Scenes of Vermont Forums

I will be in Woodstock Vt. Oct. 4 5 6 7. Where should i drive to see the most peek foliage ?

Hi Mike and welcome to the foliage forum!

I would highly recommend taking Cloudland Road and I think you will have great color here. I hope you have some sort of map, Jimapco, Delorme or Cartographic because the back roads around Woodstock are awesome.

Cloudland starts at River Road. Take it all the way to the end to Galaxy Hill Road to the Old Pomfret Road (also called Stage Road) to North Pomfret. Pomfret is gorgeous!!!!

I'm sure you are going to get a lot of great routes for foliage driving but Cloudland is my favorite! Stay tuned!

Mike: I just remembered a couple more things. Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock is near Cloudland Road and is such a nice drive up. I think you will like it! When I have gone, it was never really crowded. Very peaceful.

http://www.sugarbushfarm.com/

Here are the directions:

http://www.sugarbushfarm.com/hours-directions/

Also, I thought of another road that you will like. It is Highway 106 south out of Woodstock. It's a great drive! Connect to road 44 east. Another forum member told me about 44 a couple of years ago and it was great advice. I think it was DCNebraska! Then you can loop back on 91 to 12 for a great day trip! Let me know if this worked for you!

Mt. Ascutney is beautiful - at the end of 44 by the way. Enjoy!

I have spent thirteen autumns in Woodstock, and I have been up and down a lot of the roads here.

Someone suggested Cloudland Road, which has many great spots. It is unpredictable, and some years it just goes yellow to yellow brown. I have not been up it yet this year, I may try it tomorrow and I will report back.

Other roads in this area:
Galaxy Hill, which is at the north end of Cloudland. Some good shots about 400 yds down from the top, both looking down and looking back up.
Joe Ranger Road, which has some long views to the east. To get to this take Cloudland to Old Kings, going east. Joe Ranger comes in from the right (south). Old Kings gets a bit dumpy before you get to Joe Ranger. Just bear with it. A couple of the roads off of Old Kings along the way, especially to the north, are good for the first few hundred yards also. Several of these offshoots have picturesque old farms.
Bridgewater, which is the village to the west of Woodstock on Rte 4, has several good roads. Try North Bridgewater Road, with long views opening on the east side of the road. These shots will be best in the afternoon. Also try Gold Coast, which has a couple good shots to the south. And Grandmaam's Hill, which has some good shots to the south, and also east (looking back down the road). In my experience, the Bridgewater roads can be great one day and stripped the next, and I have often missed them.
There are several good spots south of Woodstock, in the South Woodstock area, off 106. The one everyone goes to is the Jenne Farm. Be there at sunrise, the shot is to the west and the sunrise lights the barns up. You probably will have to contend for a spot, there are always a lot of people there at dawn, many of them from very far away. I have encountered people there from Japan, and all over Europe. Farther south on 106 there are several good roads off the the east side of the road. Try Caper Hill Road, looking west (back toward the Jenne Farm). Farther up, where Caper Hill turns to Riggs there are some avenues of old maples. If you are there when they peak they make great pictures.

Minnesota: I really liked your report, I did mention Cloudland at the top of the post. Last year it was gorgeous and as we drove down the hill, a man was driving his tractor down this road and his dog was following him. It was so beautiful! I'll never forget it. I also agree on 106. The reason I liked it was not just for the foliage and drive, but it is horse country!

Can you explain what you mean by "dumpy" on Old Kings? Can we go in a regular car, not an SUV? If Saturday looks clear, I might try Woodstock for a day trip and I haven't been on some of the roads you mentioned. I keep pushing off the Berkshires for my day trips so I can get my fill of VT for the season!

CT
Old Kings has always been fine by car, but it was quite rutted and slow going. However, I went up there this morning to check it out and a load of gravel and dirt, now pretty well packed, has been put on, so it is just fine.
To get to Joe Ranger (other than coming up via Queechee), travel east on Old Kings until you pass a small roadside graveyard, which will be on the left (north). About fifty yards past the graveyard there is a fork. Take the right (south fork), which is Joe Ranger--it is unmarked.
Foliage on Old Kings, Cloudland and Joe Ranger is a mixed bag right now. Some green, some sticks, some yellow, some orange but a lot of that is muddy. The hills to the west of Cloudland are starting to color up well. Sunshine will no doubt improve the appearance of things a lot--it is cloudy and flat light here today, much more typical than the blue skies we have had in the last week. And, unfortunately I have been spoiled by all of the reds in the NEK this year.

may i ask about an iconic Sleepy Hollow Farm or Cloudland rd farm?
Is it still there and accessible? I heard that it is a private property and being sold.

Thanks in advance

Minnesota: thank you for clarifying these roads. I will print them out and hope for the best as the weather is looking "marginal" (trying to be optimistic) for Saturday and I can't go Sunday. If not, I'm saving the directions for Columbus Day Weekend as I have a day trip (or two) planned. I'm excited to try these new roads! Thank you so much and I truly enjoy your posts and photos!

jc: I haven't heard about any sale, they are still serving dinner there on weekends. I planned a trip to VT for a friend last year and sent them there for dinner. They raved about it and said it was fantastic!

http://www.cloudlandfarm.com/

dear ctyanky,
this website says that the farm is for sale but could be the different one, im not so sure.
http://www.astronomy-images.com/day-ima ... -farms.htm

but the very farm i want to visit is here:
http://cford.photoshelter.com/image/I0000WBnoQfwXn_4

Any current updates on woodstock area color ?

After the rain, what is left in Woodstock is mostly yellow and brown, and sticks. Time to start searching in the southeast corner of the state, and in the Champlain Valley.

In the meantime, the season thus far has been wonderful. Here is the Appalachian Gap from two days ago, Macks Mtn Road (it says Oct 2 on this file, but I think it was Oct 1), and one of my favorite areas, Beaver Pond, in, alas, New Hampshire.

The App Gap is gorgeous! Wow! When I stay in Waitsfield, I go there each trip. Can you tell me if Newfane and Dummerston will be ok for Columbus Day Weekend? (Provided it doesn't rain?). I am going to a craft fair in Newfane and want to drive some back roads before we head home....Thank you!

Actually, I am just heading out to Newfane, Townshend and Grafton. I will let you know what I see.

Wow, looks like APp gapp was amazing on the 3rd. FOr some reason I had the impression the Northern Green Mtns had already been past peak or badly turned, but it seems the very northern part and Waitsfeld out to rt 89 were well turned, rich and wild color the 3rd and 4th!, I only got to see a bit of the 89 part this time. I love the APp gap and also Lincoln Gap. But there is also only so much you can do in a few days and as it is we were driven ragged covering so much ground.