Get reddy for New England As the annual display of fall colours reaches its peak , Kathy Arnold recommends the best places to enjoy the glorious show What do you miss about the United States ? " After living in Britain for many years , I am still asked that question . " Family and friends , " is my usual reply . " And the fall . " Note that I say fall and not autumn ; to me , they are very different . In England , autumn is a gentle season of " mists and mellow fruitfulness ". The leaves do change colour , but the shades are muted and rather dull . Across the Atlantic in New England , it could not be more different . Over there , Mother Nature gets out her brushes and redecorates the landscape with big bold strokes . Almost overnight , hillsides turn from green to deep scarlet , flaming orange and the brightest of yellows . The colour blazes across mountains , around lakes and along the seashore . But it ' s not just the colour . The sun is still warm , the sky is astonishingly blue , the air is clean and crisp . Quite simply , fall recharges my batteries . ' The eruption of colour may be brief . .. but it is spectacular ' Of course , the leaves change colour elsewhere in the United States . But , nowhere is the transformation as dramatic as in the north - eastern corner of the country , with its unique formula of warm days and chilly nights . And trees . British visitors are surprised by the huge tracts of woodland , many in conservation areas . Vermont ' s Green Mountain National Forest is twice the size of the Isle of Man ; the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine is bigger than Dorset . So , instead of one red maple and a couple of golden birches , there are great swathes of trees , all decked out in fall finery . Add in New England ' s Kodak - friendly cosiness and it is picture perfect . Hundreds of neat and tidy villages pose for portraits , showing off village greens , white - steepled churches and picket fences . This eruption of colour may be brief ? just a few weeks in September and October ? but it is spectacular . It even has its own name : foliage season . And , it is no secret . For the past 50 years , more and more " leaf peepers " have flocked to the narrow , twisting lanes of New Hampshire , Maine , Vermont and Massachusetts . But there are ways of escaping the crowds . Start by avoiding the weekends . Then , steer clear of the well - publicised scenic routes , such as Vermont ' s Route 100 , New Hampshire ' s Kancamagus Highway and the Mohawk Trail in western Massachusetts . Buy a good map and follow New England poet Robert Frost ' s suggestion to take the road " less traveled ". Like old England , New England is criss - crossed by country lanes . Turning down a back road , particularly on one of Vermont ' s dirt roads , decreases the chance of seeing a tour bus . It increases the chance of getting lost , but that ' s all part of the fun . I ' m a sucker for a view . So , while others take the low road , I head up a mountain . From the summit of Mt Equinox , near Arlington in southern Vermont , the panorama stretches across four states , with the mountains and hills of New York , Massachusetts and , away to the north - east , New Hampshire , all daubed in gaudy colours . At 6 , 288 ft , Mt Washington is the highest peak in the north - eastern US and the road to the summit is steep . There is a minibus that does a regular shuttle run , but it is more fun to chug up aboard the little steam train . After 137 years , the world ' s first mountain - climbing cog railway is still going strong , fired by coal and puffing out great plumes of smoke into the clear New Hampshire air . Be warned : no matter how warm it is in the valley , jackets are needed for the summit . There are many connections between England old and New , and the love affair with steam is one of them . Enthusiasts ensure that Thomas the Tank Engine clones still run along river valleys where the foliage turns hillsides to tapestries . In New Hampshire , for example , the Conway Scenic Railroad rolls out steam locomotive No 7470 for its fall scenic excursions . In Vermont , at Bellows Falls Union Station , boarding the Green Mountain Flyer is like stepping back into a 1940 s film . Rather than sit in a car or on a train , I prefer to go for a hike . Americans are notorious for their dependence on wheels , but there are millions who love to ramble . Many are members of the Appalachian Mountain Club , which has plenty of good ideas for away - from - it - all fall foliage walks on its website , www . outdoors . org . A popular one is the climb up Mt Lafayette , in New Hampshire ' s White Mountains . One fine fall morning , my brother and I set off on the Old Bridle Path , our destination the Greenleaf Hut , just below the tree line . The easy start was deceptive ; about halfway up the three - mile trek came steep pitches of rock nicknamed " the Agonies ". But they were worth the scramble . After three hours , we were sitting at 4 , 200 ft , enjoying a picnic in the Whites . If that sounds too demanding , head for one of the most climbed mountains in the world . only a two - hour drive from Boston is Mount Monadnock , with its characteristic stepped ascent . In one of New Hampshire ' s numerous state parks , it has 40 miles of marked footpaths , and is a popular day out . " Weekends are a bad idea , " confirms Andrew Tanner , a park ranger . But he reckons that mid - week is fine , even though this is also when school groups arrive . " They take the main trails . I would send you up Cascade Link or Lost Farm Trail , so you would be OK . " From the 3 , 165 ft summit , you can see for 100 miles on a clear day . Not a bad reward for a five - to six - hour round trip that is more like a strenuous walk than a hike . If your knees can ' t take a climb , take a lift . New England ' s mountains are dotted with ski resorts , ready to swish leaf peepers up to the top . At Cannon Mountain , for example , the Aerial Tramway glides up to the 4 , 180 ft summit in only eight minutes . During the height of the foliage season there is a departure every 10 minutes , with a conductor on board to point out the highlights and answer questions . After the ride , get away from other passengers by following the easy 20 - minute loop round the south side of the mountain . Soon , it ' s just you and the endless vistas of New Hampshire . If you don ' t have a head for heights , get out on to the water . New England has many charming towns along its long coastline , but one of my favourites is Camden , Maine . Now a year - round resort , it is a romantic destination for couples , thanks to comfy b & bs , restaurants and shops . From Camden ' s little harbour , the schooner Appledore II sails into Penobscot Bay and past the islands that cluster along the shore . " The mountains come right down to the water here , but as we sail out Mt Megunticook and Mt Battie present themselves independently , " explains the skipper , John McKean . " Surprisingly , this is not a busy time of year for us , so it is perfect for leaf peepers . And the colours are wonderful . " If you can take your eyes off the foliage , you may also spot eagles , porpoises and seals . Cruises on inland lakes are hugely popular . Even when the boats that ply Lake Champlain ( Vermont ) or Lake Winnipesaukee ( New Hampshire ) are full , the combination of water , mountains and colour still works its magic . Then there is the bird ' s - eye view . I ' ll never forget a scheduled flight I made in October that passed over Vermont , New Hampshire and Massachusetts on its way to Boston . You can ' t dictate the flight path to an airline , but you can float like a bird . In Stowe , Vermont , visit Stowe Soaring for a 25 - minute flight in a glider . Fall is the busiest season , with 25 or 30 flights a day . You can see the woods stretching all the way to Canada on a clear day and glide over Mount Mansfield , the highest mountain in the state . Everyone is amazed by the foliage ( there are plenty of photo opportunities ) and by the silence . As for when is the best time to see the foliage , the answer is : soon ! The colour starts in northern New England in September and moves south . By tradition , it peaks in the first two weeks of October . That coincides with the busy national holiday ( Columbus Day , October 7 - 9 ) . However , foliage season is unpredictable . As ever , Mother Nature decides when she is going to ignite the pyrotechnics that take us into winter , not with a whimper but with a glorious bang . Why does it happen ? Botanists explain that sunny days and cold nights halt the production of chlorophyll . once the chemical that turns leaves green is blocked , other pigments surge forward . Carotenoids produce the bright yellows and oranges ; anthocyanin emphasises the crimsons and red . Most famous are the red maples that can also turn to orange or yellow . But it ' s not just trees that change ? weeds such as poison ivy and shrubs such as sumac are transformed . Cranberry bogs turn crimson and blueberry barrens blaze scarlet .