Has the change in seasons got you feeling ready to do some fall exploring around Ontario? Crisp sunny days, colourful leaves and fresh harvest flavours make fall an ideal time to get out and discover new parts of the province that are just a short drive from home. Borrow some of our favourite ways to spend a fall day.
Size Up A New-To-You Small Town
Strolling the streets and browsing the shops of a few of Hamilton Halton Brant’s small towns is a perfect way to spend a fall day. Add in a pint at a craft brewery and a visit to a nearby historic site before wrapping things up with a fabulous meal at a local restaurant, and you’ve got an easily planned itinerary that will make you feel like you’ve escaped to a land far, far away. Use our autumn adventure guides for Ancaster and Dundas, Grand River Country and Halton Hills to plan your small town stops.
Glen Williams in Fall
Find A Colourful Urban Adventure
Not all Ontario cities are concrete jungles! Urban centres like Hamilton, Burlington, and Oakville are home to beautiful waterfalls, incredible greenspaces, and scenic Lake Ontario shorelines. Start your day by fueling up with a decadent brunch or lunch, and then spend the afternoon on an alfresco adventure. Cycle or rollerblade on the Hamilton Beach Recreational Trail, an 8-km route the runs alongside the waterfront between Burlington and Stoney Creek. Spend a few hours taking in fabulous fall colours at Canada’s largest botanical garden. Bring a few friends along and soak in the scenery at Bronte Creek Provincial Park while playing a game of disc golf.
Walking along the shops in Bronte
Enjoy A Scenic Fall Float
Whether you choose to get out and about on Lake Ontario, make your way down the Grand River or explore one of Hamilton Halton Brant’s many inland lakes, our waterfronts set the perfect backdrop for a stunning fall day. Creative ways to get out on the water in cooler fall weather include:
- A Grand River Dinner Cruise
- A Lake Ontario Fishing Trip from Oakville’s Bronte Harbour
- A Grand River Paddling Trip
A fall paddle on the Grand River
Wander Amongst Some Waterfalls
As autumn tends to be a little rainier than the summer months, it’s a perfect time to catch our region’s many waterfalls in all their gushing glory! As you explore, please remember to follow posted rules, stay on marked trails and do not climb or bypass fencing. Given the popularity of these waterfalls, consider planning your visit during off-peak times (early morning or weekdays) and do not park on roadways if the parking lots are full. In fall, reservations may be required at the waterfall sites managed by Hamilton Conservation Authority. Use our Ancient Gorge, Urban Passage, Dundas Valley, Great Escape, Hilton Falls or Views and Vistas trip itineraries to plan your waterfall wander.
Friends at the viewing deck for Albion Falls
Find A New Hiking Happy Place
Hundreds of miles of marked trails at our collection of conservation areas make it so easy to head out on a hike with scenery that you’ve never laid eyes on before. Here are three off-the-radar routes for fall hikes.
1. Head to Silver Creek Conservation Area, where a 6.5 km stretch of The Bruce Trail features a wooden bridge across Snow’s Creek, a cedar forest, and large pieces of moss-covered rock left centuries ago by a retreating glacier.
2. Unlike Conservation Halton’s busier parks, Robert Edmondson does not currently require reservations. There’s a 2-km trail through the woods and around a boardwalk that showcases colourful fall leaves reflecting on the reservoir.
3. Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area has 10 kilometres of marked nature trails winding through hardwood forests in all their fall fabulousness.
