The Best Autumn Adventures in Ontario
Autumn is an amazing season to get out and explore Ontario! There are so many different events being held and fun activities to do. The province’s landscapes are spectacular as the leaves change colour.
Here are 15 of the best autumn adventures in Ontario.
Pitch Your Tent in Algonquin Provincial Park
Josie Dinsmore
Algonquin Provincial Park is one of the most popular places to camp in Ontario during the fall season. People travel from far and wide to witness the leaves changing colour in the park. Book a campsite at one of Algonquin’s car camping or backcountry sites, go for a hike, paddle or bike ride, and enjoy the beauty of the Great Outdoors. Algonquin also has yurts and cabins available.
Wander Through the Screaming Heads
Josie Dinsmore
Wander through the unique 310-acre property of artist Peter Camani and immerse yourself in a surreal artscape of huge concrete sculptures called the Screaming Heads. The house looks like a castle, adorned by a two-headed dragon, and resident peacocks walk about the grounds. It’s a magical and intriguing place. Peter continues to add new sculptures to his property, so you could visit year after year and always see something different.
Chase Waterfalls at the Eau Claire Gorge
Josie Dinsmore
Follow a 1.9-kilometre-long interpretive trail loop in the Eau Claire Gorge Conservation Area through a beautiful forest and along the rugged Amable du Fond River. Learn about the natural and human history of the area and visit a reconstructed logger’s cabin. The highlight of this conservation area is the gorge and a spectacular waterfall.
Hop Aboard the Agawa Canyon Tour Train
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Starting in Sault Ste. Marie, the Agawa Canyon Tour Train takes you for a 10-hour round trip journey to Agawa Canyon Park and back. The train stops at the park, and visitors have an hour and a half to explore several different trails. If you’re looking for a quick outdoor workout, climb up 300 stairs to a panoramic view of the canyon high above the train tracks.
Cycle the Simcoe County Loop
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The Simcoe County Loop Trail is a 160-kilometre loop cycling route that was created by joining several different multi-use rail-trails with some short on-road sections together. The popular cycling route reaches three major bodies of water including Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. Ride a section of the loop for an easy day trip or set aside two to three days to complete the loop as a multi-day bike trip.
Go for a Cranberry Plunge at Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery
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Pull on a pair of chest waders and go for a plunge at a cranberry farm! In the fall, cranberry growers flood cranberry bogs to harvest them. During this time, visitors can also wade into the floating cranberries for an awesome photo op and feel like real cranberry grower. While at Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh, you could also enjoy a wagon tour or a wine tasting.
Give Yourself a Fright at Pumpkinferno
Upper Canada Village | St. Lawrence Parks Commission (SLPC)
During the fall, Ontario transforms for spooky season. One of the most notable events is called Pumpkinferno. Join the event at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Discovery Harbour in Penetanguishene or Fort Henry in Kingston. Magical outdoor exhibits and thousands of artificial hand-carved pumpkins are just some of the fun features to explore. There are other scary surprises, if you are brave enough.
See the Stars in Killarney Provincial Park
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Autumn is the perfect time to look to the night sky, as the nights start earlier this time of year, but are still fairly warm. Killarney Provincial Park is an excellent place to stargaze. In 2018, the park became Ontario’s first provincial park to be designated as a Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada!
Hike to the Top of the Stormy Lake Bluff
Josie Dinsmore
The 4.1-kilometre-long Fire Tower Trail loop at Restoule Provincial Park is one of my favourite trails to hike in Ontario during fall. The trail winds its way through beautiful forests, past scenic Amber Lake, across boardwalks, up to the base of a historic 30-metre-high fire tower and out to a spectacular view from the top of the 100-metre-high Stormy Lake Bluff.
Walk Among the Treetops in Haliburton
The canopy tour at the Haliburton Forest starts off with a peaceful paddle in a canoe across a wilderness lake and a guided walk along the Pelaw River Rapids. Guides then take guest into the treetops, 10 to 20 metres above the ground, where they will enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. The canopy boardwalk is over half a kilometre long, making it the longest of its kind in the world.
Climb the Fire Tower in Temagami
Josie Dinsmore
Standing on the top of Caribou Mountain, the 30-metre-high Temagami Fire Tower offers a 360-degree view in excess of 40 kilometers of beautiful forest, lakes, and mountains. If you aren’t feeling up to climbing the tower, you can also enjoy a stunning view from two viewing platforms at the edge of a cliff or go for a hike along the White Bear Trails surrounding the tower.
Ride the Mountain Coaster at Blue Mountain
Josie Dinsmore
Want to enjoy fall colours, great views and waterfalls while travelling through the trees at up to 42 kilometres per hour? Then go for a ride on the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster at Blue Mountain Resort! The track is one kilometre long and reaches 1,000 metres high. After being pulled slowly up to the top, riders control their own speed going down. You can go slower for a tour of the terrain or speed things up, turning it into a thrill ride.
Get Lost in the Corn Maze at Chappell Farms
Adam Hamilton-Smith | @axcsmith
Chappell Farms’ Fall Festival is a fun-filled event for people of all ages, especially for families. The festival offers all kinds of activities including a corn maze, pumpkin picking, sand diggers, magic shows, farm animals, tricycle track, a lookout and kids’ maze. You can also walk around and enjoy the farm and fresh fall air.
Learn About Geology at the Bruce Caves
Josie Dinsmore
The Bruce Caves Conservation Area features unique cave formations found along the face of the Niagara Escarpment, formed by wave action of the post-glacial Lake Algonquin, 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. Visitors can follow a short trail through a forest to explore the many different caves carved into the soluble limestone and Amabel dolomite of the escarpment.
Search For Birds at MacGregor Point Provincial Park
Josie Dinsmore
Recognized as a migration route for birds in both the spring and fall, MacGregor Point Provincial Park, along the Lake Huron shoreline, is an excellent place for bird watching. More than 200 different species of birds have been sighted here, and the park is either the northern or southern nesting limit for several northern and southern species. There are many different trails, boardwalks and viewing platforms throughout the park, offering visitors lots of great options for birding.
