Instagram tourists banned from Vermont fall color hotspot after chaos

A Vermont road that was overrun by Instagram-crazed tourists will remain closed to visitors during the fall season.

Famous for its commercials and the film Forrest Gump, Jenne Road in Reading has become a popular spot for people wanting to take photos of the changing colours of autumn.

Now, for the second year in a row, the city council has decided to close the road to leaf-gazers, MyNBC5 reported.

Jeanne Road resident Bill Bakker urged the board to close the road, citing the “huge line of cars” parked in the area.

“There are people parked on our private property. It’s just a very, very, very bad scene,” he said.

The Reading Select Board voted to close Jenne Road for the second year in a row during a meeting earlier this month

Also located on this site is Jenne Farm, one of the highlights of the scene. Bakker acknowledged its beauty.

“It’s the way the hills roll, and from this one vantage point you’re looking down through the field and onto the farm, so I’m not going to say it’s not beautiful,” he said.

In recent years, more and more influencers have come to the area.

An Instagrammer who posted multiple videos During her visits to Jenne Road, it was noted that a Budweiser commercial was being filmed there.

Jenne Farm is located off the road in Reading, Vermont

Tourists also visited the road to re-enact a scene from Forrest Gump, in which Tom Hanks’ character runs across the country.

A visitor told MyNBC5 in 2023 that she spent the entire day on a plane to see New England in the fall during a visit to Jenne Farm.

Another visitor drove 10 hours to get there for a ‘quick photo’.

Heather Pelham, Vermont’s tourism and marketing commissioner, said she supports the season closure but also stressed the importance of the state attracting tourists.

In recent years, more and more influencers have traveled to the area

Part of the cross-country scene in the blockbuster Forrest Gump was filmed along Jenne Road

“Such a decision absolutely rests with the local community, and we certainly understand and support that public safety and the needs of residents must come first,” she said at the board meeting.

‘Tourism drives a large part of our economy and is particularly important for small rural communities with great facilities. But it’s all about balance.’

She added that it is important for visitors to “respect private property.”

“We have to let them know that you can’t have thousands of people on the same trail at the same time, so we encourage people to think about going to undiscovered places. We always try to make sure that we spread people out,” Pelham said.