The Best New England Road Trips
Slow journeys through classic New England landscapes
Acadia National Park in Maine is the only national park in New England, although the region is packed with other federally run recreation areas, including national monuments, seashores and forests. Picturesque state parks, with hiking trails, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, beaches and historic sites, are scattered across the Northeast.
The best time for a road trip in New England is late spring through fall, with a special nod to autumn, when the foliage turns brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red. Of course, this is no great secret, meaning you'll be sharing the roads and accommodations with other visitors: be sure to book lodging and any tours in advance.
Mud season in New England is the soggy transition period between winter and spring, typically in March and April. This is not a great time to visit, and many outdoor attractions will be closed.
Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire
White Mountains & Waterfalls
Approx. distance: 425 miles
Duration: Five days
Suggested route: Boston, Lincoln & North Woodstock, Franconia Notch State Park, Bretton Woods, Crawford Notch, North Conway, Kancamagus Hwy, Holderness & Squam Lake, Meredith, Lake Winnipesaukee, Boston
The sharp-edged beauty of the White Mountains juts in from all sides as you twist between jagged peaks and wild waterfalls on this double-loop drive.
Just south in the Lakes Region, the beauty turns tranquil, eliciting easy oohs and ahhs as you drive along the shores of Squam Lake and Lake Winnipesaukee.
Read more: White Mountains & Waterfalls road trip
Winding coastal drives through Maine's Acadia National Park
Coastal Maine Route-1
Approx. distance: 400 miles
Duration: one week
Suggested route: Boston, Portsmouth, Ogunquit, Fort Williams Park & Cape Elizabeth, Portland, Rockland, Camden Hills State Park, Bar Harbour, Acadia National Park, Boston.
This breezy road trip on US 1 brakes for lobsters, lighthouses and L.L. Bean, but it also stops for maritime history and coastal water sports.
Carriage trails, ladder trails and vanishing trails keep hikers happy at Acadia National Park at the end of the drive.
Read more: Coastal Maine Route-1 road trip
Fall foliage on the Kancamagus Highway, in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest
New England Fall foliage
Approx. distance: 700 miles
Duration: one week
Suggested route: Boston, Berkshires, MA, Mohawk Trail Scenic Drive, Vermont Hwy 100, Littleton, NH, Franconia Notch State Park, Kancamagus Highway, Wolfeboro, Lake Winnipesaukee, Boston
When to go: Foliage season runs from mid-September through mid-October
Foliage across New England puts on a brilliant display of colour in fall, with yellow, orange and deep red leaves shimmering across forested hills.
This loop passes leaf-peeping hotspots across Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. Foliage season runs from mid-September through mid-October.
Read more: New England fall foliage road trip
About the author
Amy Balfour
Amy has authored or co-authored 26 books on the USA for Lonely Planet. Her articles and essays have appeared in Backpacker, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Houston Chronicle, Redbook, Southern Living, Women’s Health, Vegetarian Times, the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post.
