Chasing the Fall Colours

Before the tree branches are bare and the skies turn grey, many RVers make a late season road trip to do some “leaf peeping”—fall colour tours in parts of Canada where the hardwood forests reign.

Driving to look for fall colours draw scores of RV enthusiasts. It’s a perfect match for the RV lifestyle: independent road tripping with a theme, usually through spectacular countryside exploring pretty villages with shops stocked with artisan handcrafted goods, hard maple candy, maple butter and, of course, maple syrup. Into October, many campgrounds are still open so it’s easy to use an RV while exploring the blast of fall colours.

WHERE AND WHEN

It’s the regions with great forests of maples, oaks, birch, and elm that turn vibrant red, yellow, and orange when temperatures begin a slow slide down the scale. This means the most intense concentration is in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. But western Canada still puts on a bit of a colour-shifting show. With gas prices still uncertain, the goal is to find a fall colours route that is close to home.

Here are some popular spots to catch the action, with campgrounds and things to do while in the area.

Tourism Nova Scotia Acorn Art & Photograph

NOVA SCOTIA

Where to go: Cabot Trail; www.cbisland.com/en/regions/cabot-trail
When: mid–September until mid-October

National Geographic proclaimed Cape Breton’s ocean-meets-mountain landscape as “Canada’s best kept secret.” The island’s Cabot Trail is a 298-kilometre driving route circling the northern stretches, so it’s best spread over several days. One-third of the Cabot Trail runs through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Expect dramatic views, a rocky coastline, and cliff-hugging curves. Try driving the route counterclockwise, so the many pull offs (and spots to look out) are easy in and out. The winding roadway is wide and lined with guardrails but may not be suitable for nervous drivers or very large rigs. This is a route where you want to take your time.

Autumn is also the season for Cape Breton’s world-famous Celtic Colours International Festival (October 9-17, 2026/celebrating 30 years of music), when the island hops to life with music and step dancing against a forested patchwork of orange, amber, red, and yellow. In Judique (along Cape Breton’s southwest coast), the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre is dedicated to preserving the culture and history of this very regional style of music. On Sunday afternoons, stop in for the live music cèilidh.

Camping anywhere in Cape Breton will be in demand during the peak fall foliage season, so make reservations early. There are four Parks Canada campgrounds along the famous Cabot Trail that are suitable for RV units—check the website because suitability varies for type, length, and services provided. In mid-October, together with Hike Nova Scotia the park offers a week of guided hikes.

Credit Clément Feuz-@clement family Eastern Townships

QUEBEC

Where to go: Île d’Orléans; https://tourisme.iledorleans.com/en/
When: end of September and early October

Quebec is one of the world’s largest producers of maple syrup and, where there is maple syrup there are forests of sugar maple trees, the stock and trade that produce the beautiful vibrant colours that make for the best fall foliage tours.

Just a short drive east of Quebec City and a bridge over the St. Lawrence River is pretty Ile d’Orleans, an island nicknamed the “Garden of Quebec,” a major producer of fruits and maple syrup. It’s a sliver of land splitting the mighty river into two channels and historically is considered the “cradle of French civilization in North America.” The best drive is along Chemin Royal, the main road circling the island with great views of the turning maple trees. Autumn is the best time to visit local markets for pumpkins, apples, and cans of Quebec maple syrup.

Along Chemin Royal, the Camping Orléans campground has sites that can accommodate all sizes of RVs. Closer to the big city, the Quebec City KOA is a convenient campground to see both Ile d’Orleans and Old Quebec City. The campground is located on the south shore, just a 15-minute shuttle ride (modest fee) away from the walls of the Old City. The campground has sites with both partial and full hookups that can accommodate larger rigs. If you do want to drive your RV into the city, Quebec City Tourism has info at https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/plan-your-trip-quebec-city/parking-rv

Where to go: La Mauricie National Park; https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/qc/mauricie
When: mid-September through October

Known for its string of waterways and canoeing routes, this park just an hour’s drive north of Trois-Rivières is covered by thick forests. For the best autumn colours, stay to the southern parts of the park where the maple trees dominate. Fall is also an excellent time to spot wildlife, including moose and bear.

Drive the length of the main parkway route inside the park boundaries and make stops at the many short trails and lookouts, where interpretive boards explain how glaciers made their mark on forming the landscape. There are many short trails leading through the forests to lakefront—try the ones at Lac-Du-Fou, Lac-Solitaire, or Lac-Edouard for vistas over the tree-lined waterfronts. The Visitor Centre will have specific information on the difficulty of various trails, and which ones will have the best fall colours.

If you are travelling with a canoe or kayak, slip it into the water here. La Mauricie is renowned for its network of lakes and connecting rivers. Exploring how the leaves are turning from a canoe or kayak cannot be beat. The park has three campgrounds, with well-spaced sites tucked into the forests.

Credit Pascal Bernardon Eastern Townships

Where to go: Eastern Townships; www.easterntownships.org
When: mid-September through October

With three signposted tourism routes, Quebec’s Eastern Townships is an RV roadtripping dream. Veer from the main highways to explore more leisurely roadways like those along Chemin des Cantons (Townships Trail) which connects 31 small towns and villages. This part of Quebec (bordering the northern reaches of Vermont) was founded by waves of Loyalist, Irish, and Scottish settlers escaping the aftermath of the American Revolution. You’ll find an interesting mix of English and French cultures, seamlessly blended.

Along the way there are rolling vineyards (and wineries), breweries, cideries, artisanal cheese shops, cafes, and historic sites like the Abbaye Saint-Benoît-Du-Lac (known for its delicious blue cheese). The best way to experience the colours of the Eastern Townships is to meander; take a smaller sideroad whenever possible.

Fall can be a busy time, with many arts and literary festivals as well as leaf-peepers coming out for a look, so make campground reservations in advance. In addition to several provincial parks (called national parks in Quebec) there is a good selection of Harvest Hosts and Terego sites.

Credit Ontario Parks

ONTARIO

Where to go: Lanark County; https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/discover-lanark-county/plan-your-visit/stories/best-of-fall/
When: mid-September through October

Touted as the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario, Lanark County—just west of Ottawa—is peppered with pretty villages like Perth and Carleton Place. In the fall, come for festivals like Pumpkinfest (early October), Carleton Place’s annual celebration with pumpkin-themed activities, live music, and harvest festivities. In Beckwith Park at the heart of the county, the annual Lanark County Harvest Festival is a family-friendly event with a petting zoo, bouncy castle, and live entertainment (September 13).

The town of Perth has excellent eateries and artisan-style shopping. Even though springtime is when the sap is running, maple products are found year-round as Lanark County is home to 400 maple syrup producers. If you are travelling with bicycles, pull them out in Perth and pedal along the maple-lined Tay River Towpath Trail that’s sure to be lined with an impressive show of fall colours.

Just south of Perth, Murphy’s Point Provincial Park is located on Big Rideau Lake, a part of the historic Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site. The parks’ two campgrounds have a mix of electrical and non-electrical sites—but pay close attention to how level the sites are as some are too sloped for many RV setups.

Credit Destination Ontario Prince Edward County

Where to go: Prince Edward County; www.visitpec.ca
When: mid-September through October

Prince Edward County is a peninsula about two hours east of Toronto and one hour west of Kingston, renowned for its artisanal cheesemakers, wineries, cideries, breweries, and roadside produce stands. Fall is the perfect time to for a road trip through what locals call The County—it’s compact and perfect for just meandering the sideroads and enjoying the show of colour as the leaves have turned. In autumn, the crowds thin out but the festival calendar is still hopping. The self-guided Arts Trail connects professional artist studios and galleries in sculpture, paintings, ceramics, wood, and photography.

Popular Sandbanks Provincial Park is near impossible to find a spot in summer, but things loosen up in the fall when there is less demand. The park has more than 500 sites spread over five campgrounds. Sandbanks is known for its vast beaches and towering barrier sand dunes. It makes a perfect home base for exploring the area’s food, wine, and arts. The park is also well known for birding in both spring and fall as it’s along migration routes.

Credit Destination BC Kristi Nicholson

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Where to go: Kootenay Rockies; https://www.kootenayrockies.com/
When: mid-September through October

Fall in the Kootenay Rockies means days that are crisp and clear, creating perfect conditions for the turning of the leaves. While not as dominated by hardwoods as the eastern provinces, the Kootenays have the greatest diversity of tree species in British Columbia, so you’ll find a mix of green conifers with multi-coloured ribbons of birch, aspen, and some maple. The Kootenays have some of the highest concentrations of both Western and Alpine Larch, coniferous trees that stand out in fall as their needles turn a burnt-orange hue.

The best way to experience the fall colours at Kootenay National Park is to drive the north-south Banff-Windermere Highway (Hwy 93 south) along the Kootenay River. Pretty towns like Nelson, Kaslo, Fernie, and Golden are excellent spots to stop to stretch your legs or stock up on supplies. Keep an eye open as wildlife such as bears, deer, wolves, and bighorn sheep can often be spotted along the highway.

Kootenay National Park has three campgrounds but only Redstreak is open past mid-September. Plan for cooler nights. Close to the campground is the park’s most popular stop, the hot mineral pools at Radium Hot Springs. The steaming pools would be the perfect cure-all after a long day of sightseeing from the front seat of an RV or after tackling a stretch of the park’s 200-kilometres of hiking trails.

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