New England Fall Foliage: 7-Day VT+NH Peak Loop
Owners set their own dates and prices in Vermont. If nothing on the state page fits your week, leave the dates and we email you when something does.
September 28, 2026 — peak color hits the Northeast Kingdom and Jay Peak. October 5 — peak rolls through Stowe, Woodstock, and the Kancamagus Highway. October 12 — peak retreats to the Connecticut River valley and southern New England. October 20 — last good window in the Berkshires. A seven-day Burlington-based loop has to ride the line south through this fourteen-day color migration, not chase it back north. Three regulatory facts decide the route, in this order: 23 V.S.A. section 1006b prohibits single-frame vehicles over 40 ft and combinations over 45 ft on the Smugglers' Notch segment of VT-108 — $1,000 minimum fine, $2,000 if you block traffic. Mt. Washington Auto Road bans all trailers, RVs, and motorhomes outright, capping permitted vehicles at 176 in wheelbase / 93 in width. Vermont State Parks switched to a rolling 11-month booking window on Feb 11, 2026 — a peak-week site at Quechee or Smugglers' Notch was claimable starting in mid-November 2025. This itinerary routes a typical 28-34 ft Class C around both bans, parks the rig at sourced campgrounds, and uses a tow vehicle or shuttle for the restricted segments.
Best window
Sep 25 - Oct 12 (Northeast Kingdom + Jay Peak peak Sep 28 - Oct 4; Stowe/Woodstock peak Oct 5 - Oct 12)
Avoid window
Late Oct - mid May (VT-108 through Smugglers' Notch closed; Lafayette Place and Smugglers' Notch State Park closed Columbus Day; Mt Washington Auto Road weather closures begin late Oct)
What official guides do not tell you
Smugglers' Notch (VT-108): 40 ft single-frame ban with $1,000-$4,000 fines
23 V.S.A. section 1006b prohibits single-frame motor vehicles over 40 ft and tractor-trailer combinations over 45 ft on the Smugglers' Notch segment of VT-108. Base civil penalty is $1,000; $2,000 if you substantially impede traffic. Second offense within three years doubles to $2,000-$4,000. Chicanes and signage have been added since 2022. The Notch is also closed each winter (typically late October through early May); 2026 reopening was 12:00 PM Monday, May 4, 2026.
Vermont Legislature, 23 V.S.A. section 1006b(opens in new tab)Mt. Washington Auto Road: no RVs at all
The Mt. Washington Auto Road bans all trailers, RVs, and motorhomes regardless of size. For permitted vehicles, maximum wheelbase is 176 in (447 cm) and maximum width is 93 in (236 cm) including mirrors (mirrors may be folded to comply). Toll House attendants measure suspect vehicles at the base. Plan to summit via the guided van tour or the Cog Railway on the western (Marshfield) side.
Mt. Washington Auto Road - Vehicle Restrictions(opens in new tab)Vermont State Parks: 11-month rolling reservation window since Feb 11, 2026
Effective February 11, 2026, Vermont State Parks switched from an annual January 2 release to a rolling 11-month window. Reservations open daily at 9 a.m. ET. A peak-foliage Saturday at Quechee or Smugglers' Notch State Park (Oct 3-4 or Oct 10-11) had to be booked on or around November 3-4 of the prior year. The $8 reservation fee is non-refundable; cancellations 10+ days out are otherwise refunded in full.
Vermont State Parks - 2026 Reservation Policy Updates(opens in new tab)White Mountain National Forest: 4-day advance booking, single-RV site rule
All reservations at WMNF campgrounds (Dolly Copp, Covered Bridge, Campton, White Ledge, Basin, Cold River, and 15+ others) go through Recreation.gov and must be booked at least 4 days in advance. RV sites include one RV plus one tow vehicle; tent sites get two vehicles. A subset of Dolly Copp sites carry 30/50-amp electric at a +$14/night premium over the $30 base rate.
Recreation.gov - White Mountain National Forest(opens in new tab)Kancamagus Hwy (NH-112): legal for RVs, but parking-lot size limits the day
NH-112 is fully paved across its 32-mile Kancamagus stretch from Lincoln to Conway and carries no posted vehicle-length restriction. The constraint is parking: most scenic-area pullouts (Sabbaday Falls, Lower Falls, Rocky Gorge) were sized for passenger cars and fill before 10 a.m. on October weekends. Rocky Gorge and Russell-Colbath have the most usable RV-length spaces; plan east-to-west so peak-time stops happen before lots fill.
USDA Forest Service - Kancamagus Recreation(opens in new tab)Booking windows
Vermont State Parks (Quechee, Smugglers' Notch State Park)
- Opens
- Rolling 11 months out at 9 a.m. ET daily - Oct 3 site opens Nov 3 prior year
- Cap / notes
- Walk-up extremely unlikely for peak Sat nights; reservation fee $8 non-refundable
White Mountain National Forest (Dolly Copp, Covered Bridge)
- Opens
- 6 months in advance on Recreation.gov; minimum 4 days lead time required
- Cap / notes
- Some first-come sites at Dolly Copp; electric sites release 6 months out and clear inside 1 hour for foliage weekends
Lafayette Place Campground (Franconia Notch SP)
- Opens
- 11 months in advance via NewHampshireStateParks.ReserveAmerica.com
- Cap / notes
- 97 sites; mostly tent - RV travelers needing hookups must use 7-site Cannon RV Park on Echo Lake
North Beach Campground (Burlington)
- Opens
- Online booking open year-round; season May 15 - Oct 15
- Cap / notes
- Full-hookup sites 1-16 and 113-119 are the only ones rated for big rigs; book by July for October
Mt. Washington Cog Railway
- Opens
- Tickets on sale year-round; peak week (Oct 5-12) sells out 2-3 weeks ahead
- Cap / notes
- Free RV base-lot parking is first-come; arrive by 8 a.m. for a 10 a.m. departure
| Item | Window opens | Cap / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont State Parks (Quechee, Smugglers' Notch State Park) | Rolling 11 months out at 9 a.m. ET daily - Oct 3 site opens Nov 3 prior year | Walk-up extremely unlikely for peak Sat nights; reservation fee $8 non-refundable |
| White Mountain National Forest (Dolly Copp, Covered Bridge) | 6 months in advance on Recreation.gov; minimum 4 days lead time required | Some first-come sites at Dolly Copp; electric sites release 6 months out and clear inside 1 hour for foliage weekends |
| Lafayette Place Campground (Franconia Notch SP) | 11 months in advance via NewHampshireStateParks.ReserveAmerica.com | 97 sites; mostly tent - RV travelers needing hookups must use 7-site Cannon RV Park on Echo Lake |
| North Beach Campground (Burlington) | Online booking open year-round; season May 15 - Oct 15 | Full-hookup sites 1-16 and 113-119 are the only ones rated for big rigs; book by July for October |
| Mt. Washington Cog Railway | Tickets on sale year-round; peak week (Oct 5-12) sells out 2-3 weeks ahead | Free RV base-lot parking is first-come; arrive by 8 a.m. for a 10 a.m. departure |
On the road in Vermont
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Stops
- Burlington Waterfront Bike Pathcity
8-mile paved path runs from North Beach Campground to Oakledge Park; flat, sea-level color along Lake Champlain.
source(opens in new tab) - ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlainmuseum
Lakefront science center; metered RV-length parking blocks east of the building on College St.
source(opens in new tab) - Church Street Marketplacecity
Four-block pedestrian street; do not bring the rig - use the College St garage or stay parked at the campground and walk.
source(opens in new tab)
Camp
North Beach Campground (City of Burlington)
Regulations today
- North Beach season runs May 15 - Oct 15; the campground closes hard the day after the second weekend of foliage week. source(opens in new tab)
7 days of driving needs a rig
Vermont owners list their own rigs with their own dates — see what is posted, or leave your dates and let the alert find you.
Primary sources
- Vermont Statutes Online - 23 V.S.A. section 1006b (Smugglers' Notch length restrictions and penalties)(opens in new tab)
- Vermont Agency of Transportation - Scenic VT Route 108 / Smugglers' Notch(opens in new tab)
- Mt. Washington Auto Road - Vehicle Restrictions(opens in new tab)
- Vermont State Parks - 2026 Camping Reservation Policy Updates(opens in new tab)
- Recreation.gov - White Mountain National Forest campgrounds(opens in new tab)
- NH State Parks - Lafayette Place Campground, Franconia Notch(opens in new tab)
- City of Burlington - North Beach Campground(opens in new tab)
- VT Dept of Forests, Parks & Recreation - Quechee State Park(opens in new tab)
- Mount Washington Cog Railway - Harvest Host RV overnight rules(opens in new tab)
- USDA Forest Service - Kancamagus / Sabbaday Falls recreation area(opens in new tab)
Last reviewed 2026-06-04
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Vermont scenery
Trip Budget Estimate
Fuel
$207
Campgrounds
$316
Food
$420
Activities
$285
Estimated Total (excluding RV rental)
$1,228
Fuel basis: 412 mi total route / 8.5 mpg average for a 28-32 ft Class C gas chassis = 48.5 gal. At $4.27/gal NH+VT regular average (AAA Northeast, week of 2026-06-01), fuel = $207.
Best Time to Drive
Sep 25 - Oct 12 (Northeast Kingdom + Jay Peak peak Sep 28 - Oct 4; Stowe/Woodstock peak Oct 5 - Oct 12)
RV Size Recommendations
Class B or Class C up to 32 ft. A-class and 5th-wheels over 40 ft cannot legally use VT-108 through Smugglers' Notch and must reroute via I-89/VT-100. No RV of any size on Mt. Washington Auto Road.
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