Fall Foliage Drives in the NH Lakes Region: Scenic Routes and Viewpoints
Fall Foliage Drives in the NH Lakes Region: Scenic Routes and Viewpoints
The best fall foliage drives in the Lakes Region follow the roads that hug the water and climb to a lookout: the state's designated Lakes Tour byway around Lake Winnipesaukee, NH Route 113 from Holderness north through Sandwich, and a short hike up Red Hill or Mount Major for the long view. As of the state's Visit NH foliage report dated October 6, 2026, the Lakes Region was at 35 to 50 percent color change - still building, not yet peaked - so check the current report before you leave.
Peak foliage in the Lakes Region: what the state report says
Nobody can promise you a peak day. What the official tracker said, in its report dated October 6, 2026, is that the Lakes Region was at 35 to 50 percent color change: Plymouth had seen an explosion of color over the weekend, the shores of Newfound Lake were showing new shades, and the forests through Wakefield had begun to turn. That report pointed to a ride along Route 113 from Holderness north. Visit NH updates it through the season, so look at it the morning you go. Monday, October 12 is Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day, so plan for holiday-weekend traffic.
The Lakes Tour byway: Route 11 and Route 25 around Winnipesaukee
New Hampshire's designated scenic byway here is the Lakes Tour, which Visit NH also calls the Lakes Region Tour. It runs 97 miles and circles Lake Winnipesaukee. Beginning in Alton, the route follows NH Route 11 north through Alton Bay and up through Gilford, and it can then be followed on NH Route 25 toward Moultonborough. The towns along it are Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Holderness, Laconia, Meredith, Moultonborough, New Hampton, Ossipee, Sandwich, Tamworth, Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro.
A shorter drive: Meredith, Center Harbor and Moultonborough
If you only have an afternoon, start in Meredith and head east on NH Route 25 toward Center Harbor and Moultonborough. US Route 3 and NH Route 25 also run together for a long stretch, from Plymouth through Ashland and Holderness into Meredith, passing between Squam Lake and Little Squam Lake - which makes the two a natural pair for a loop. Visit NH separately suggests a longer Lakes Loop that turns south on Route 109 through Wolfeboro; that one is a suggested drive, not the designated byway.
Squam Lake and the Route 113 drive through Sandwich
Route 113 runs from Holderness north around Squam Lake and then east through Sandwich toward Tamworth. It is hill-town scenery rather than a lakefront strip, and it is the drive the state's own October 6 report singled out this year.
Sandwich Notch Road leaves from Sandwich, and it is not an ordinary road. The Sandwich Historical Society describes it as a one-lane gravel road, generally open from May until late November depending on weather and road conditions, with no services or phones available, and says it should only be traveled by vehicles with high ground clearance. The Town of Sandwich Highway Department posts when the Notch is open or closed, so check that first.
One timing note if you are driving Route 113 this weekend: the Sandwich Fair runs October 10 to 12, 2026, Columbus Day weekend, at 7 Wentworth Hill Road in Sandwich. Its own history records area farmers exhibiting 184 yoke of oxen at the fair in 1886, and it fills the village for three days. If you are heading through for the leaves, expect slow traffic and roadside parking along Route 113, and either go early in the morning or save this particular drive for the weekend after.
Castle in the Clouds and the Ossipee Mountains
Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough is open for its 2026 season from May 23 through October 25, seven days a week, with ticket sales from 10am to 4pm - so it is still open through the middle of October. The main gate is on NH Route 171; the historic entrance at 455 Old Mountain Road is a two-mile, one-way road up to the Castle parking area. The estate grounds and the Lakes Region Conservation Trust hiking trails on the property are open sunrise to sunset year-round, so you can walk the grounds even after the mansion closes for the season. Confirm hours and admission before you drive up.
Red Hill fire tower hike in Moultonborough
For a view that takes some effort, the Lakes Region Conservation Trust's 2,820-acre Red Hill Conservation Area has a trail up to the summit fire tower. LRCT's own directions: from the lights on Route 25 in Center Harbor, turn north onto Bean Road, go 1.5 miles and turn right onto Sibley Road, then 1.2 miles, bearing left onto Red Hill Road, where the trailhead parking is on the right.
LRCT lists the Red Hill Fire Tower Trail at 1.75 miles with 1,286 feet of elevation gain, and the Cabin Trail at 1.3 miles, which hikers often combine into a loop. The lots are open dawn to dusk and free, and only the lower Red Hill Trail lot is plowed in winter.
Mount Major hike in Alton
Mount Major sits on NH Route 11 in Alton. The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, which owns and manages the 200-acre conservation area, says the large parking area with the sign is 4.2 miles north of Alton Bay, and lists a 3-mile round trip on the Main Trail, rated moderate. It is carry in, carry out. Route 11 is also the stretch of the Lakes Tour byway that follows the lake through Alton Bay and Gilford.
What buyers should know
If you are visiting this fall and wondering what it would be like to be here the rest of the year, drive these same roads again in a different season. The same road can feel very different in February, or on a July Saturday.
Ask about road maintenance on any private or dirt road - several of the routes above include unpaved stretches, and Sandwich Notch Road closes for the winter outright. And the lake or mountain view you see in October may be a different view in June, once the leaves are out.
FAQ: Lakes Region fall foliage
When is peak foliage in the Lakes Region? It changes every year. The Visit NH report dated October 6, 2026 put the Lakes Region at 35 to 50 percent color change, still building toward peak. Check the current report, which Visit NH updates through the season.
Is Castle in the Clouds open for foliage season? Yes. Its 2026 season runs May 23 through October 25, open seven days a week, per the Castle in the Clouds website. Confirm hours before you go.
What is the official scenic byway in the Lakes Region? The Lakes Tour, a 97-mile state-designated byway that circles Lake Winnipesaukee, beginning in Alton and following Route 11 north through Alton Bay and Gilford.
Where can I check road conditions? New England 511, at newengland511.org, is New Hampshire's official traffic and road-condition service. For Sandwich Notch Road, the Town of Sandwich Highway Department posts whether the Notch is open.
Thinking about the Lakes Region?
If a weekend of leaf peeping has you wondering what a place up here might look like for you, I'm always glad to talk it through - no pressure and no timeline.
Straight to the source: America.gov
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Cami Navoy - Cami Navoy & Associates, Keller Williams Lakes & Mountains Realty, Meredith, NH
