EXPLORE THE FALL COLOURS
If you needed another reason to visit the Haliburton Highlands come visit during the fall season and enjoy the stunning colours.
There are so many ways to experience the majestic beauty of the Maple, Aspen & Tamarack as they transform the forest canopy into a blazing sea of red, orange and yellows. Try our many hiking trails, lookouts, a walk in the Clouds or by water on our water trails.
Fall Colour Update
- Please note that the Dorset Tower is closed for the 2020 season due to COVID-19 – click here for Live Cam from Dorset Tower
- NOTICE: Algonquin Provincial Park has implemented measures to address overcrowding this fall. The park may be closed at any time of day if park capacity is reached. For more information relating to capacity and park closures please follow us on Twitter @Algonquin_PP
Colour Change | Leaf Fall | Date Reported | Comments | |
Frost Centre | 100% | 50% | October 7, 2020 | The trails are a colorful carpet of fallen leaves while many trees have lost their leaves in the canopy. |
Algonquin Park | 100% | 70% | October 9, 2020 | With the recent wind and rain, the crowns of trees are showing bare branches in many areas, and a few trees have lost their leaves entirely. From a distance, bare trees will appear as gray/brown patches. The dominant colour of remaining leaves is yellow as the birch, aspen and tamarack trees are turning a rich yellow and really starting to shine. You can still find good pockets of colour in the understory of the trees, with a few patches of orange and reds remaining. There is now an impressive carpet of fallen leaves on the forest floor. |
Oxtongue Lake | 100% | 50% | October 7, 2020 | Leaves are changing quickly and falling fast. |
Eagle Lake | 100% | 65% | October 14, 2020 | check out Sir Sam’s Ski & Bike Live Cams – Time Tunnel Cam – or the – Kingston Road Cam |
Haliburton Village | 90% | 50% | October 7, 2020 | The super vibrant colours of the last couple of weeks have mellowed, but there are still lots of gorgeous yellow and gold hues to be seen. Recent breezy weather and rain showers have accelerated leaf fall, so get out there and enjoy those colours soon! Haliburton Museum |
Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve | 85% | 50% | October 2, 2020 | Haliburton Forest being 100,000 acres varies in colour depending on your location. . Great places to see colours right now are from the Lookout and Outlook Trails. Check out our Video Report |
Benoir Lake / Southern Algonquin Park | 100% | 70% | October 14, 2020 | Deep Roots Adventure |
Silent Lake | 80% | 40% | October 5, 2020 | All trails offer good viewing of fall colours. The lookout on the Bonnie’s Pond trail is a favorite spot to view the lake from an elevated perspective. |
Minden Village | 100% | 70% | October 14, 2020 | there are still amazing pockets of gold to be seen and now the floor has been transformed into a mosaic of colour |
Snowdon Park | 100% | 80% | October 10, 2020 | At Wintergreen ….the leaves are about 80% turned colour….the interior of the bush remains fairly green, the outskirts are full of colour…reds, and yellows predominate. The rain has taken a lot of the leaves down…probably 80% of leaves are colouring the bush floor in an amazing array of colours. Sugar production in the trees is complete, and now into dormancy until March…. . cheers, Diane |
These dates are our best guess for when to see the fall colours this year. Please note, these are just educated guesses based on historical trends. There are many factors that affect when the fall colours will be best for viewing, and these conditions and dates may change slightly from year to year.
- Early fall colour viewing opportunities: September 14 – September 30
- Peak maple fall colour viewing opportunities: October 1 – October 12
- Peak golden encore fall colour viewing opportunities: October 13 – 21
Nothing like a road trip and Feeling the Wind in your Hair
Weather by car or motorcycle, enjoy the majestic views from the side of the road.
We can fix your hunger while you are visiting
Many of our local restaurants and kitchens have delicious options for taking-out, dining-in and enjoying a patio.
Also check out our 4 Feast ON certified restaurants, as well as our 2 local Breweries, you’re going to be amazed…
Why not stay overnight and be able to see more of the highlands
Create your own oasis away from the hustle-and-bustle and safely enjoy the space & freedom the Haliburton Highlands has to offer. Enjoy a truly Canadian cottage experience throughout our vast region at one of our many places to stay.
Dorset, Halls Lake & Oxtongue Area
Best places to view the fall colours:
- Dorset Scenic Lookout Tower – CLOSED for 2020 season
- Oxtongue Lake Area – Hwy 60 corridor
- Algonquin Provincial Park
- Haliburton Highlands Water Trails – Frost Centre
Best ways to experience the fall colours:
- Discover the Group of Seven at Oxtongue Lake
- See the colours from the water with boat rentals from Little Hawk Resort & Marina
- Get up close and personal with the roaring sound of water at Hawk Lake Log Chute
- Find this great lookout at the end of James Cooper Lookout Trail
- Take the popular Ragged Falls Canoe Trip, a three to four hour paddle offered by Algonquin Outfitters or try a guided canoe trip where you will discover the backcountry beauty of the Highlands with Yours Outdoors
Eagle Lake, West Guilford & Village of Haliburton Area
Best places to view the fall colours:
Best ways to experience the fall colours:
- Take a walk in the clouds at Haliburton Forest and be one with the fall canopy, and while you are there, check out the Wolf Centre
- One of the best spots for hiking is the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, a unique outdoor collection of sculptures located in the forest of Glebe Park
- Golf at the Haliburton Highlands Golf Club and enjoy the scenic grounds and don’t forget the Pinestone Resort and Lakeside Golf Club
- Discover local artists at the Rails End Gallery or the Ethel Curry Gallery and find something to take home with you
- The Haliburton Farmer’s Market runs every Tuesday, 12pm to 4pm, until Thanksgiving weekend
Gooderham, Harcourt & Village of Wilberforce area

Silent Lake Provincial Park
Best places to view the fall colours:
Best ways to experience the fall colours:
- With over 70 lake & over 30 public water access points you can find someway to go every day during this fall season, just ask Deep Roots Adventure
- Still time to create family memories while searching for treasure, learn more about Geocaching Capital of Canada
- Two of the best spots for satisfying your hunger are South Algonquin Dinner in Wilberforce and Algonquin Cookhouse in Harcourt
- Explore the rich minerals deposits, unique geological features, and rugged autumn landscapes of the area while enjoying the great hospitality and fine folk of the Highlands
- If you are driving around looking at the colours why not see if you can find these four ghost towns
Village of Minden & surrounding Area

Panorama Park – Lookout
Best places to view the fall colours:
Best ways to experience the fall colours:
- Unique to the world, visit the Minden Hills Cultural Centre and find the Art, History and Nature that tells a story and has a large Andre Lapine collection…
- Minden Farmer’s Market runs every Saturday 10am to 2pm until Thanksgiving Weekend
- Find a Walking trail around town and discover a boardwalk in the middle of the village that takes you through a beautiful wetland
- Exceptional golf at Beaverbrook or Blairhampton, two of the area’s top courses
- See the colours from the water. Kayak and SUP board rentals are available at Algonquin Outfitters & AO Boatwerks while you try for hand on the quiet Gull river through town or the adventure of the Minden Whitewater Preserve
Check out our visitors guide
View and down load our Haliburton Highlands visitors guide – including maps, resources, Hiking Trail heads, Driving Tours, local destinations and more……
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