Is there anything better than fall in New England? No. I’ve looked. Crisp air, crunchy leaves, and whole mountainsides doing the red-orange-yellow thing at once. After calling New England home for 7 years, I can say New Hampshire is one of the best places to be when that happens. The White Mountains, Franconia Notch and Crawford Notch get most of the attention, and they earn it.
New Englanders call the fall visitors “leaf peepers,” usually with a sigh, because of the traffic that comes with the leaves. I can’t blame anyone for coming, though. It’s worth it.
So load up the dogs. Here are the best fall hikes in New Hampshire, sorted by region and effort, with a dog rule for every single one. Rules vary more than you’d expect in this state.
This article contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. I only recommend gear I actually use and love with my own dogs. Thanks for supporting The Well Worn Shoes! I appreciate you!
Planning the whole trip? This post covers hiking. For the drive itself, including the Kancamagus pullouts, route order and 2026 closures, see my Ultimate New England Fall Road Trip: A Six-State Foliage Loop. For even more indepth planning and itineraries check out my Ultimate New England Fall Road Trip – The Six-State Foliage Loop, Road Closures & Dog-Friendly Stops Guide (downloadable PDF).
Quick Answers: New Hampshire Fall Hikes
- Best easy fall hike: Artists Bluff (1.5 mi). For water, Diana’s Baths.
- Best moderate fall hike: Mount Willard. The view looks straight down Crawford Notch.
- Best hard fall hike: Welch-Dickey Loop (go counterclockwise). For the big day, Franconia Ridge.
- Peak foliage in the White Mountains: usually late September at elevation, early to mid-October in the notches and valleys. Southern NH runs later.
- Dogs: allowed on leash on most trails listed here. Not allowed in the Flume Gorge, at Echo Lake Beach, at Lafayette Place Campground, or anywhere in Monadnock State Park.
- Parking: White Mountain National Forest fee sites are $5/day or $30/year. Franconia Notch trailhead lots are free but fill early.
- Worst weekend to hike: Indigenous Peoples’/Columbus Day weekend, October 10–12, 2026.
New Hampshire Fall Hikes at a Glance
| Hike | Region | Distance (RT) | Elevation Gain | Difficulty | Dogs? | Parking/Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artists Bluff Loop | Franconia Notch | 1.5 mi | 390–436 ft | Easy-Moderate | Yes, leashed | Free state park lot |
| Lonesome Lake | Franconia Notch | 3.1 mi | 1,000 ft | Moderate | Yes, leashed | Free (Lafayette Place) |
| Basin & Cascades to Kinsman Falls | Franconia Notch | 1.2 mi (2.6 mi full trail) | 300 ft (620 ft full trail) | Easy-Moderate | Yes, leashed | Free |
| Cloudland Falls (Falling Waters) | Franconia Notch | 2.8 mi | 900 ft | Moderate | Yes, leashed | Free (Lafayette Place) |
| Mount Pemigewasset | Franconia Notch | 2.8–3.4 mi | 1,250 ft | Moderate | Yes, leashed | Flume lot |
| Bridal Veil Falls | Franconia (Coppermine Trail) | 4.8 mi | 1,080 ft | Moderate | Yes, leashed | Small lot, arrive early |
| Franconia Ridge Loop | Franconia Notch | 8.9 mi | 3,800–3,900 ft | Hard | Yes, leashed (tough for dogs) | Free (Lafayette Place) |
| Welch-Dickey Loop | Waterville Valley | 4.4 mi | 1,750–1,800 ft | Hard | Yes, leashed | WMNF $5/day |
| Sabbaday Falls | Kancamagus | 0.7 mi | Minimal | Easy | Yes, leashed | WMNF $5/day |
| Boulder Loop | Kancamagus | 2.7–3.1 mi | 900–1,000 ft | Moderate | Yes, leashed | WMNF $5/day |
| Champney Falls | Kancamagus | 3.3 mi | 700 ft | Moderate | Yes, leashed | WMNF fee site |
| Mount Chocorua via Champney Brook | Kancamagus | 7.5 mi | 2,250 ft | Hard | Yes, leashed | WMNF fee site |
| Diana’s Baths | North Conway | 1.2–1.5 mi | 110 ft | Easy | Yes, leashed | WMNF $5/day |
| Glen Ellis Falls | Pinkham Notch | 0.6 mi | 80 ft | Easy | Yes, leashed | WMNF fee site |
| Shelburne Trail | Gorham/ Shelburne | 1.9 mi | 380 ft | Easy | Yes, leashed | Free roadside pull-off (small) |
| Mount Willard | Crawford Notch | 3.2 mi | 900 ft | Easy-Moderate | Yes, leashed | Crawford Depot |
| Arethusa Falls via Bemis Brook | Crawford Notch | 2.9 mi | 800–885 ft | Moderate | Yes, leashed | Donation kiosk [verify] |
| Arethusa Falls & Frankenstein Cliff | Crawford Notch | ~5.1 mi | ~1,600 ft | Moderate–Hard | Yes, leashed | Same lot |
| Ripley Falls | Crawford Notch | ~1.1 mi | ~310 ft | Easy | Yes, leashed | Free |
| Mount Major | Lakes Region | ~3.2–3.9 mi | ~1,140 ft | Moderate | Yes, leashed | Free lot, fills fast |
| Bald Mountain via Tudor & Tamposi | Monadnock Region (Antrim) | ~2.7 mi | ~875 ft | Moderate | Leashed [verify] | Free Audubon lot |
| Mount Monadnock | Monadnock Region | varies | ~1,700+ ft | Hard | No dogs | $15/vehicle |
When Is Peak Foliage in New Hampshire?
Color moves two ways at once: north to south, and from the summits down to the valleys.
- Late September: the Great North Woods and the high White Mountain summits.
- Early to mid-October: the White Mountains proper, including Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch and the Kancamagus. This is the classic window.
- Mid to late October: the Lakes Region (Mount Major) and the Monadnock Region (Willard Pond, Bald Mountain).
Forecasts for 2026 put the White Mountains’ peak somewhere around October 8–11. That’s a forecast, not a promise, so check Visit NH’s weekly foliage report the week you go.
My honest advice: pick the hike based on the effort you want, then pick the region based on where the color is that week. And if you miss peak, go south. Southern New Hampshire is often just getting started when the notches are done.
The Best Dog Friendly Fall Hikes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
Franconia Notch State Park In Fall:
1. Artist Bluff Loop Trail
- Trailhead: 2750 Profile Road, Franconia, NH 03580
- Distance: 1.5 Miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 390 ft
This trail offers spectacular views for a pretty moderate climb. The elevation gain isn’t terrible and at only 1.5 miles it’s manageable for most skill levels. This is, of course, a dog friendly trail and was great for a young dog (6 months), and an older dog (10 years). Both were tired but neither were destroyed after this hike.
Artist Bluff offers gorgeous views at the top and a relatively flat area to hang out and enjoy those beautiful fall colors. Be aware that this is an incredibly popular hike that gets very busy on weekends. Don’t worry there is plenty of parking and the trail is a loop trail so it’s generally not too bad. The top does get pretty crowded. People are good about not blocking the views.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 5 out of 5
2. Bald Mountain Loop Via Tudor and Tamposi Trails
- Distance: 2.6 Miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 856 ft
This trail features a lake and is best used from March to October. The colors will most likely peak somewhere around the 2nd or 3rd week of October (this varies from year to year). The trail goes along the shores of Willard Pond where you can often hear loons.
Tip: During summer months it has been been reported that there are a lot of wasps at the summit
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4 out of 5
3. Lonesome Lake Trail
- Distance: 3.1 Miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 1,026 ft
This is a steady inclined hike good for most skill levels. Lonesome Lake is a gorgoues and you get views of Franconia Ridge on your way to the lake. Extra bonus: feel free to take your shoes off and dip your toes in the lake. There a public restroom here as well.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4.5 out of 5
4. Basin Cascade Trail
- Distance: 2.6 Miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 626 ft
This trail is partially paved and very family friendly. You will pass by several cascading waterfalls and deep pools that you can swim and wade in. Most of the trail is a moderate grade but there are sections that can be a little steep. Stop at Kinsman Falls too!
Tip: You can hike the Basin to Lonesome Lake and loop back around via the Pemi trail.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4 out of 5
5. Bridal Veil Falls Trail
- Distance: 4.8 Miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 1,079 ft
This trail has a steady and gradual climb to the falls. It’s manageable even for younger children and definitely for dogs of all ages. The parking area is very small and fills up quickly so it’s recommended that you get here early. Although this is one of the more secluded hikes you will find in the area and people often feel they have the trail to themselves and sometimes you get lucky enough to have the falls to yourself.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Sips & Eats In Franconia Notch
Black Mnt. Burger Co.
- Where: 264 Main Street, Lincoln, New Hampshire, 03251
- Hours: Daily 11:30 am – 4 pm, Closed Wednesday
- Currently open for indoor, outdoor, and takeout dining
This is my favorite stop when hiking in Franconia Notch. On the particular Saturday that I did this hike, it started raining just as I finished. So, I decided to grab lunch, to go, at Black Mnt. Burger Co. (they have awesome burgers and poutine if you are into that) and go find somewhere pretty to eat. With the dogs, there are several options in the White Mountain/Franconia Notch area but generally, I tend to sit outside with the pups. And with it pouring that wasn’t really an option this time.
Cold Mountain Café
- Where: 2015 Main Street, Bethlehem, NH 03574
- Hours: Daily 11 am – 3 pm, 5 pm – 9 pm, Closed Sunday
- Currently offering outdoor patio seating and take out
J-Town Deli Country Store
- Where: 174 Main Steet, Jackson, NH 03846
- Hours: Daily 8 am – 6 pm (opens at 9 am on Sunday)
Breweries:
One Love Brewery
- Where: 25 South Mountain Drive, Lincoln, NH 03251
- Hours: Week Days – 3 – 8:30 pm, Weekends – 12 – 8:30 pm
- Open for outdoor and indoor dining. Masks are required for indoor dining and using indoor restrooms.
- Outdoor dining the pup-friendly
- Take out is available
Woodstock Inn Brewery
- Where: 135 Main Street, Woodstock, NH 03262
- Hours: Mon – Fri – 7:30 am – 9 pm, Sat – Sun – 7 am – 10 pm
- Tours still offered, each day at 12 pm, limited to 10 per group, and masks must be worn, except for tasting
White Mountains National Forest In Fall:
1. Welch & Dickey Loop Trail
- Trailhead: Orris Rd, Waterville Valley, NH 03215. Follow signs for Welch-Dickey Loop Trail.
- Distance: 4.4 miles
- Rating: Hard (Difficult)
- Elevation Gain: 1,751 ft
This is such a great trail! It was rated moderate when I hiked it but it was recently bumped up to hard/difficult on All Trails. I agree with the new rating, but had it been hard/difficult when I hiked it I probably never would have tried it. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, which is generally moderate hikes. But I’m so glad I hiked Welch & Dickey! I hiked this trail with a
Tip: It is not recommended that you do a hike this strenuous with a dog under 1-year-old. I didn’t know this at the time and while this hike didn’t do any damage to my puppy, it could have. Generally, easy trails are recommended for puppies.
Welch and Dickey offer some truly spectacular views and has not 1 but 2 summits. I highly recommend that you do this hike counterclockwise for a more enjoyable experience. If you go clockwise you will be coming down some pretty steep rock faces.
REPEAT: GO COUNTER-CLOCKWISE!
This hike was a struggle for both the dogs but they really enjoyed it. We took some time to rest for a bit at each summit.
Tip: On this hike make sure to pack plenty of water for your pups. This was the first hike ever that I ran out of water for the dogs. Thankfully I had a camel bak too, so it wasn’t an issue. And I was able to share some of my water with them.
There is a tiny bit of rock scrambling and ledging but don’t let that scare you. This trail is completely doable for most skill levels. There were actually a lot of dogs on the trail.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 10 out of 5
2. Glen Ellis Falls Trail
- Distance: .4 Miles
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 88 ft
Okay, so this one barely qualifies as a hike, but if you’ve got a puppy, it’s perfect! The falls are absolutely stunning for such a short trek. There are stairs on this trail but they are worth it!
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4 out of 5
3. Diana’s Baths
- Distance: 1.3 Miles
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 114 ft
Diana’s Baths are something you need to see if you are in the White Mountains. The baths lie along Lucy Brook. The cascading falls here measure around 75 feet in total height. You will need to purchase a daily pass from the US National Forest Service and display it in your car. Currently, it’s around $3.00.
Well Work Shoes Rating: 4.5 out of 5
4. Shelburne Trail
- Distance: 1.9 Miles
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 380 ft
This easy trail is perfect for dogs of all ages. It’s more like a walk in the woods then a hike, but sometimes that’s all your need, especially with dogs! There are spectacular pools of cold, crystal clear water throughout the trail. Some are even deep enough to jump off for a swim.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4 out of 5
Sips & Eats White Mountains State Forest
Mad River Coffee House
- Where: 18 Six Flags Rd, Campton, NH 03223
- Hours: Daily 6 am – 6 pm, closes at 4 pm on weekdays
Before your hike grab a coffee at Mad River Coffee House. They make coffee ice cubes and as they melt you get even more flavor. The coffee was fantastic and the place was steadily busy the entire time we were there.
The Last Chair
- Where: 5 Route 25, Plymouth, NH 03264
- Hours: Wed – Thurs – 4 – 9 pm, Fri – Sun – 11:30 am – 9 pm
- Closed Mon – Tues
- Patio and Takeout are open
- Patio is dog friendly
After your hike check out The Last Chair. They have an awesome selection of beer and excellent pizza. I love the goat cheese and arugula pizza. So good! They also have a great outdoors seating area where your dogs can hang with you until the sun goes down in the fall months.
If you find yourself in the White Mountains of New Hampshire this fall and you have your pups with you (or not!) make sure to check out both!
Breweries:
Tuckerman Brewing Company
- Where: 60 Hobbs Street, Conway, NH 03818
- Hours: Daily 12 pm – 6 pm
The Dam Brewhouse
- Where: 1323 NH-175, Campton, NH 03223
- Hours: Thurs – Sat – 2 pm – 9 pm, Sun – 1 – 6 pm
- Closed Mon-Wed
1766 Brewing Company
- Where: 61 Main Street, Plymouth, NH 03264
- Hours: Wed – Mon – 11:30 am – 9 pm
- Closed Tuesday
Crawford Notch State Park In Fall:
1. Arethusa Falls Via Bemis Brook
- Distance: 2.8 Miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 784 ft
Yes, another dog friendly waterfall hike! Although this trail can be congested at times, the falls are well worth it. You will find a lot of dogs on this trail, so if your dog has aggression issues this might not be the trail for you. You can do this trail backwards and hit Arethusa Falls before Bemis for a more enjoyable hike.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4 out of 5
2. Ripley Falls Trail
- Distance: 1 Miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 305 ft
There are only a few steeps spots on this fairly easy trail, but the views are well worth it. Good for both kids and dogs of any age.
Well Worn Shoes Rating: 4 out of 5
Take A Scenic Drive on Kancamagus Highway
Driving along the famous Kancamagus Highway is another great dog friendly option in New Hampshire. I also took a rainy/moody drive on the Kanc and I can assure you that even in the rain the fall colors are stunning. And who doesn’t love a rainy fall afternoon with coffee and moody music? I do!
Even if you end up on the Kanc on a rainy dreary day, it’s absolutely stunning. Although the view from the top may not as beautiful as it normally is there is something to be said for a moody, foggy fall day drive. Turn up that emo music and enjoy the moody vibes of New England in the fall…
What To Pack For New Hampshire In The Fall
What To Pack For Yourself:
I’m pretty basic when it comes to what I wear while hiking, but here are some of my absolute favorites…
- Hiking Boots/Hiking Boots
- Hiking Socks
- Sweatshirt
- Hiking Leggings
- Fleece Lined Hiking Leggings
- Rain Jacket
- Beanie/Baseball Cap
What To Pack For Hiking:
What To Pack For The Dogs:
- Harness
- Leash
- Leash With Belt
- Collapsible Water Bowl
- Dog First Aid Kit
- Pop Bags/Poop Bag Holder
- Summit Snacks
- Tick Spray
- Bug Spray
- Pawtection
*Welch AND Dickey was the first time I ever ran out of water for my dogs on a trail. They were ok and I gave them some of mine but I just wanted to explain why I take SO much water! haha
Check out my Ultimate Dog Hiking Gear List For National Parks
What To Pack For Photos:
I hope you have the best trip to New Hampshire this fall! Do yourself a favor and don’t miss the White Mountains National Forest, Franconia Notch State Park, or Crawford Notch State Forest! Have you been to New Hampshire in the fall? What was your favorite?
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