Beautiful Places

Vermont’s First Red Leaves Are Here — Where To See Color This Weekend

The Northeast Kingdom leads Vermont's autumn color as the state enters its second week of foliage tracking, with more reds beginning to appear elsewhere.

Beaux Media Editorial · Sep 24, 2026 · 4 min read

Aerial file photograph of bright autumn foliage surrounding Norton Pond in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom — File photo (2021): Anthony Quintano

Vermont's autumn color is gathering momentum, and the Northeast Kingdom is the place to look first this weekend. The state's Week 2 foliage report, issued Sept. 23 by Vermont Tourism and prepared with the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, says the northeastern corner currently has the most advanced color.

That does not mean Vermont has reached peak. No part of the state was officially declared peak in this report. Instead, current observations show reds, oranges and yellows becoming more noticeable in the Northeast Kingdom, while Northwest Vermont and the Champlain Islands are beginning to turn. Farther south, observers in the Okemo Valley have reported especially vivid reds.

The forecast is the more tentative part: some sections of the Northeast Kingdom could approach peak in the coming days if conditions cooperate. Weather can speed up or soften the display, so a promising forecast should not be read as a guarantee for every hillside.

Where To Drive This Weekend

For an early-season loop, Route 232 through Groton State Forest is one of the state's best bets. The Maidstone and Brighton areas offer another Northeast Kingdom option, where the change is currently most developed. Travelers looking beyond the northeast can try Route 15 between Jericho and Hyde Park or Route 12A between Northfield and Randolph for a scenic look at color beginning to spread.

The appeal of this weekend may be the transition itself: green still present beneath the first strong reds, quieter roads before the broadest peak crowds and a landscape changing from one town to the next. The photographs accompanying this story are clearly identified historical file images from Vermont, not pictures of conditions this week.

Before setting out, recheck Vermont's official foliage tracker and the local weather forecast. Conditions can vary by elevation and even by road, and rain, wind or a cold night can change the view quickly.

Would you rather catch the first patchwork of color now, or wait for Vermont's fuller October display?

Image Credit

Hero file photo: Norton Pond, Northeast Kingdom, Oct. 4, 2021, Anthony Quintano. Wikimedia Commons source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fall_Foliage_Along_Norton_Pond_Northeast_Kingdom_Vermont_2021_Season_(51585141337)_(cropped).jpg . Licensed CC BY 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 . The Commons cropped image was proportionally resized for this page. The two gallery photographs have separate credits and license details in their captions.