When And Where To Expect Massachusetts’ Fall Foliage To Peak This Year

There's nothing quite like the fall season in New England. It's the time of year for fun fall festivals, pumpkin and apple picking, cider drinking, and, best of all, viewing the trees as the leaves change colors. If you're ready to do some leaf-peeping this year, our friends at SmokyMountains.com use a special set of data points to put together a predictive fall foliage map. Use it to plan where and when to see the best of Massachusetts fall foliage this year.

The 2021 Fall Foliage Prediction Map showed that a minimal amount of color started to appear in the westernmost part of the Bay State around the first week of September, just a few weeks before the official start of fall on September 22.

With a higher elevation, the Berkshires will see the brilliant hues of fall foliage in Massachusetts before much of the rest of the state and these colors will peak sometime in October. It's time to start making your Berkshires getaway plans!

By the end of September, far western Massachusetts tends to near its peak fall colors, while the rest of the west and central part of the state usually sees partial color change. Cape Ann, Cape Cod, and the southeast will have patchy coloring at this point.

Leaves tend to change rather quickly and by the time the first week of October rolls around, far western Massachusetts is generally predicted to be at its peak. Meanwhile, the rest of the west and central regions will be near peak and leaves on the coast will be partially transformed into shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Mid-October is normally the perfect time to plan seeing the fall foliage around most of the state. Perhaps a drive along one of the state's scenic byways is in order.

As the fall marches on, the colors continue to change. By mid-October, the far western state will have leaves falling to the ground. The rest of the west and central portion will be at its peak showing off quite a vibrant display while the coast will be close to the peak.

You can expect to see some gorgeous fall colors in Massachusetts in places like Cape Cod. It may be a good idea to start planning a trip to the coast this October.

During the last week of October, it will be past the peak so we may see the last of the fall colors as leaves tumble to the ground.

Use the 2021 Fall Leaf Map to help plan your fall activities, day trips, and weekend getaways. All you need to do is use the slider at the bottom of the map and it will show you the best times and places to see the fiery hues of autumn. This map was created by the folks over at SmokyMountains.com who use a set of data points, sources, and its algorithm to give a forecast that's as accurate as possible. Of course, nature never cooperates 100% and things can change, but this map gives the best guide you can use to predict when and where you can see the leaves changing colors this fall in Massachusetts!