jason_chen3 Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Hello, I am planning a trip to Toronto this fall. Within 5 hours drive from Toroto, where is the best place to see fall foliage? I'm thinking about places like Algonquin Provincial Park. I plan to go around early or mid Oct. When is the best time/chance to see fall foliage in that region? (I understand it varies from year to year due to rain or temperature) thanks! Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_mcgloin Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 2nd weekend in October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_chen3 Posted July 22, 2004 Author Share Posted July 22, 2004 to be more specific, I'm thinking of going to Algonquin Provincial Park either Oct 4-5th, or Oct 11-12th. Which two days would have a better chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 You can't pin it to dates unless you're psychic and know when the killing frost is going to hit, and how much it's going to rain. There's always going to be a chance you'll miss-time the colors or the change will be very abrupt. As long as you keep that in mind and are prepared to enjoy your time there with or without blazing fall colors (or I guess they're colours in Canada)you'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Taylor Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Just start checking the <a href=" http://www.ontariotravel.net/publications/fallcolourreport.pdf" target="_blank">fall colour report</a> done by the Ontario government. It can vary quite widely based on temperature and precipitation. I got <a href=" http://www.photo.net/photo/1182030&size=lg" target="_blank">this shot</a> a couple years ago very late in the season. In southern Ontario the best time is usually around Canadian Thanksgiving, a week into October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_chen3 Posted July 22, 2004 Author Share Posted July 22, 2004 I live in south Louisiana, I can't plan my trip based on the foliage report, as I have to book airline tickets months ahead. I have to pick a date that is most likely close to the peak time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Taylor Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Understood. If I only had a week it would be early Oct. If you drive north from Toronto you will find it for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Taylor Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Maybe people from north of Toronto could add some info here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manh_le Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Fall colors are hard to predict. Temperature, wind, and/or rain can affect their arrival as well as departure. Don't try to discourage you here, but you may just pick a date and go with it. A friend of mine flew from Southern California last year to Ottawa/Hull area partly for the photo opportunity. He was there for the weekend and left without a single shot of foliage. Another friend of mine left from the same area and went to the same destination the following weekend and he saw all wonderful foliage. Unfortunately, this guy is not into photography. Sometime luck counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_grant2 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 North of Toronto is great, but don't get discouraged by the monotonous drive... after an hour or so you'll start to near the Lake Huron/Georgian Bay Areas... especially around the east shores of Georgian Bay is spectacular. To save some driving, there are also a lot of nice colours along the Niagara escarpment. A drive at that time of year through the Niagara wine region east of Hamilton and the surrounding conservation areas turns up some nice colours and that's only 1 hour from Toronto. Algonquin is definately the mother of it all and famously the best place for that sort of thing in Southern Ontario, but you won't want to try that as a day trip - plan to camp or stay in a cabin overnight at least. Dates are always dicey - especially this year as the summer seems to have taken a really long time to kick in. It could go either way with an 'Indian Summer' meaning warmer temperatures and autumn colours later in the season, or it could just be a cooler summer with the leaves turing early. Speaking as a climatologist by trade, I don't know if anyone could really give you a precise answer on that one this year. The other person's suggestion of checking the appropriate websites is the best idea. Also check seasonal forecasts from Environment Canada (http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/saisons/index_e.html) and NOAA (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov) for more info. That said though, Autumn colurs will usually last at least a couple of weeks here, so pick either week and cross your fingers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_grant2 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I just noted that Environment Canada is predicting above average temperatures for the rest of the season, so perhaps the later date??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_chen3 Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 I wasn't looking for a precise date prediction, just information to make an educated guess/bet. Your input is very helpful, especially the info from Environment Canada. I emailed the park service at Algonquin Provincial Park, and they told me the peak is around mid-Sep, while every other source says end of Sep or first 2 weeks of Oct, this contradicting info makes me confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.martin___ Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Nature should go digital so it will be more predictable. In the meantime you have to make do with what here is. Some things are predictable; some things aren't. The further north you go, the earlier the leaves will change colour. That is a given. The mid-September dates may well be right for Algonquin, but closer to Toronto, October is when you will see significant colour changes. You might want to plan for late September and then pick your spot then? When changes happen will depend on how warm it is in the fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_crosscombe1 Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Algonquin is a great place for fall colours. It can get ridiculously crowded on our Thanksgiving weekend. It is difficult to gauge when they are at their peak, especially if you base it on the colours to the south. That being said you could go there on either of your available dates and still have good photo ops. Might even have the opportunity to catch sight of a Moose or two. Another area to consider is up around Collingwood and Thornbury. Specifically Beaver Valley, which often has good colours several weeks before the Algonquin colours peak. The valley is approx 2hrs north of Toronto. <br> For information closer to the fall try the <a href="http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/"> Algonquin Park website: </a> Another good but unofficial site is: <a href=" http://www.algonquinadventures.com ">Algonquin Adventures</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Algonquin area is usually a week to ten days ahead of our area further south, on the shore of Lake Ontario; generally the peak hits here the 2nd week of October. But like others say, dust off your crystal ball and fire up your ESP. They should be much better this year than the last couple of summers when we've had drought. If you're in the second week, consider heading east towards Peterborough, or a little further northeast to the Haliburtons, pretty countryside. Or even go due east to the Ridea Lakes disrict, about 2 to 3 hours east of Toronto, (Kingston area north to Ottawa) and hit the backroads. Some pretty scenery. Also, if you go to Algonquin, try to make it on a weekday, weekends are known to full of tourists from the cities just making the day trip drive through the area, and making it darned near impossible to find accomodations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kin_lau Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Plan for the 1st week of October, and since you're willing to drive 5 hours, you could just keep driving north for 5 hours, and you should end up with some good colour in North Bay, but Algonquin should be okay for Oct. Otherwise, Ottawa/Gatineau is only 4hrs away. If by some chance it's cold early, you could go south to the Niagara area which is typically a week or two later than Toronto. As it is, you can get very good colour in the Rouge Valley, Don Valley or High Park in the 1st week of Oct right in Toronto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman_pogson Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 Gatineau Park just across the Ottawa river from Ottawa, the nations Capital. The park is very good with fall colours, once again late September early October. Vairiables are if we have drought conditions the trees will turn sooner, but this year so far has been wetter than usual, so I'm betting the fall colours should be at the regular time. Last year in the Ottawa area I took fall colours on the 10th October 2003. Thanks to Metadata! Ottawa is 4 1/2 to 5 hours drive from Toronto,or a 40 minute flight. Also you get in Ottawa a beautiful small city with many historic buildings & at the weekend a bustling market. Good luck Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross_patel Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Use Velvia 50 for fall colors.Goto Niagra on the lake, its very picturesque. I live in Montreal, not too far away, I cant wait for the fall too (been on the westcoast for 10 years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_roaldi1 Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 Just in case you end up not being able to go to Algonquin for as long as you hope and end up trying plan simple day trips based from Toronto, the area just north-west of the city, say north of Mono Mills, also near and east of Shelburne, and Hockley Valley can be beautiful when in colour. On a map you should look for Mono and Mulmur Townships. They are hilly and rural. But for good sightlines avoid the overly engineered and flat paved highways and venture onto the local gravel concession roads. They are in excellent condition and have little traffic. Closer to Toronto, the area along the Niagara Escarpment just west and north-west of Milton can be great on the right day. There are several Conservation Areas near there with well-groomed hiking trails and you'll be close to civilization the whole time. Some Conservation Areas to look for are Hilton, Kelso, Mount Nemo, Mountsberg, Crawford Lake. Hilton is especially nice and entirely wooded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_chen3 Posted October 4, 2004 Author Share Posted October 4, 2004 somebody mentioned this city above, where to go in that area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_chen3 Posted October 4, 2004 Author Share Posted October 4, 2004 I meant the city of Niagara-on-the-fall. somehow the subject line didn't show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_chen3 Posted October 29, 2004 Author Share Posted October 29, 2004 I have uploaded the pictures from this trip to my portfolio. welcome comments and critics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now