Davemeister

Help!

I am planning a vacation in New England for next year and need to decide on the best time to visit.

My plans: hiking in the Berkshires, Green Mts. & White Mts. Sightseeing in Boston. Enjoying coastal towns in Mass. and R.I., but not necessarily beach-going as my home state is well-endowed with fine beaches.

I have narrowed my two "windows of opportunity" for travel down to late May or late August. So my question is: what are the advantages/disadvantages of these two time frames in terms of crowds, expenses, and climate?

Thanks.

china_cat

I think of those 2 dates, late May is better.

August is better for beach going, but you said thats not a priority. August can be very hot and humid for hiking. And slightly more crowded since school is out (although that's really not a big issue except for beaches and maybe some places in the Whites)

May can be rainy, but generally will be a little cooler and less humid. More things in bloom, its a pretty time of year. Its more shoulder season, so some accomodations might have better prices, although probably not dramatically different.

zootsi

If you plan on doing any hiking or other outdoor activity, late August is far better. Late May is peak black fly season in much of the north woods, they can make being out in the woods pretty miserable - trust me I live here. As far as city activities, I agree late May is probably better as it's a little cooler, but late August is usually not too bad.
As for crowds, you'll definitely see more tourists in August (except for Memorial Day weekend), but once you get into rural New England you can easily get pretty remote, even in the busy summer months.

djkbooks

I've lived and traveled in New England for more than 30 years and have never seen a black fly. You can do a web search for info on where and when you're likely to find them.

For hiking, it depends on whether you prefer cooler or warmer weather.

In May, rates for accomodations will be much more favorable and your destinations will not be nearly as busy.

Note, however, that in May, if spring (what there is of it) is late, the trees could be bare until near the end of May.

yk

I'm no expert, but generally speaking, late May can still be relatively cool. Depends on what "late" means to you, some places may not be open until Memorial day.

August will be rather hot, muggy and humid. Likely a lot more crowded too. But if you're thinking of really late August approaching Sept, the weather usually cools off a little and dries up a bit by then.

Vttraveler

for hiking in Vermont you might want to check this link which warns about black flies and mud season in late May
http://www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=113

I have lived in rural New England for almost 30 years and have seen plenty of black flies

shaz60

I vote for August. The mountains can be truly miserable in May. Even Memorial Day weekend is sometimes cold and frequently rainy, with blackflies. In August the mountains are often cooler than the beaches, the bugs with the exception of mosquitoes are tolerable. The lakes are warm and swimmable.

While August can be humid, you usually get better weather and as long as you don't wait until the very end of Aug. when you will have students returning to school, you will miss the endless graduation ceremonies in Boston in May.

Have a great trip!

Jaya

The weather up here in these parts (I'm in NH) is TOO unpredictable. There's a saying in New England "if you don't like the weather, wait a minute".

You'll just have to pick May or August and see what mother nature decides.

Weather aside, either May or August is good.

socialworker

One advantage of late May is that it is close to the solstice and you will have (perhaps) 1 extra hour of daylight compared to late August.

Anonymous

One problem with generalities about New England weather is that the mountains of NH and VT are always about a month colder than Boston and the southern shores of MA and RI. So if you come in May, start in the south and work northwards.

Nikki

Who else remembers the night of May 9, 1977 in eastern Massachusetts, when we abandoned two cars in the snow and had to move trees out of the way to get down our street until we found a tree we couldn't move and had to abandon the second car and walk the mile back to our house in the dark as the trees kept cracking and falling on the power lines? That was the year I learned why trees lose their leaves in the winter.

I'm just saying.

nytraveler

Late May is better as long as you're not interested in the beaches (since the water will still be icy). August will be more crowded and possibly too hot.

Ackislander

If there is any way at all that you can come after Labor Day, you will not be sorry. The weather is better, the crowds are fewer, the prices may be slightly lower, the tempers will be calmer.

dfnh

May can be very beautiful with new leaves, flowering trees and shrubs. Apple orchards in central NH bloom around mid-May. djbooks, first time I've ever disagreed with you. Some of those nasty black flies are in my backyard. They will really interfere with hiking unless it is very rock and windy. It is not possible to picnic. They aren't around downtown areas. I would check blackfly info websites for the states you want to visit.
Here is a link to a fact sheet that says they are most active early in the day before 11am and after 4pm but having tried to picnic and garden, I know they can be bothersome all day. You might do best for early May while the weather is still too cool for them but I would vote for August as being the best month for outdoor activities. If you are comfortable with hot weather than can be humid you might do fine. You might check with some hiking clubs to see what they say.

OO

I grew up in the Berkshires and had never heard of black flies until I started reading on Fodors. To this day, I'm not sure what they are! Maybe they are not a MA thing??

Anonymous

In my 59 years of living in eastern Massachusetts, the only time I've encountered them was 1 of the 3 years I lived in Acton (near Concord). They seem to thrive in very specific conditions, so they are limited geographically as well as time-wise.

bachslunch

Have visited these areas on various occasions, and would strongly suggest late August. There's always a chance of snow in the higher elevations -- or at the very least leftover unmelted snow and ice on mountain trails, in some cases still very deep -- in May. That's not the case in August. And one's more likely to see rain in May than August in these parts.

Believe well the stories some posters are telling you about black flies in these areas. They are most numerous in late spring/early summer and can be utterly brutal. They're much less likely to be encountered in August.

Cranachin

On the whole, I recommend August, but each month has its advantages and disadvantages.

I'm not sure where you are from, but if you are from down South (from which I moved to New England 4 years ago), the "hot and humid" August weather will not necessarily bother you. It usually is not as bad as in the South, and sometimes only in upper 70s even, BUT--it can be uncomfortable on occasion, and A/C is less common up here. Late May, on the other had, can still be fairly cool (especially if you are from the South) and rainy (but it seems like early/mid-May is wetter).

May is prettier with things blooming, but there is plenty of green all summer (or at least there was this summer) and lots of color in gardens and plantings.

There are more tourists in August, but there also is no tourist shortage in May (at least for things like attractions in Boston and other sightseeing centers). Remember also that late May is field trip season, so many popular sites are over-run with school groups (e.g., USS Constitution in Boston, Plimoth Plantation and Mayflower in Plymouth).

Some attractions (especially in smaller towns) might not be open in late May. I had company in late May/early June this year and we found that some of the things we wanted to visit were not yet open--and some would not open until mid-June! Be sure to check on things you specifically want to see. Major attractions in Boston are open pretty much year-round, of course, but some smaller ones might not be, even there.

As others have said, one big advantage for May is lower hotel rates. If you belong to an auto club or similar, you might find some great deals. I am a AAA member, for example, and we found one motel that had a AAA rate of $49 in May that was over $100 AAA starting in June, and closer to $150 for the "standard" rate.

It really is too bad you can't visit in September--much less hectic, nice weather, and many attractions are still open until Columbus Day.