time of year??

Hi, I thru hiked the AT las tyear but one thing i really felt i missed out on was seeing the colours of new england in the fall. i was hoping on coing over to do the LT but wanted some advice on time of year. I'm really looking for a bit of a balance on getting those beautiful colurs against having to put up with potentially awful weather. I was thinking late sept but wanted to hear peoples thoughts.
ALSO
apologies if theres another thread on this but both the end to end guide and the long trail guide are recommended. dont really want to buy both. whats the best?
thanks

Second week of September to the middle of October is generally a good bet. Colors typically peak towards the end of October, but is highly variable due to weather, as is the weather. When the weather is good, its great and when its bad, its nasty. Expect a little of both in that time frame and just about everything in between.

As for guides, I can't really say as I've never seen the End to End guide and still use my hopelessly outdated GMC guide book.

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Originally Posted by Slo-go'en

Second week of September to the middle of October is generally a good bet. Colors typically peak towards the end of October, but is highly variable due to weather, as is the weather. When the weather is good, its great and when its bad, its nasty. Expect a little of both in that time frame and just about everything in between.

As for guides, I can't really say as I've never seen the End to End guide and still use my hopelessly outdated GMC guide book.

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Both guides are worth the money and weight. I haven't weighed the LT guidebook, but the E to E guide weighs 4 oz. and costs $9.95 US. Both are worth having.
I may well thru the LT this fall. I have section hiked it but would like to spend more than a week at a time hiking.

In the Appalachian Gap area (Fayston-Waitsfield, 160 miles north of MA border, 110 miles south of CA border), the peak colors usually occur the first week of October. From the middle of September on there is plenty of color on display along the trail in Central and Northern Vermont.

The best way to see the best of the autumn colors in northern New England, and the peak of the early spring flowers in the south is an early to mid April start on Springer.

Weary

I started on May 5th and finished on October 9th and the fall colors were great in Maine

thanks to all for the advice

I did a few weeks going south last September. I started from the northern treminus around september 7. I should have waited a few weeks . The leaves were just starting to change when I stopped. I'd go south from Journey's End starting the middle of september The leaves will change with you as you travel south.

I hiked north 9/27-10/10 this past year and had great color the whole way, with peak colors in the northern section.