By Steinar Cramer
As we head into fall, the trees across Canada are preparing to put on a show like no other. With the leaves changing colour, landscapes will be transformed with all shades of red, yellow and orange. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best places in Canada to view the changing of the season. [Photo credit: iStock.com/KenCanning]
Located a couple of hours drive northeast of Toronto, Algonquin Provincial Park is not to be missed for those in search of beautiful fall foliage. A drive through the park on Route 60 brings you landscapes bursting with colour from in September and October. Abundant Sugar and Red Maples, alder, birch and tamarack each bring their distinct colours. For the latest info, check out the park’s fall colours report.
Quebec’s Eastern Townships boast an incredible show of colour every fall, in particular due to the many maples that turn a brilliant red towards the end of September. The region’s many hiking trails will bring you up close and personal with the colourful displays.
It’s hard to beat the beauty of the Cabot Trail in fall. A trip down this picturesque 300km stretch of highway will reward you with vibrant reds, yellows and oranges as far as the eye can see out across the highlands and hills. If your visit to Cape Breton Island coincides with the Celtic Colours International Festival, you’ll be in for a real treat including concerts, cultural events, festivals and more, on top of the incredible colours!
Ottawa’s crown jewel offers hundreds of kilometres of walking and biking trails that will take you through the fall foliage and to some spectacular lookouts where you’ll get panoramic views of the park and surrounding countryside as fall colours come out in full force. Gatineau Park puts on a great show every fall – don’t miss it!
This popular hike near Banff really comes into its own in fall, when the needles of the larches in the valley turn a beautiful golden yellow. Combine this with the amazing setting in the Canadian Rockies, including views of several alpine lakes, and this will be an experience you’ll never forget.
It may not offer the endless vistas of some other fall foliage destinations, but Assiniboine Park, in the heart of Winnipeg, offers easily accessible fall colours that never disappoint. Particularly impressive are the park’s countless towering elm trees, which turn a bright yellow.
