Yankee Magazine Names Camden a Top 25 Foliage Town

Celebrating the publication's 75th anniversary, Yankee magazine's September/October issue, on newsstands August 24, 2010, names the top 25 towns in New England for fall foliage travel -- the first time the magazine has ever ranked towns by this standard. Camden, Maine, ties with Waitsfield, Vermont, for sixth place. (The list includes many ties, so the ranking goes from first place to 13th place.) Other Maine towns named to the list include: Bethel, Rangeley, and Blue Hill.

"The view from the forested slopes of Mount Battie straight down to the forest of masts in Camden Harbor is one of the most dramatic in New England -- and never more beautiful than in fall," writes Michael Blanding, author of the article. "For a closer look at the trees, hike nearby Mount Megunticook or Bald Rock Mountain."

To determine the listing for the article -- "The Top 25 Foliage Towns in New England," by Blanding and the editors of Yankee -- a variety of tourism professionals, as well as Yankee's own writers and editors, first nominated communities for an initial review. The top contenders were then scored on a scale from 0 to 5 in 14 essential attributes of a perfect fall foliage outing: color intensity, scenery, vistas, nearby water, scenic drives, hikes, culture, farmers' markets and farmstands, orchards, covered bridges, state or local parks, the quality and variety of shops to browse, tourism amenities such as hotels and restaurants, and a category called "uncrowded" -- giving a boost to less touristy locations.

"I've been to every town on our list, and each one offers special, unique qualities," editor Mel Allen says. "Locals and travelers alike will have their own opinions of what makes a top foliage town; in one sense, a New England autumn gives all of our towns a ranking of among the best in the world. But if you take all the experiences that we feel make up a perfect fall day ... well, some towns just had more of them ... an orchard, or a waterfall, or a covered bridge, or a terrific inn. It's meant to be fun -- but also a real guide for readers who look to Yankee to take the guesswork out of a New England trip. I say let the discussion begin!"

The article includes a write-up and a chart showing each town's category results, serving as convenient travel guide for leaf-peepers.

Here are the rankings:

1. Kent, Connecticut
2. Bethel, Maine
3. Manchester, Vermont
4. Williamstown, Massachusetts
5. Middlebury, Vermont
6. Camden, Maine (tie)
6. Waitsfield, Vermont (tie)
7. Conway/North Conway, New Hampshire
8. Sandwich, New Hampshire
9. Rangeley, Maine
10. Blue Hill, Maine (tie)
10. Woodstock, Vermont (tie)
10. Waterville Valley, New Hampshire (tie)
10. Amherst, Massachusetts (tie)
11. Grafton, Vermont (tie)
11. East Haddam, Connecticut (tie)
11. Walpole, New Hampshire (tie)
12. The Cornwalls, Connecticut (tie)
12. Litchfield, Connecticut (tie)
12. Jackson, New Hampshire (tie)
13. Jeffersonville, Vermont (tie)
13. Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts (tie)
13. Montgomery, Vermont (tie)
13. Stowe, Vermont (tie)
13. Hanover, New Hampshire (tie)

Yankee's September/October 2010 issue celebrates Yankee's 75th anniversary as New England's magazine. Included in this collector's edition is a special anniversary section featuring "The Ultimate Yankee Quiz" and "75 Things Every New Englander Should Do." Since New England is the destination for foliage enthusiasts, the issue bursts with fall color and travel ideas. Readers follow autumn's splendor on a tour led by Tauck World Discovery, founded by Arthur Tauck Sr., who started the whole leaf-peeping trade in 1925 when he first took paying passengers to see the gorgeous colors of fall. Best-selling author, educator, and environmentalist Bill McKibben wraps up his four-part series "How New England Can Change the World" with an article on how small-town banks in Massachusetts' Berkshire Hills are printing their own regional currency. Also included in this keepsake issue are a sampling of Yankee's best recipes from the past 75 years.

For more information about Yankee, please visit YankeeMagazine.com. To view a slideshow of winning foliage towns and to share comments, visit: http://www.yankeemagazine.com/25towns