6 Ontario Getaways to Enjoy the Fall Colour

From mid-September to Thanksgiving, Ontario’s nature is transformed into artistic painting, with its colourful wild landscapes. Depending on the region, the beautiful season stretches far beyond the climax of burnt orange and fireman red to make way for shades of yellow and gold. Here are six suggestions to take full advantage of fall at our neighbours.

1. Prescott-Russell

This region invites you to walk or bike to explore the nature and beautiful villages that border the Ottawa River and its countryside. A must stop is Vankleek Hill to discover the famous Beau’s Brewery, the largest organic brewery in Canada.

2. Point Pelee

In the fall, Point Pelee National Park is transformed into a true “Migratory Bird Airport”, with charter flights only to the South. Renowned as Ontario’s birding paradise, this is a popular spot at this time of year, but it’s well worth the trip for both the beautiful colours and the wildlife to watch. Equipped with walking shoes and goggles, hike over huge bridges overhanging the marshes and try to identify as many species as possible.

3. Prince Edward County

This county is a paradise for gourmands and lovers of Bacchus. With its cooler temperatures, fall is the ideal season to get on your bike. Go on an adventure on country roads to sample wines and other delicacies and camp near the dunes at Sandbanks Provincial Park. Be sure to plan your tour to enjoy the delicious wood oven pizza from Norman Hardie Winery and Vineyard, one of Canada’s most awarded vineyards. Not the taste of pedaling alone? Then join the Sip & Cycle Bike Tour, which starts in Wellington and offers a bike tour of about 20 km, on country roads and on the Millennium Bike Trail. You can admire the colours while stopping at four vineyards for tastings.

4. Kawarthas

An original way to admire the fall colours of the Kawarthas, an area 90 minutes north of Toronto, is to rent a houseboat from Bobcaygeon. Paddle boards and kayaks can be brought aboard to explore the bays. After approximately 30 minutes of training on the basics of navigation and the lock system, you will become captain of your own boat and be ready to explore the Trent-Severn Waterway and its many lakes. There is even a church where the faithful go by boat on Sundays. Aboard the houseboat, you will find all the amenities of a trailer, in addition to an upper deck to admire the starry skies live from your sleeping bag.

5. Algonquin Provincial Park

This huge park is one of the jewels of Ontario. In autumn, you will appreciate the calm that reigns there when nature takes again quietly all its place. Go on a hike or, even better, by canoe or kayak-camping, and immerse yourself in this mythical place that has also been the playground of Bill Mason, patron saint of boaters.

6. Agawa Canyon

Every fall, at the end of September, unforgettable golfers gather on the Agawa Canyon Tour Train in the Algoma region to take in the breathtaking scenery of the Canadian Shield. Considered by National Geographic to be one of the fifty most beautiful places to see in Canada, this region displays panoramas that can be found on several Group of Seven paintings, with its conifers clinging to the granite rocks and vivid reds that ignite the forest giving it the air of a Spanish holiday.

The Agawa Canyon Tour Train departs from Sault Ste. Marie, and the half-day trip includes a 90-minute stop to walk the trails and see the nature closer.

If you would like to extend your stay to Lake Superior Provincial Park for a few days of hiking and exploring. Located in an area bordering the boreal forest, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Valley, this park will also give you plenty of sights.