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Best Places To See Fall Leaves in Clinton, Lancaster & Leominster

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

By Emily Cabrera October 19, 2023

Are you looking for the best spots for fall foliage in Clinton, Lancaster, Leominster and beyond? We are lucky in the North Worcester County area to have so many great spots for leaf-peeping! We've listed our family's favorite places to see autumn leaves in Clinton and Lancaster and beyond! We love hiking and visiting parks, so revisit 5 Great Parks and Playgrounds in Leominster and beyond! and Three Great Picnic Spots in Clinton (and nearby).

Want to know when fall colors will be at their peak in Worcester County? Check out this fall foliage prediction map from SmokyMountains.com. Simply move the slider at the bottom of the map to get an idea of when leaves will be at peak colors in Central Massachusetts and across the United States. 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 Massachusetts?

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


Barrett Park

40 Barrett Parkway, Leominster, MA 01453

A great spot with water views and a looped walkway. Dress to be outside!

Dexter Drumlin / George Hill

198 George Hill Road, Lancaster, MA 01523

A great spot to see sprawling views in all directions - once you hike to the top of the hill! Dress warm and wear shoes that could get wet.

Our favorite driving Routes!

What's great about Central (and Western!) Massachusetts is you can pick a route in any direction and drive for an hour (or two) and see some pretty amazing sites! And there's not much worrying about getting lost since you just follow the same route back.

Route 70 - Starting at Route 2, going south into Worcester. Goes along the eastern side of the Wachusett Dam

Route 117 - From Route 495, you can go east towards Maynard and Waltham; or go West to Leominster.

Route 110 - From Clinton, going North into Harvard

Route 2A - From Ayer out to Fitchburg (and beyond! It even links back up with Route 2 for a quick ride back)

Route 140 - Starting at the NH border in Winchendon, and extends all the way down through Shrewbury and into Grafton and Milford.

Route 62 - Extends from Barre, heads east through Clinton, winds through Hudson, Stow, into Concord, and beyond!

Faster Routes - check out Routes 2, 190, 290, Route 495, and even the Mass Pike.


Wachusett Dam

Route 70, Clinton, MA 01510

Open for viewing ON the Dam on Sunday, October 9 from 10am to 1pm. You can drive an entire circle taking Route 110 to Route 140 to Route 70 (or in reverse!).

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

11 French Drive, Boylston, MA 01505

Worth the price of admission in the fall - both for visiting the Garden and for the hikes and views of Mount Wachusett.