State of the foliage address from Mt Washington Valley, NH

With Columbus Day early this year, peak foliage is just around the corner in Mt Washington Valley, NH

North Conway, NH – Columbus Day is traditionally the time for peak leaf-peeping in Mt Washington Valley, NH. However, with Columbus Day falling earlier on the calendar this year, Mt Washington Valley is still on target for fall foliage to peak in the region during the second weekend in October. True to earlier predictions for a slightly later peak foliage time, gorgeous fall color in the White Mountains will continue well into mid-October or later. That’s good news for leaf-peepers who planned their vacations to coincide with the second weekend in October.

“Yes, peak foliage usually coincides with the Fryeburg Fair, but the good news is that there’s still plenty of great fall color to come, not to mention, fall fun ahead in Mt Washington Valley,” said Janice Crawford, Executive Director of the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. “The beauty of this fall season is that leaf peepers will be treated to gorgeous fall foliage well into October,” Crawford finished.

According to VisitNewHampshire.com’s Fall Foliage Reports, the White Mountains were at 65% to 85% of peak foliage going into the Columbus Day weekend. Areas around Crawford Notch, Bretton Woods and Pinkham Notch were coming closest to peak color going into the weekend. As of today, fall colors through these regions and along the Kancamagus Highway continue to gain color, making this – the second week in October – another fabulous week for leaf-peepers seeking fall vistas.

Dan Houde, talented nature and outdoor photographer for the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce and owner of Wiseguy Creative Photography, spends hours each day capturing images of the changing foliage vista. Dan tells us, “The foliage this season in the north country was a bit delayed but seemingly on-time, or even early, in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. While the Mt. Washington Valley experienced a delay, the reds and yellows have suddenly turned brilliant, even while wide areas of green still exist – providing a dramatic contrast. Pinkham and Crawford Notches are at, or nearing peak color, while Evans Notch is slightly ahead of the rest. The week of October 8th will no doubt be one of the best weeks for viewing foliage in the Mt Washington Valley and the northern White Mountains.”

Even with Columbus Day falling earlier in the calendar, Columbus Day weekend in Mt Washington Valley was reportedly very strong. According to Tim Psaledakis, owner of Jewelry by Timothy W. Psaledakis & Friendsin North Conway Village, “ Folks followed me in the door when I arrived to work and it didn’t stop….”. Dot Seybold, GM at Settlers Green said parking lots were spilling into the roadways with shoppers parking throughout the mall. Steve Lambert, owner of the Inn at Thorn Hill in Jackson, shared that the inn was already at 100-percent capacity for rooms with advance reservations, but they saw a nice increase in dining guests compared to last year. Story Land welcomed near record crowds throughout the holiday weekend, according to Marketing Director, Lauren Hawkins, and Conway Scenic Railroad ran sold-out trains all weekend long, said Susan Logan, Director of Marketing.

There’s plenty of leaf-peeping and fall fun ahead in Mt Washington Valley. To plan your fall foliage getaway, go to www.MtWashingtonValley.org for a complete list of places to stay and places to play. To talk with a vacation planner at the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, please call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH). For more information on fall foliage and year-round getaways in New Hampshire, go to www.VisitNH.gov.

Photos courtesy of Dan Houde, of Wiseguy Creative Photography. Photos depict fall colors on Saturday, October 6, 2018 above Fields of Attitash in Bartlett, NH and on Chocorua Lake in Chocorua, NH.

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