Sometimes there are some wonderful events that are only locally advertised. Laconia NH would cover the lakes region and maybe mountains. Plymouth is a good size college town. Lancaster. Littleton. Sometimes a local conservation group leads a "hike" to acquaint people with local trails. The Sandwich Fair is held in Center Sandwich (near Squam Lakes) and although it is not a hiking event, you would have an opportunity to talk to local people who are staffing the exhibit areas. It's a small fair in a very beautiful area.

Ackislander

Also suggest the Appalachian Mountain Club

simpsonc510

Re color. We've just been on a New England road trip the past week. Some of the prettiest color I personally saw was in eastern Connecticut. Maine was so-so. This was not coastal Maine, but inland around Waterville. Around Boston, again just so-so. We drove across New York state and saw some pretty color, but IMO eastern Connecticut was prettiest on this trip.

jubilada

Color is gorgeous here in Western Ma.

dfrostnh

I think Concord NH area is past peak. Had a pretty drive to Marlborough MA even if it was interstate. I'd like to point out that same trees look different depending on time of day and how sun hits leaves. We have a beautiful maple that looks great much of the time but spectacular early and late in the day (it's in our southern view). Also different trees change color at different times. There's some newer variety of maples that seem to hold color late. I suspect the ones planted at commercial locations just north of I93 exit 15 on west side are late varieties. I've seen good color on them quite late into October.

Ackislander

Rhode Island was gorgeous along I-95 this morning.

Coastal MA, RI, CT just coming out. Western CT, Tappan Zee, GSP generally boring, though some nice specimen maples along the GSP.

Driving on to VA in the rain tomorrow, but color wouldn't be expected anyway.

simpsonc510

Virginia and West Virginia had some really beautiful trees just in the last two days, along I64.

michele_d

Just flew in last night from a two week driving trip through VT and NH. The colors were absolutely stunning in 90% of the places we visited. Locals said it was the best color in three years.

weekend_celebrations

We ended up going to Castle in the Clouds area thAt happened to be sunny (it rained everywhere in mass and closer Nh); loved it except oft lots of driving in one day