Are you looking for the best spots for fall foliage on the North Shore? We are lucky in this area to have so many great spots for leaf-peeping! We've listed our family's favorite places to see autumn leaves on the North Shore and beyond! We love hiking and visiting parks, so included those in our list of where to see fall leaves locally.
Want to know when fall colors will be at their peak on the North Shore? Check out this fall foliage prediction map from Newengland.com. No map like this can be 100 percent accurate, of course, but it can give you a good idea of when fall colors will peak.
Ready to go find some beautiful fall leaves on the North Shore?
Here are my family's favorite spots for leaf-peeping in the local area:
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Essex Coastal Scenic Byway- Essex MA
The Essex Coastal Scenic Byway winds its way along the coast through fourteen North Shore communities in Essex County, Massachusetts. Situated within the Essex National Heritage Area and covering 90 miles from Lynn, MA to Salisbury, MA, the Byway passes many notable historical sites, cultural districts, recreation areas, and spectacular coastal scenery.
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Route 133-Essex, Ipswich, Rowley and Georgetown
Route 133 is a gorgeous route that winds along charming country back roads and the picture-perfect New England towns of Essex, Ipswich, Rowley and Georgetown. Route 1A from Beverly to Newburyport travels through beautiful open spaces and farms via Ipswich, which boasts more pre-1725 houses still standing than any other town in the USA. Route 127 winds along the coast through Beverly, Manchester By-the-Sea, Gloucester and up to Rockport.
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Cape Ann Scenic Drive 1
This drive tour will take you past or through some of the prettiest coastal towns of New England. You will see beautiful foliage and other autumnal sights, like pumpkin patches and corn mazes. The drive comprises two sections that you can combine any way you like. One section is centered on the town of Newburyport, midway between Salisbury Beach and Plum Island (details below). Great trip for people who love walking beaches and watching marine plant and animal life.
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Cape Ann Scenic Drive 2
The other drive begins (or ends) at a historic house, Castle Hill on the Crane Estate with a breathtaking vista above a large estuary, and then meanders through the towns of Essex, Gloucester, and Rockport. This last town, in particular, is noted for its many galleries and gift shopping, and views of the iconic Motif #1 lobster shack, painted and photographed by generations of artists.
Stop at some of these quintessential North Shore MA locations:
- Newburyport is a fun town for dining, shopping, browsing art galleries, and strolling. A brick plaza – in contrast to the traditional New England green – is the heart of the town, and lots of public events happen here. If you visit in the fall, you might easily stumble upon an Oktoberfest or a family fall festival.
- Salisbury Beach State Reservation is a long, beautiful beach, anchoring at the north end by a slightly honky-tonk-ish commercial area where you can get ice cream and classic summer foods like fried dough, and let kids bliss out for a little while at the arcade.
- Plum Island is an 11-mile long barrier island a short drive from Newburyport. On your way out to the island, you will pass the Audubon Society's Joppa Flats Educational Center. Stop in for information about the seaside life you will encounter as you stroll the barrier beach. Inquire about bird watching tours, for today or another visit.
- Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich. This historic home is a joy to visit. Start, if you wish, with a tour of the Stuart-style mansion (offered seasonally) and then enjoy the gardens, the spectacular Grand Allee – a wide, terraced, grassy path from the mansion to the beach, framed by marvelous statues – and the views from the whole property of the seashore and a giant estuary and marsh meadow below.
- Essex Shipbuilding Museum in Essex is a wonderful way to become immersed in the ancient ship-building culture of Massachusetts. Small museum with neat tools, boat parts, sea charts. Kids love it!
- Gloucester is a historic fishing port, made famous by the movie "The Perfect Storm." Take a look at the Gloucester Fishermen's Memorial on Western Avenue. The Annisquam Lighthouse on Wigwam Point River is a beauty. Dogtown is an unusual walking park north of town, off Route 27. It is a wild area filled with mysterious mottos carved into boulders, mementos of a vanished community.
- Rockport is famous for its many great galleries. Walk out onto Bearskin Neck for souvenir shopping and look at Motif No. 1, the often-photographed fishing shack, and Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse. Dock Square and Main Street are chock full of shopping and artwork.
