8 Day Trips from Ottawa to see Fall Foliage

There are so many amazing Ottawa Fall Day Trips within a few hours of the city. I have another post of all the fun fall things to do in Ottawa! Enjoy haunting season, visit Major’s Hill Park and Byward Market, and experience the best fall foliage along the Rideau Canal. This post will provide day trips inspiration to see fall foliage this year and have the best fall Ontario weekend getaway.

Fall is my favourite time of year, even though it’s a whirlwind of trying to cram as much in as possible before the cold hits or rain falls and the colourful leaves are gone. The absolute best tool to see how the colours are doing is the Ottawa Fall Colour Report by doing a Google search for “Place + Fall Foliage Map”. Day trips from Ottawa include Ontario Parks, upstate New York and Quebec.

Read more: 10+ Best Locations to find Fall Foliage in Ottawa

Gatineau Park Fall Colours

Gatineau Park is a quick Ottawa Fall Day Trip. Fall Rapsody is Ottawa’s annual Fall Festival with locations in Ottawa and Gatineau. My favourite fall hikes are: Pink Lake, King Mountain, Meech Lake, Carbide Wilson Ruins and the Champlain Lookout. It gets incredibly busy as people flock to the park, so hikes further from Ottawa are ideal for those looking for smaller crowds. Check out Philippe Lake, Meech Creek Valley and Luskville Falls for less busy hikes. For those without access to a car, you can take the Fall Rapsody Bus Shuttle from downtown to the park. You can fly a mini drone or log your flight plan over the park. Alternatively, book a helicopter tour or the biplane adventure for birds eye views of the vibrant fall colours in Ottawa/Gatineau (see below).

Read more: Gatineau Park and Chelsea: A Quick Fun Day Trip from Ottawa

Fall Hikes with Fantastic Lookouts

There are so many hikes within a few hours from Ottawa/Gatineau that are sure to impress with their lookouts. The Eagle’s Nest Lookout / Manitoulin Mountain Trail is a 1.5 hour drive from Ottawa and located in Calabogie. The lookout is a quick 20 minute easy walk from the trailhead and popular year round. Rock Dunder lies within the UNESCO Thousand Islands Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve and is about 1.5 hours from Ottawa. There is an admission fee for the 5 km loop. If you want a lookout that doesn’t feel like you’re still in Ontario, head to the Barron Canyon Trail in Algonquin Park (just over 2 hours from Ottawa). It’s a 1.5 km loop with a view of the 100 m deep canyon.

Read more: 8 Stunning Lookouts to Hike or Visit near Ottawa

Chairlifts to see Fall Foliage

Another fantastic way to see the vibrant fall colours from above is to take a chair lift. The Fall Colours Calabogie Chairlift (1.5 hr from Ottawa), Mont Ste-Marie Chairlift (1 hr from Ottawa) or the Mont Tremblant Chairlift (2 hr from Ottawa) are all an easy day trip from Ottawa.

Scenic Drives during Fall

While the destination may be what you have in mind, the drive could be a trip in and of itself! Take a drive through Quebec to Mont Tremblant. Some beautifully scenic drives include: Highway 309 to Kiamika, Quebec; Mont-Tremblant, Quebec via Highway 323; Chelsea, Quebec via Highway 105; Highway 7 to Algonquin Park, Ontario; or Thousand Islands Parkway, Ontario. Stop on the side of the road to see some horses, or fall foliage in the distance.

Mont Tremblant Fall Foliage

If you’re looking for a scenic drive AND a beautiful destination, head to Mont Tremblant Village and Mont Tremblant National Park. Only a 2 hour Ottawa Fall Day Trips, it’s definitely worth the drive for the journey alone. You can get a chairlift ticket for some spectacular views of the hill or do the short hike on one of the many trails up the ski hill.

Mont Tremblant National Park

If you’ve made it to Mont Tremblant, I recommend heading to Mont Tremblant National Park as well! There are a few trails with amazing lookouts. Below is a photo from La Corniche Trail, a 3.2 km out-and-back hike that is moderately difficult, and worth the effort! La Roche is another fantastic lookout, with a harder hike to get to. The National Park costs about $10/person.

Adirondacks Fall Foliage Scenic Drive and Hikes

The Adirondack Mountains are about 5,000 square miles, almost twice the size of Algonquin Park with numerous hikes through the mountains. The drive from Ontario to the Adirondacks is incredibly scenic and you’ll find yourself stopping constantly. There are 46 peaks in the Adirondacks, which can seem a bit daunting to a first time visitor. For a difficult 3 hour hike, try the Pillsbury Mountain. For easier hikes, try the Roaring Brook Falls, Cobble Hill Lookout or Goodnow Mountain (all about 3 hr from Ottawa).

Lake Placid Fall Views

Lake Placid is a 3 hour drive from Ottawa which makes it a long day trip or a nice weekend getaway. The centre of Lake Placid is Mirror Lake which is surrounded by trees that make for absolutely fantastic fall foliage photos. This little American city is also home to the Trapp Family Lodge (which is a fun place to stay, especially if you’ve ever heard of the Sound of Music film).

Ithaca, NY Fall Foliage

This one is a bit far for an Ottawa Fall Day Trips but worth it! Ithaca, New York is home to Cornell University and is surrounded by amazing waterfalls (more than 100 within 10 miles of downtown) in the Finger Lakes region. The most impressive is the Taughannock Falls which is the central feature of the Taughannock Falls State Park. You can check out all the waterfalls near Ithaca here.

Read more: Ithaca Day Trip | New York Destination to Chase Waterfalls