Ontario is in peak foliage season! While there are tons of places across the province to enjoy the rustic reds and vibrant golds of our parks and forests (including a provincial park that’s frequently named among the best places in all of North America for fall foliage), Toronto has its own share of amazing skyline views framed by amber canopies.
Check Ontario Parks’ live Fall Colour Report for frequent updates on the best tree-viewing days, then head to these beautiful spots across Toronto to take in gorgeous shades of red, gold and orange in local parks and along city streets.
High Park
This 400-acre park is one of Toronto’s largest and most picturesque spots to experience the changing shades of autumn. Redditors suggest strolling through the hillside gardens along the paths toward Grenadier Pond. You’ll spot a mix of mature oaks, birch trees, and willows with sweeping shades of golden bronze, orange, and rustic red, as well as tallgrass prairie plants and wildflowers you won’t see in many other places in Ontario.
Rouge National Urban Park (Vista Trail)
The Vista Trail boasts a two-level viewing platform that provides spectacular views of the Little Rouge Creek and Rouge River valleys, making it one of the best places to view Toronto’s changing autumn colours! From the viewing platform, you can see Beare Hill to the north, which is one of the highest points of land in the city. Or walk along the trail’s forest ridge, just past the deck and hydro corridor, and you’ll be surrounded by vibrant maples, oaks and shady hemlock groves.
Scarborough Bluffs
This is the perfect area to admire the dramatic autumn vistas! There are 11 lakeside trail parks along a 15 km stretch, offering sweeping lookout points. Highlights include Rosetta McClain Gardens, Cudia Park and Bluffer’s Park and Beach.
Crothers Woods
This mature, maple-beech-oak woodland boasts interlacing trails and classic ravine colours that are just perfect for exploring throughout the fall! Expect 10 km of nature paths, where you’ll stroll past a diverse bird population and spots offering a spectacular view of the Toronto skyline, framed by gorgeous foliage.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Okay, so, a cemetery isn’t an obvious pick when it comes to admiring fall foliage, but Mount Pleasant’s historic towering canopy and landscaped grounds make it the perfect place to enjoy the changing colours. The foliage is complemented with large flower gardens, unique works of art, sculptures and artist-made memorials. It takes about two hours to loop around the cemetery, starting at the West Gates off Mount Pleasant Rd. Bonus. There are even public and private guided history walks led by experts.
Evergreen Brick Works
Head over on a weekend afternoon and experience the fall season while wandering the interconnected pathways sprawled alongside industrial buildings and Toronto’s nature ravine system! The ravines transform into vivid tapestries of reds, fiery oranges and golden yellows. Boardwalks weave past wetlands and meadows, with the Don Valley hillsides giving easy access to trails filled with forested gorges and wildflowers, making it one of the most perfect areas to capture fall colours.
Chester Hill Lookout
At dusk, head to the end of Chester Hill Rd, just north of Danforth and west of Broadview, for a stunning skyline sunset framed by a canopy of copper and gold!
Toronto Islands
Jump on a ferry ride from downtown and you’ll experience golden willows and maples set against the city skyline. Ferries run year-round from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, but from mid-October to mid-April, service is to Ward’s Island only, creating a quieter, more contemplative fall experience. On Ward’s, you’ll find peaceful piers, docks and a scenic boardwalk perfect for foliage viewing.
Étienne Brûlé Park
The Park is nestled in the Humber River valley, just north of Bloor St W, about a five-minute walk from Old Mill subway station. Admire the changing reds and yellows along the river corridor. If you’re lucky, you’ll also spot the salmon run, as Chinook and Coho salmon fight the currents and leap upstream to reach their spawning grounds!
David A. Balfour Park
The park is a short walk from St. Clair Station (just walk a few minutes east toward Avoca Ave; the park entrance drops into a ravine that forms part of the Don River system). Stroll along winding boardwalks and past forested slopes surrounded by stunning autumn colours along Yellow Creek. Trails connect to the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail, so you can continue your foliage-viewing!
