Ontario’s Thanksgiving Colour, Mapped

Thanksgiving falls on Monday 12 October this year, and Ontario’s provincial parks are as colourful as they get for it. Ontario Parks‘ fall colour report, updated on 9 October, now has three parks at 100% colour change: Algonquin, Arrowhead and Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls. Leaves are also coming down, with 40 to 50% already fallen at those three, so this weekend is the one to go north. The south is still turning. Both Algonquin and Arrowhead sold out their daily vehicle permits last weekend, so a long weekend in the parks needs a plan.

Where the colour is now

At full colour, and starting to drop (colour change / leaf fall, per Ontario Parks):

• Algonquin (100% / 50%): the Highway 60 corridor, plus the park’s trails and day-use areas. Use designated parking only; Ontario Parks says roadside parking is dangerous and illegal.
• Arrowhead (100% / 40%): Big Bend Lookout, Beach Area #1 and the Arrowhead Lake Trail, near Huntsville.
• Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls (100% / 40%): the short trail to the top of the falls, which has the best view. It’s an easy add-on on the way to Algonquin.

At 90%:

• Mikisew: colour across the park, including the disc golf course and the Beaver Meadow and Maple Canyon trails (last reported 5 October).
• Lake Superior, north end: the Trans-Canada Highway stretch, the Nokomis Trail and the Peat Mountain Trail. The south end is at 80%, with the Crescent Lake, Orphan Lake and Awausee trails.
• Caliper Lake and Rushing River, in northwestern Ontario.

At 80%: Restoule (the River Trail and the Fire Tower Trail), Chutes (the Twin Bridges Trail and the Main Falls lookout, though 60% of its leaves are already down), Lake St. Peter, Sleeping Giant, Neys, Driftwood, Samuel de Champlain, Finlayson Point, Marten River, Voyageur and Quetico.

Further south, colour is building. Mono Cliffs, Silent Lake, Sauble Falls, Murphys Point, Awenda and Forks of the Credit are at 70%. Frontenac, Balsam Lake, MacGregor Point, Bon Echo, Charleston Lake and Killbear are at 60%. Sandbanks, Sibbald Point and Wasaga Beach are at 50%, and Bronte Creek and Presqu’ile at 40%. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario shore parks such as Long Point, Rondeau, Turkey Point and Darlington are only at 30%. Killbear notes that its colours usually peak around Thanksgiving but stay strong through October, thanks to its American beech. For clients who miss Thanksgiving in the north, the following weekend, 17–18 October, is the one to plan for in the south.

Getting in

Daily vehicle permits can be booked up to five days ahead, released at 7 a.m. Eastern Time, for most operating parks. A reservation guarantees entry for one vehicle and up to 14 people, and seasonal pass holders need one too. Permits can’t be changed or transferred. For this Thanksgiving weekend, permits for every day through Monday 12 October are already on sale. Permits for the weekend of 17–18 October go on sale on 12 and 13 October.

At Algonquin and Arrowhead, book as soon as permits are released, or go midweek. Ontario Parks recommends weekday visits for Arrowhead in particular.

Camping late

Camping season doesn’t end with Labour Day. Ontario Parks extended fall camping at 20 parks this year. Some useful dates:

• Bon Echo: open to 13 December.
• Arrowhead: Lumby Campground to 12 October; East River Campground to 8 November.
• Inverhuron and Sauble Falls: to 1 November, on the Lake Huron shore.
• Fitzroy, near Ottawa: to 25 October.
• Charleston Lake, Darlington and Ferris: to 18 October.
• Murphys Point (Fallows Campground): to 13 October.
• Finlayson Point, Marten River and Kap-Kig-Iwan: close 12 October, Thanksgiving Monday.

Nights in late October can fall below freezing. Check whether a campground still has water and comfort stations before you go.

Halloween in the parks

Ontario Parks lists Halloween events through October:

• Killbear: “Night at the ‘Museum’: Mystery After Dark” at the Discovery Centre, 10 October, 3–5 p.m., with a self-guided Story Walk.
• Sleeping Giant and Wheatley: Halloween in the Park, 10 October. At Wheatley, campers decorate their sites and trick-or-treat.
• Bronte Creek, Oakville: Camper Halloween, 16–18 and 23–25 October, with decorated sites, trick-or-treating and spooky Discovery programs.
• Fitzroy: its first Pumpkins in the Park weekend, 23–25 October, with prizes for the most haunted campsite and the best pumpkin.
• Algonquin: a Haunted Halloween Weekend, 24–26 October, with guided hikes, a Friday night walk, and a costume and campsite decorating contest at Mew Lake Campground.

Craigleith’s Shivers on the Shale ran 2–4 October. Check each park’s events page for times and registration, and pack out any decorations.

Plan it

• Book: day-use permits at 7 a.m., five days out. Campsites through the Ontario Parks reservation site; Thanksgiving weekend sites at the most popular parks will already be scarce.
• When: the north this weekend, before more leaves fall; the south, from Mono Cliffs to Frontenac and Sandbanks, the weekend of 17–18 October.
• Avoid the crowds: go midweek at Algonquin and Arrowhead, or try less crowded northern parks such as Restoule, Mikisew and Chutes.
• Check before driving: the fall colour report at ontarioparks.ca/fallcolour is updated through the season.
• Families: Bronte Creek’s Camper Halloween is the easiest from the GTA; Algonquin’s Haunted Halloween Weekend suits families who already camp.

Sources

• Ontario Parks, fall colour report, updated to 9 Oct 2026
• Ontario Parks Blog, ‘We’re extending fall camping at 20 parks!’, 28 Aug 2026
• Ontario Parks Blog, Halloween 2026 at Ontario Parks
• Ontario Parks, advance daily vehicle permits FAQ
• Ontario Parks Blog, Algonquin fall colour tips
• Ontario Parks Blog, visiting Arrowhead in fall