A road tripper's guide to making the most of Ontario's fall colours

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Summer is great and all, but when it comes to road trips in Ontario, autumn is where it’s at. The crisp air and changing colours of the leaves make the many great pastimes our province has to offer that much more pleasant, whether exploring local food and wine, enjoying outdoor activities like hiking and birdwatching, or even just going for a long drive with a seasonal latte warming your hands.

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Here are some of our top tips for making the most of this glorious time of year.

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When to see peak fall colours

The precise timing of fall colours changes every year depending on weather patterns throughout the summer and fall months. This year, leaves are already peaking through the central portion of the province, while southern regions will peak closer to mid or late October. To get a feel for the conditions in an area you’d like to visit, check out the Ontario Parks Fall Colour Map , which is updated weekly with the colour and leaf drop status for parks across the province. Even if your travel plans don’t involve a provincial park, this map will help you get an idea of what’s happening in your region of interest.

Best places to visit in autumn

The compass points below are based on the Greater Toronto Area, but these are great places to visit from any direction, of course.

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Head south for waterfalls and wine.

Hamilton is home to more than 150 waterfalls, which creates two opportunities: visit the most popular ones for the best fall views — they’re popular for good reason, since they tend to be the most scenic — or do a bit of digging and choose a more obscure location that might be less crowded. The most popular viewing points are within Spencer Gorge Conservation Area, where you’ll find Webster Falls, Tew Falls, and the Dundas Peak lookout. Advance reservations are required.

From there, continue south into wine country. With close to 100 wineries between Beamsville Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the surrounding areas, this region’s spectacular beauty in the fall is hardly a secret. But instead of hopping back on the QEW to get there from Hamilton, take Ridge Road instead, which follows the top of the Niagara Escarpment from Stoney Creek to south of Grimsby. A drive along the Niagara Parkway from Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake south to Niagara Falls is also worth skipping a few wine tastings to see. (Wine is wonderful, but please don’t drink and drive.)

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Head east for waterfront views… and more wine.

Speaking of wine country, Prince Edward County is also hardly a secret. But if you want to make an autumn weekend out of it, find a designated driver so that you can wine tour in P.E.C. on Saturday, and then continue east on Sunday. The Thousand Islands Parkway joins directly with the 401 and provides access to the mainland areas of Thousand Islands National Park, which are replete with splendid hiking trails. Check out the Lookout Trail at Landon Bay for amazing views over the river and the islands. Consider returning after dark to stop at Fort Henry in Kingston, which is hosting its Pumpkinferno walk-through Hallowe’en experience for the first time this year. Tickets need to be purchased in advance.

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Head west for apples, cheese, and butterflies.

If food is more your speed, you’ll want to head west toward Oxford County and the Cheese Trail , where you can spend an afternoon sampling Ontario-made cheddars, goudas, fresh curds and much more. On the way, there are a half-dozen or so pick-your-own apple orchards, so it’s a perfect opportunity to make a day of stocking up on fall delights while taking in the beautiful colours. Rattlesnake Point and Kelso Conservation Areas are just to the west of Milton and make great stopover points for nature walks and sideroad drives along the route.

If you’re prepared to venture a little further — and yes, here I am talking about wine again — Ontario has a third wine region worth exploring at Lake Erie North Shore west of Leamington (now sometimes called EPIC or Essex Pelee Island Coast). This area is also home to Canada’s southernmost point, Point Pelee National Park, which means the leaves reliably turn a little later than elsewhere in the province, making it a great destination if you’re a bit late to the game. Point Pelee is especially spectacular for watching birds and monarch butterflies as they use it as a gathering point before migrating south across Lake Erie. On the right day, you can see hundreds or even thousands of butterflies hanging from the trees near the Tip. County Road 20 from Leamington to Windsor, with a side trip down County Road 50, is this area’s most scenic driving route.

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Head north for the best driving.

If you’d prefer to see the colours while staying comfortable in your car, you’ll want to head north. Highway 60 through Algonquin Park is one of the most well-known fall driving routes in the province. Whether this is a tradition of yours or you just want to check it out for the first time, it’s important to note there are some changes to accessing this route for 2021, including a requirement to purchase a vehicle permit in advance. Ontario Parks has put together a guide for fall visitors to Algonquin Park, including some great tips on how to access the park from less-frequented gates to avoid traffic congestion, which you can find here .

If Algonquin is farther than you’d like to trek, Muskoka has some beautiful roads, too. Muskoka Road 17 between Gravenhurst and Bracebridge has some sections that are covered like a canopy, and there’s a park in between where you can stop for views of Lake Muskoka. Or try Muskoka Road 13, a wonderfully dynamic section of road that provides access to Torrance Barrens, a crown land and Dark Sky Preserve. Muskoka Tourism offers many more suggestions here .

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Closer to the GTA just to the northwest, you’ll find three extremely popular fall hiking spots. Forks of the Credit Provincial Park has beautiful hiking trails, and Forks of the Credit Road is one of the best-known roads in the area. (Note there are speed bumps and this is a residential area; please respect the locals.) Further north just past Orangeville, Hockley Road travels through Hockley Valley, which you can drive for its length from Highway 10 to Highway 50 and then loop back for more beautiful hiking at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. Cheltenham Badlands is a geological wonder and has a short trail and a portion of the Bruce Trail on site. All of these parks are well worth an autumn visit, but they’re popular and require time-guaranteed access permits to be purchased in advance, so be sure to plan ahead.