Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Mad River Valley
Peak fall color is predicted around October 10. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 5 to October 15.
Predicted peakOctober 10
Best windowOctober 5 – October 15
Confidence range±5 days
The prediction is a 24-year climatology built from NASA MODIS MOD13Q1 vegetation-index data, with the definition of peak calibrated against PhenoCam ground cameras. Where state foliage spotters report peak (New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri), it has landed inside our ±5-day window about two years in three. An unusual summer or autumn can still move it further.
Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Mad River Valley
Driving distance and time by road, not straight-line.
Under 30 minutes
30 to 60 minutes
1 to 2 hours
2 to 3 hours
- Lake Sunapee Scenic BywayNew Hampshire92 mi · 2 hr 7 minPeak around Oct 12Building
- Lake Willoughby (Northeast Kingdom)86 mi · 2 hr 9 minPeak around Oct 5
- Franconia Notch State ParkNew Hampshire102 mi · 2 hr 21 minPeak around Oct 9Building
- LincolnNew Hampshire106 mi · 2 hr 25 minPeak around Oct 11Just starting