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Best Places To See Fall Leaves in Central MA: Hikes and Drives

Want to go leaf peeping? Here are some spots you won't want to miss in Worcester

By Noelle Monaghan - Worcester Macaroni KID Publisher October 4, 2022

Are you looking for the best spots for fall foliage in Worcester? We are lucky in the Worcester area to have so many great spots for leaf-peeping! We've listed our family's favorite places to see autumn leaves in Central Massachusetts and beyond! We love hiking and visiting parks, so we included those in our list of where to see fall leaves in Worcester.

Want to know when fall colors will be at their peak in Worcester? Check out this fall foliage prediction map from Peak Fall Foliage Map New England.com. Simply click on the dates on the calendar to get an idea of when leaves will be at peak colors in Worcester and across New England. 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 in Worcester?

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Here are my family's favorite spots for leaf-peeping in the Worcester area: 

  1. Wachusett Mountain: The mountain north of Worcester is the highest peak in Eastern Massachusetts. Wachusett in the winter it is a popular ski area, but in the summer and fall, it is a hiking spot. You either can drive or climb up to the top. When you get there you can see all the way out to the Boston skyline in one direction, the hills of New Hampshire in another, and the lakes and woods of Central and Western MA in other directions. 
  2. Old Sturbridge Village: Old Sturbridge Village is located in southern Massachusetts close to the Connecticut state border. The 29th century living history museum give visitors a look at New England life in the early 1800's. Covered bridges, barns and quaint country trails bring you a quintessential fall foliage spot to enjoy. 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA, 01566
  3. Route 20 (Massachusetts): Route 20 stretches through Massachusetts, starting near Boston and continuing through the old Wayside Inn area, Central MA, and all the way to New York, if you follow it that far. In Western MA, the road passes near the Norman Rockwell museum. It might be less crowded than Route 2. 
  4. The Mohawk Trail (Route 2) Harvard to Northfield: Route 2 is a beauty, passing through small towns and glorious views. This route includes stops at two fascinating villages where New England history is lived and demonstrated.
  5. Blackstone Valley: The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge is operated in conjunction with the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and extends from Worcester to Providence, Rhode Island—meaning you have an entire state-to-state path of foliage to explore. 287 Oak St., Uxbridge, MA 01569


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