fall colours ontario

Fall colours are already starting to show north of Toronto

Autumn means there are two things to look forward to: overwearing sweats without feeling guilty, and a gorgeous array of fall colours.

Even though it's still technically summer, colourful foliage has already been spotted north of Toronto. Algonquin Park reports a 30 percent colour change as of yesterday. The area around Highway 60 that cuts through the park is filled with Sugar Maple, which are typically early to change colour.

Arrowhead Park, which is nearby, reports a 20 percent change with "vibrant shades of orange and yellow" showing in the tree canopy.

It's been predicted that fall foliage is supposed to be like something out of a Group of Seven painting this year, a spectacle of saturated colours that will be more vibrant than normal thanks to near-perfect growing conditions for trees this summer.

Toronto might be dominated with yellow hues thanks to the increasing dominance of the invasive Norway Maple, but natural areas outside of the city promise wonderful displays over the coming weeks.

Areas south of Muskoka are yet to report much by way of colour change, so there's still time to make day trip and getaway plans. But, be warned, fall colours have started to make an appearance to the north, so you have about two weeks to catch them at their peak in these prime areas.

Lead photo by

Alex Meoko


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