north america · 4 days · 9 stops

New England Fall Foliage

A four-day loop from Boston through the White Mountains and the Green Mountains: the Kancamagus Highway, Mount Washington, Smugglers' Notch and Quechee Gorge.

Days
4
Stops
9
Driving
656 km
Behind the wheel
7h 35m

Driving figures are measured road distances between the stops listed for each day, not straight lines. The transfer from wherever you sleep to the first stop of the day is not included.

Daylight on this route, by season

The single number that decides whether a self-drive day works. Almost every guide tells you to "check the daylight hours"; here they are for this route, on the solstices and equinoxes.

Day Driving 21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar
Boston → North Conway 3h 2m 15h 30m 12h 14m 8h 53m 12h 12m
Mount Washington → Woodstock 2h 50m 15h 26m 12h 14m 8h 56m 12h 12m
Smugglers' Notch → Stowe 0h 16m 15h 33m 12h 14m 8h 50m 12h 12m
Quechee Gorge → Burlington 1h 27m 15h 33m 12h 14m 8h 50m 12h 12m

Measured at the midpoint of each day's stops. "Midnight sun" means the sun does not set; "polar night" means it does not rise.

Day by day

Day 1: Boston → North Conway

3 stops · 275 km · 3h 2m driving

In winter: About 3h 2m of driving inside 8h 53m of daylight — comfortable.

  1. 1

    Boston

    Leave the city early — the traffic out is the hard part

  2. 2

    Kancamagus Highway

    The White Mountains' foliage drive

  3. 3

    North Conway

    Base for the White Mountains

Legs and times
  • Boston → Kancamagus Highway: 213 km, 2h 6m
  • Kancamagus Highway → North Conway: 62 km, 0h 56m

Day 2: Mount Washington → Woodstock

2 stops · 220 km · 2h 50m driving

In winter: About 2h 50m of driving inside 8h 56m of daylight — comfortable.

  1. 1

    Mount Washington

    The highest peak in the north-east

  2. 2

    Woodstock

    Village greens and covered bridges

Legs and times
  • Mount Washington → Woodstock: 220 km, 2h 50m

Day 3: Smugglers' Notch → Stowe

2 stops · 16 km · 0h 16m driving

In winter: About 0h 16m of driving inside 8h 50m of daylight — comfortable.

  1. 1

    Smugglers' Notch

    The notch road through the Green Mountains

  2. 2

    Stowe

    Vermont's classic mountain village

Legs and times
  • Smugglers' Notch → Stowe: 16 km, 0h 16m

Day 4: Quechee Gorge → Burlington

2 stops · 145 km · 1h 27m driving

In winter: About 1h 27m of driving inside 8h 50m of daylight — comfortable.

  1. 1

    Quechee Gorge

    Vermont's little Grand Canyon

  2. 2

    Burlington

    On Lake Champlain, to finish

Legs and times
  • Quechee Gorge → Burlington: 145 km, 1h 27m

When to drive it

21 Jun

15h 29m

of daylight

21 Sep

12h 14m

of daylight

21 Dec

8h 54m

of daylight

21 Mar

12h 12m

of daylight

Longest days are around 21 June, shortest around 21 December. On this route the swing is large enough that the same day's driving can be comfortable in June and entirely after dark in December — which is why the table above is per day.

Plan this route with the daylight in view

Tseril builds the multi-day route on a map, warns you about the legs you would drive at night, and shows the snow and weather at every stop. Free to use.

Open the planner Copy a published trip

Other road trip itineraries