I have experienced the UP of Michigan for Fall color photography the last two Octobers. My wife and I thought we would head NE this October to VT/NH and perhaps on to Maine (wanted to check out Baxter State Park).
We were thinking October 5-12, 2010... does sound like a peak or close to peak time to go?
I am based in Cleveland, OH so was thinking VT first, the NH then on to Maine. We will be driving.
I am looking for suggestions for strategic places (town/cities) to stay in each state (1-2 days each) which would have nice photo spots that are within a 50 mile radius or so. Looking for waterfalls, scenic small town shots, churches, barns, wildlife spots, etc.
Any help would be appreciated based on your personal experience.
You may reply to this thread or email me at mpeg@earthlink.net
Thanks
Mark
Posted by Greg Lessard on May 30, 2010 at 10:51 AM
Hi Mark,
You have picked a reasonable time for fall photography in Northern New England. As with everything, it depends on the year for finding peak foliage. During the 5-12, you will definitely see foliage. In New Hampshire and Vt. I would pick the week you picked if I had to make a best guess at this point in the year. Central and Western Maine will be roughly on the same time schedule for foliage. Coastal Maine will be at least a week later, because the ocean keeps it warmer than inland areas. Northern Maine will likely peak a week earlier.
Having said that, peek foliage varies from year to year. If you find that the location you are in is too early, you can do a couple of things to help your situation. 1. Go higher up in elevation. The tops of mountains peak earlier than the valleys. 2. Drive further north. 3. Stay put and enjoy late summer/early fall in rural New England. It can truly be one of the most enchanting times of the year!
If your location has peaked, you can reverse my previous suggestions. Get into the valleys and or drive further south. Past peak will still offer some good foliage opportunities. There will often be isolated trees that are late to peak and they will stand out from the landscape. Many leaves will still be colorful, however you will find them on the ground or among streams. That is one of my favorite opportunities.
As for locations Keep in mind that you could easily spend a week in each state and not run out of things to photograph!
Central Vt. (route 100 has been done to death, but with good reason), a drive up route 7 along Lake Champlain, the northeast kingdom (generally northeast of Montpeilier) is rustic Vt. at its best. There are farms and barns throught the state. There is a high concentration of covered bridges in Central/Eastern Vt. Particiularly off of route 12 south of Montpelier and into the Tunbridge area. You can view some of my favorite Vt. photos here:
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=95550&pID=1&row=7
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=116150&pID=1&row=7
NH There are plenty of places, but for me, there are two that blow the rest away and they can be combined in a loop. They are the Kancamagus Highway and Crawford Notch. The loop will also take you to my third favorite spot, Franconia Notch. If you go through the Northeast Kingdom in Vt., drive into NH via route 302. This stretch of road, particularly once it gets to Crawford Notch is arguably one the most beautiful in all of NH and fewer people spend time there, because it is further out of the way and more rugged than its southern counterpart the Kancamagus Highway. Having said that, the Kancamagus while very popular is definitely worth your time. I would recommend some version of this loop. Route 302-Bear Notch Road South(outside Bartlett) -Kancamagus Highway West (Route 112)-Route 93 North through Franconia Notch. Back to 302 wich you can retake in to Maine. North Conway is a touristy, yet delightful little town on the east side of this loop, which would be a good base to stay. Lincoln NH is another touristy place with some worthwhile places to stay on the southern end of the loop. If you saty near Lincoln, you might consider a side trip to Squam Lake. Rattlesnake Mt. is a very easy hike and an incredible view. Take the old Sandwich Notch Road (passable dirt road) back to civilization:) If you have money to burn, the Mount Washington Hotel would be an excellent choice on the northern side of the loop. Throughout this region you can see numerous waterfalls, great mountain views, the cog railroad, and you have a small chance of seeing moose. You can view some of my favorite NH photos here:
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=68425&pID=1&row=7
Maine- As I see it, the two best possibilities are Baxter State Park or Acadia National Park. Baxter will either be at peak or more likely past peak at this point. Acadia will most likely be well before peak. Personally I would choose Acadia. Even without foliage its one of the most beautiful places on earth with plenty of creature comforts nearby. Baxter is beautiful and very worthwhile, but creature comforts like a warm dry bed and a good meal, are hard to find. If you go to Baxter, head to Sandy Stream Pond for your best chance at moose. It also has a geat view of Mt. Katadhin.
Acadia- is worth every second of the long drive that it will take to get there. Mountains meeting the sea with many accessible miles of carriage and hiking trails, a coastline to die for and fantastic mountain views. Quite simply, it can't be beat. You can point your camera in any direction and find worthy subjects to photograph. You can see the highlights in a day, but you could spend a lifetime and never see it all. Don't miss the western side of the island. Somesville and Bass Harbor are not to be missed. Spend some time at Bass Harbor Light and you won't want to go home! Don't forget to eat at the Jordan Pond House and a lobster pound. I particularly like Downeast Lobster Co. Its on the left before you cross the bridge onto the island. Get a 11/4 pound lobster with a pound of mussels or steamers with an ear of corn for approx. $20!! Best meal in New England.
You can view my Acadia photos at these links:
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=66755&pID=1&row=7
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=66753&pID=1&row=7
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=66754&pID=1&row=7
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=41974&pID=1&row=7
I hope this helps get you started. Please feel free to email me more questions. GregLessardPhoto@Aol.com
If you are interested and your dates are flexible, I am leading a workshop to Acadia from Oct.15-17. It is very reasonably priced. You can view more info about it here:
http://blog.greglessardphotography.com/
Mark: I PM'd you this morning. In addition to my Vermont comments, I spent a week last fall in Acadia. I heartily second Greg's comments. I would return there in a heartbeat -- any season. My site has galleries for Maine and for the Lobstering Industry. The lobster harbors are a fertile source of photography. My absolute favorite was Bernard, which was a bit of a drive from our Inn in Bar Harbor and worth every mile!
Hi Kent: I know Mark and PM'd him. I don't want to do anything here I should not be doing. I have a PDF of places to shoot in Vermont which can be downloaded from my website. I DO NOT CHARGE for it. If you are interested, let me know. I'll be in Vermont, BTW, during the first week of October. Lets hope for good foliage.
Discussion
6 repliesWe were thinking October 5-12, 2010... does sound like a peak or close to peak time to go?
I am based in Cleveland, OH so was thinking VT first, the NH then on to Maine. We will be driving.
I am looking for suggestions for strategic places (town/cities) to stay in each state (1-2 days each) which would have nice photo spots that are within a 50 mile radius or so. Looking for waterfalls, scenic small town shots, churches, barns, wildlife spots, etc.
Any help would be appreciated based on your personal experience.
You may reply to this thread or email me at mpeg@earthlink.net
Thanks
Mark
You have picked a reasonable time for fall photography in Northern New England. As with everything, it depends on the year for finding peak foliage. During the 5-12, you will definitely see foliage. In New Hampshire and Vt. I would pick the week you picked if I had to make a best guess at this point in the year. Central and Western Maine will be roughly on the same time schedule for foliage. Coastal Maine will be at least a week later, because the ocean keeps it warmer than inland areas. Northern Maine will likely peak a week earlier.
Having said that, peek foliage varies from year to year. If you find that the location you are in is too early, you can do a couple of things to help your situation. 1. Go higher up in elevation. The tops of mountains peak earlier than the valleys. 2. Drive further north. 3. Stay put and enjoy late summer/early fall in rural New England. It can truly be one of the most enchanting times of the year!
If your location has peaked, you can reverse my previous suggestions. Get into the valleys and or drive further south. Past peak will still offer some good foliage opportunities. There will often be isolated trees that are late to peak and they will stand out from the landscape. Many leaves will still be colorful, however you will find them on the ground or among streams. That is one of my favorite opportunities.
As for locations Keep in mind that you could easily spend a week in each state and not run out of things to photograph!
Central Vt. (route 100 has been done to death, but with good reason), a drive up route 7 along Lake Champlain, the northeast kingdom (generally northeast of Montpeilier) is rustic Vt. at its best. There are farms and barns throught the state. There is a high concentration of covered bridges in Central/Eastern Vt. Particiularly off of route 12 south of Montpelier and into the Tunbridge area. You can view some of my favorite Vt. photos here:
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=95550&pID=1&row=7
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=116150&pID=1&row=7
NH There are plenty of places, but for me, there are two that blow the rest away and they can be combined in a loop. They are the Kancamagus Highway and Crawford Notch. The loop will also take you to my third favorite spot, Franconia Notch. If you go through the Northeast Kingdom in Vt., drive into NH via route 302. This stretch of road, particularly once it gets to Crawford Notch is arguably one the most beautiful in all of NH and fewer people spend time there, because it is further out of the way and more rugged than its southern counterpart the Kancamagus Highway. Having said that, the Kancamagus while very popular is definitely worth your time. I would recommend some version of this loop. Route 302-Bear Notch Road South(outside Bartlett) -Kancamagus Highway West (Route 112)-Route 93 North through Franconia Notch. Back to 302 wich you can retake in to Maine. North Conway is a touristy, yet delightful little town on the east side of this loop, which would be a good base to stay. Lincoln NH is another touristy place with some worthwhile places to stay on the southern end of the loop. If you saty near Lincoln, you might consider a side trip to Squam Lake. Rattlesnake Mt. is a very easy hike and an incredible view. Take the old Sandwich Notch Road (passable dirt road) back to civilization:) If you have money to burn, the Mount Washington Hotel would be an excellent choice on the northern side of the loop. Throughout this region you can see numerous waterfalls, great mountain views, the cog railroad, and you have a small chance of seeing moose. You can view some of my favorite NH photos here:
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=68425&pID=1&row=7
Maine- As I see it, the two best possibilities are Baxter State Park or Acadia National Park. Baxter will either be at peak or more likely past peak at this point. Acadia will most likely be well before peak. Personally I would choose Acadia. Even without foliage its one of the most beautiful places on earth with plenty of creature comforts nearby. Baxter is beautiful and very worthwhile, but creature comforts like a warm dry bed and a good meal, are hard to find. If you go to Baxter, head to Sandy Stream Pond for your best chance at moose. It also has a geat view of Mt. Katadhin.
Acadia- is worth every second of the long drive that it will take to get there. Mountains meeting the sea with many accessible miles of carriage and hiking trails, a coastline to die for and fantastic mountain views. Quite simply, it can't be beat. You can point your camera in any direction and find worthy subjects to photograph. You can see the highlights in a day, but you could spend a lifetime and never see it all. Don't miss the western side of the island. Somesville and Bass Harbor are not to be missed. Spend some time at Bass Harbor Light and you won't want to go home! Don't forget to eat at the Jordan Pond House and a lobster pound. I particularly like Downeast Lobster Co. Its on the left before you cross the bridge onto the island. Get a 11/4 pound lobster with a pound of mussels or steamers with an ear of corn for approx. $20!! Best meal in New England.
You can view my Acadia photos at these links:
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=66755&pID=1&row=7
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=66753&pID=1&row=7
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=66754&pID=1&row=7
http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/gallery.asp?cat=41974&pID=1&row=7
I hope this helps get you started. Please feel free to email me more questions. GregLessardPhoto@Aol.com
If you are interested and your dates are flexible, I am leading a workshop to Acadia from Oct.15-17. It is very reasonably priced. You can view more info about it here:
http://blog.greglessardphotography.com/
Best of luck!
Greg Lessard
Thank you. I couldn't have received a better reply!
Regards,
Mark
Mark