I’m so excited! Fall is my all-time favorite season! Since I grew up in a part of the country without any sort of impressive fall foliage, I’ve become a fangirl when it comes to New England foliage. Plus, the opportunities for family-friendly fall activities abound. Additionally, autumn is a reminder that the long winter is approaching. My FOMO kicks in full swing, and I spend every weekend excitedly carting my kids to various seasonal activities.
Here are my three must-do outdoor fall activities near the Seacoast with the family.
Glamping
The leaves are changing and temperatures are chilling. Tent camping becomes a crap shoot and with small kids, I don’t want to risk freezing in a tent. Hello Glamping!! This is my newest favorite fall activity with my family. Our recent stay at Huttopia White Mountains had all the best parts of family camping but with more comfort and less stress. Our trappeur tent was equipped with electricity, beds, linens, a kitchenette with all the dishes, a bathroom complete with shower and flush toilet, and a heater! Not only that, the first night we arrived late, so instead of cooking, we ordered a pizza from the Airstream camper turned food truck. Sand beach, playground, game room, live music, canoe rentals, and a heated pool made this the perfect retreat. After the weekend, I decided to make this a must-do outdoor fall activity every year! They also have a location in Sanford, Maine.
Hiking
Hiking is perhaps my favorite activity of all time, but even if you aren’t into tromping through woods and up mountains, consider a nature walk as a fantastic way to enjoy the foliage and fall season. There’s nothing like feeling the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet and walking under a colorful canopy of changing fall foliage. Don’t know where to go? Here’s a list of perfect fall family hikes for each New Hampshire region and ability level. The key to fall foliage hiking is to pick shorter peaks! As you gain elevation in New England, the forest changes from the hardwoods zone full of trees that change into the colorful rainbows to the boreal zone of forest – an area dominated by mainly unchanging evergreens. Stick to the shorter peaks and woodland hikes for the best views of fall foliage. Don’t know when to go? Check out New Hampshire’s fall foliage tracker to know when to go to each region and catch the best views. If you’re heading to Maine instead, sneak peak on MaineFoliage.com to get an idea for the region’s best bet.
Farm Visits
Since having kids, I spend a lot more time visiting local family farms. There is so much educational value in having my children see and experience picking their own food. This summer, they’ve been able to pick their own strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and raspberries at Butternut Farm – a small family farm near our home in Rochester. Now that fall is here, we visit farms almost weekly – apple picking, pumpkin picking, hay riding, and corn mazes are some of my favorite farm activities. But which farms to chose? I personally love Butternut for its apples and pumpkin patch, Applecrest and DeMeritt Hill for a beautiful fall experience, and Scamman Farm for their impressive corn maze. I put out a call-to-action to my fellow mom-writers at Seacoast Moms and they also shared their favorites including: Blueberry Bay, Tendercrop, Coppal House, and Cider Hill. Coming from a west coast city, I’m completely enamored by the plethora of small farms and the idyllic scene they provide for me and my family. Farm visits are great anytime, but it’s definitely a must-do outdoor activity in fall.
Get Outside!
Winter will be here soon on the Seacoast, and as we all know…it will be long. Don’t miss out of the amazing outdoor opportunities the region has to offer. Whether it’s making s’mores before snoozing in your heated tent, trying a trail to see a hillside of color, or picking fresh apples for a weekend pie, get outside before we are all stuck inside.
