Considering a trip to Burlington in early November, did we miss all of the fall foliage?

Submitted by dick-slapperman t3_ye78xh in vermont

Hey there!

My wife and I are going up to Salem for Halloween next week, and have the following 5-6 days free to explore! I’ve heard great things about the Burlington area for hiking, sight seeing, etc., but I’m worried we missed all of the autumn color. Would I be right in thinking that, or do the leaves stick around for a while following the peak season?

We’re from Texas, so really any amount of fall scenery is a dramatic improvement over what we’re used to! Also, any recommendations or ideas on how we should spend our time in New England this time of year would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

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detectorsarcasm t1_itwds15 wrote

It's full on stick season right now, most of the foliage is long gone. Hiking is still pretty in it's own way, just no color. Beers and other tourist spots can still be fun, just don't expect any foliage, and some businesses will have started to close or change their hours.

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meatpopsicle42 t1_itwdp8f wrote

I’m fifty miles south of Burlington and we’re well past peak here.

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dick-slapperman OP t1_itwey09 wrote

Gotcha! So should I interpret “past peak” to mean no foliage at all, or just less of it?

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meatpopsicle42 t1_itwgdng wrote

Much less. And far less everyday the wind blows.

If the foliage was a primary driver for your visit, I’d say you missed the best of it.

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dick-slapperman OP t1_itwh49l wrote

Not necessarily a primary driver (we’re visiting for Halloween) but if it was still in season we would have scheduled some of the trip around it!

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whooobaby t1_itwlb5u wrote

It’s practically stick season in Salem unfortunately - the further north you drive, the less foliage you’ll see.

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dick-slapperman OP t1_itwoe2w wrote

Thanks!! Any areas you think we should look towards?

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whooobaby t1_itwpj4i wrote

Honestly I’d probably go south. Maybe ask in a Jersey, Pennsylvania or Virginia sub?

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PolarBlueberry t1_itwxzgk wrote

Western Mass, along I-91 is past the vivid peak of a few weeks ago, but it’s still leafy. All the dull browns and dark red and orange. Simple, yet rewarding hikes on Mt Holyoke and/or Mt Tom, and a lot of good breweries. Great day trip.

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NukeJackson t1_itwdi72 wrote

Was in Waterbury, Montpelier and Greensboro 2 weeks ago and things were already turning to brown. I'd imagine stick season is already starting.

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Zealousideal-Cap-405 t1_itx2484 wrote

November is beautiful and not crowded. Great deals on lodging. Tamaracks are lovely yellow against the purple mountains. Just wear blaze orange in the woods because it’s deer season.

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texmarie t1_itwrviq wrote

Lol. You might see some snow? Not many leaves though. However, it’s perfect for visiting local restaurants and getting rural/small town ambiance and stuff because you’re in between the tourist seasons.

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grnmtnboy0 t1_itx12cs wrote

In general, foliage in Vermont hits its peak around the first week of October. This lasts maybe a week if the weather is calm. By the time November arrives the color is long gone and you're likely to see snow instead

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quinnbeast t1_itwcjvx wrote

https://www.vermont.com/foliage.cfm/

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dick-slapperman OP t1_itwctph wrote

I saw that Burlington is still considered in peak season, but in your experience would that continue for another week?

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milukra t1_itwg4fo wrote

Leave are going fast, the trees in my backyard (maples) all dumped in the last 48 hours. Some trees still have leaves but it'll depend on how much wind and rain knocks them off in the next week.

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mojohand2 t1_itxh694 wrote

In Caledonia and Lamoille Counties, fall leaves are gone. But on the 24th I drove south down the NY Thruway , and thought there was still a lot of color on the trees in the Catskills, so by the time you leave you may want look a bit south of that for good fall foliage, Bear Mountain and the like

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vtburb t1_itzw70d wrote

You might be able to find some good color sticking around in protected low-lying areas near Lake Champlain. I was at Shelburne Farms a few days ago and the maples were still gorgeous and even had a few patches of green. It’s a nice place to walk. But even if the trees are bare when you come, there’s still lots to do and enjoy.

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judhead93 t1_itxcl9j wrote

You have missed it!

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JerryKook t1_iu09lpv wrote

November is an interesting month in Vermont. The weather can be very volatile which can limit your activities. I live here, so I have all my stuff and lots of things that need fixing. On a vacation, it could be like the Sienfeld where Jerry wants to "take his relationship to the next level"

https://youtu.be/BvELDRKeyKc?t=116

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Gladstonetruly t1_iud4ack wrote

We did the same trip, just a few days earlier (leaving Tuesday). We figured we’d miss most of the foliage but the dour weather was what we were more interested in.

It’s been sunny, but at least it isn’t hot. Even without the leaves it’s been awesome to not have 100+ degree temperatures, so that alone it worth it. No traffic, no crowds, and extremely reasonable prices since we missed the leaf peepers.

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Guaranteed-Return t1_itwfi5s wrote

Bring bulletproof vest.

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flambeaway t1_itxn15j wrote

Kevlar offers exactly zero protection from rifle rounds, you're gonna need a plate carrier and level III plates if that's your concern.

Or just wear blaze orange like a normal person.

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