During this time of year people are always wondering when is the best time to photograph the changing colours of the leaves and where are some of the best places to see them change. As someone who is often driving around Ontario looking for new spots to include in our Ontario roadtrip section, I thought I would look into some of the spots both local and outside of the city as well as find out when is the best time to see each region.
Ontario Parks has a great tool for your Fall colours search that shows areas of the province with the percent of leaves that have changed colour as well as the total percent of leaves that have fallen in that region. If you are wanting to know all the information before you go, this tool is the best way to do so.
If you are in Toronto and want to shoot the leaves locally, a great spot is over the Don Valley Parkway. My favourite lookout point is on the Millwood Road bridge that extends from where Pape meets Donlands to Leaside Park. The views from this bridge are great looking South-West towards downtown as well as looking North-East away from the city.
If you are looking to get out of the city for some different views, here are a few of my favourites. We were lucky to have access to the Honda press fleet for this part which allowed us to get out of the city and capture the colours. We used the CRV as it is great on gas and gave us room to store our camera gear.
Dundas Peak: Located just outside Hamilton, Dundas is a quaint little town along the Niagara escarpment. Along the hiking trail, one is lead to the lookout known as Dundas Peak where you will have a great raised view of the surrounding foliage.
Parry Sound: Tower Hill Lookout in Parry Sound is located next to the West Parry Sound District Museum on an elevated plain. The tower itself climbs several storeys to give you a great view of Parry Sound, the train trestle and the surrounding trees and lake.
Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls has some great lookout locations being along the escarpment. Catching the falls themselves surrounded by the changing colours is itself a great thing to see and worth the trip.
Kawarthas: This part of Ontario is especially beautiful with the many lakes and rivers that run through it. Take a plane or helicopter ride during the Fall months to capture some breathtaking views and astonishing colours.
Muskoka: A little bit longer to get to but worth the trip. The Muskokas north of Parry Sound are the first to change being further North than the other locations. If you want to get somewhere before everyone else has noticed the changing colours, head up to the Gravenhurst and Bracebridge areas in late September and early October.
Do you have a favourite spot to catch the changing leaves? Let us know in the comments section on this article or on social media.
