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Red, orange and gold hardwood hills seen from a rock lookout on Algonquin's Centennial Ridges TrailPhoto : QuantumWasp · CC BY-SA 4.0

Couleurs automnales

Où voir les couleurs automnales au Canada

Les endroits au Canada où voir les feuilles d'érable changer de couleur, les semaines où elles sont à leur apogée, et les mélèzes dorés que les Rocheuses offrent à la place. Chaque ligne renvoie à sa source.

Les érables de l'Est

Sugar maple grows wild in southern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, and turns yellow, bright orange or bright red in the fall. Source ↗

Carte du Canada avec 11 repères numérotés : 1. Algonquin Provincial Park, 2. Agawa Canyon Tour Train, 3. Killarney Provincial Park, 4. Muskoka, 5. Gatineau Park, 6. Mont-Tremblant National Park, 7. Mont-Orford and Sutton, 8. Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie, 9. Cabot Trail, 10. Kejimkujik National Park, 11. Fundy National Park
  1. Autumn maples along the Lookout Trail in Algonquin Park
    Photo : Sikander Iqbal · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Ontario

    Algonquin Provincial Park

    Pourquoi ici
    The park's west side, Highway 60 included, is dominated by maples. Source ↗
    On average the sugar maple canopy there peaks on September 27; the earliest peak on record was September 15, the latest October 9. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Mid-September to mid-October Source ↗
    Conseil
    Book the Highway 60 Corridor daily vehicle permit, up to five days ahead, so you are not turned away when the park is full. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ailleurs en Ontario →Ontario Parks: Algonquin ↗
  2. Golden autumn trees and granite cliffs reflected in the Agawa River, Agawa Canyon
    Photo : Mykola Swarnyk · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Ontario

    Agawa Canyon Tour Train

    Pourquoi ici
    From mid-September the hardwood forests of Algoma turn red and orange against the evergreens. Source ↗
    The train leaves Sault Ste. Marie daily and runs 114 miles into the wilderness; Lawren Harris of the Group of Seven had a boxcar fitted out to paint along the line. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Late September to early October Source ↗
    Conseil
    Tickets sell out quickly in colour season, so book well ahead; parking at the Sault Ste. Marie station is free. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ailleurs en Ontario →Agawa Canyon Tour Train ↗
  3. Orange maples, white quartzite and blue lakes seen from the top of The Crack in Killarney
    Photo : Mark.guerra10 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Ontario

    Killarney Provincial Park

    Parc provincial

    Pourquoi ici
    White quartzite ridges of the La Cloche Mountains and over 50 clear lakes, the country that drew A.Y. Jackson, Franklin Carmichael and A.J. Casson. Source ↗
    Towering yellow birch and sugar maples colour the forest on the Lake of the Woods Trail. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Late September and early October Source ↗
    Conseil
    Trailhead parking fills on weekends, The Crack's lot first; come on a weekday while the colours peak. Source ↗
    Ouvrir l'adresse →
  4. A Huntsville lakeshore with dark pines before a hillside of red, orange and gold maples
    Photo : Rdsriram · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Ontario

    Muskoka

    Pourquoi ici
    Muskoka is known for its fall colours; a fall cruise on the Muskoka Lakes shows them from the water. Source ↗
    You can also see them from the Wenonah II steamship on Lake Muskoka, or from the air. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Maples around October 4 to 8, then a golden encore to about October 18, going by past years Source ↗
    Conseil
    For the Dorset Lookout Tower, buy tickets in advance; parking fees apply. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ailleurs en Ontario →Discover Muskoka ↗
  5. Orange, red and yellow trees reflected in the green water of Pink Lake, Gatineau Park
    Photo : Dwong33 · CC0

    Quebec

    Gatineau Park

    Pourquoi ici
    The second-most visited park in Canada, covering more than 361 square kilometres. Source ↗
    Champlain Lookout looks out over the hills, and Pink Lake's turquoise water stands out against the fall colours. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Outaouais peak: second to third week of October Source ↗
    Conseil
    Go on a weekday: the parkway spots are crowded on fall weekends, and the NCC shuttle runs every day but Wednesday. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ottawa →NCC: Gatineau Park ↗
  6. Gold and orange hillside above Lac Monroe in Mont-Tremblant National Park
    Photo : Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Quebec

    Mont-Tremblant National Park

    Pourquoi ici
    Over 1,500 square kilometres of protected rolling hills, shimmering lakes and forest. Source ↗
    Four trails climb to lookouts for the fall colours: La Roche and La Corniche, L'Envol and Les Grandes-Vallées. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Laurentides peak: first week of October Source ↗
    Conseil
    La Roche, 5.4 km return, looks over the glacial valley of Lac Monroe. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ailleurs au Québec →Sépaq: Mont-Tremblant ↗
  7. Yellow, orange and rust forest on the slopes of Mont Orford under low cloud
    Photo : Jean-Pierre Guillet · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Quebec

    Mont-Orford and Sutton

    Pourquoi ici
    From the Pic de l'Ours on the Mont-Orford massif, the view runs 360 degrees. Source ↗
    Through September and October fall's colours are on show across the Eastern Townships; Sutton's nature park has four summits and two lakes. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Peak: third week of October Source ↗
    Conseil
    Check when trails close for hunting season before you set out. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ailleurs au Québec →Sépaq: Mont-Orford ↗
  8. The Malbaie River gorge from the Acropole des Draveurs, its slopes flecked with autumn yellow
    Photo : WalkingCube514 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Charlevoix, Quebec

    Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie

    Pourquoi ici
    Some of the highest cliffs east of the Rockies line the river. Source ↗
    L'Érablière trail passes the Cran des Érables, at its most colourful in the fall. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Charlevoix peak: second week of October Source ↗
    Conseil
    The Acropole-des-Draveurs trail is open only until Thanksgiving in mid-October, and the summit is generally 5 to 10°C colder. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ailleurs au Québec →Sépaq: Hautes-Gorges ↗
  9. Red, orange and gold hardwoods on a headland, the Cabot Trail winding round the cliffs beyond
    Photo : Eric Van Lochem · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Nova Scotia

    Cabot Trail

    Pourquoi ici
    Nova Scotia's classic fall drive: red maples, golden birches and evergreens above the coast at nearly every turn. Source ↗
    A third of the trail runs through Cape Breton Highlands National Park, past 350-year-old sugar maples at Lone Shieling. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Early to mid-October Source ↗
    Conseil
    Book a room early for peak colour or the Celtic Colours festival: rooms run short. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ailleurs en Nouvelle-Écosse →Parks Canada: Cape Breton Highlands ↗
  10. Red and orange maples among pines reflected in calm water, Kejimkujik
    Photo : Korona Lacasse · CC BY 2.0

    Nova Scotia

    Kejimkujik National Park

    Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site · Parc national

    Pourquoi ici
    Red maple floodplains near the visitor centre often turn first, then the colour spreads through the park. Source ↗
    Paddle up the quiet Mersey River under overhanging red maples. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Late September to mid-October Source ↗
    Conseil
    Cell service is patchy in much of the park: download maps before you go. Source ↗
    Ouvrir l'adresse →
  11. Fundy National Park
    Photo : Abolishedtemple · CC BY-SA 4.0

    New Brunswick

    Fundy National Park

    Parc national

    Pourquoi ici
    Its Acadian forest mixes red spruce and fir with yellow birch, white birch and maples. Source ↗
    The Bennett Brook Trail runs through hardwoods that turn every shade of yellow, red and orange. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Mid-September to mid-October, when the maples are brightest Source ↗
    Conseil
    Head down into Point Wolfe Gorge for red maples and yellow birches around Bennett Brook Falls. Source ↗
    Ouvrir l'adresse →

Les mélèzes dorés de l'Ouest

In the Rockies the gold comes from larches: conifers whose soft needles turn yellow in the autumn and drop before winter. Source ↗

Carte du Canada avec 3 repères numérotés : 1. Larch Valley, 2. Kananaskis Country, 3. Lake O'Hara
  1. A trail through golden larches with light snow, below glaciated peaks in Larch Valley
    Photo : Paul Anthony Stewart · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Banff National Park, Alberta

    Larch Valley

    Moraine Lake · Point de vue

    Pourquoi ici
    Travel Alberta calls it ground zero for larch viewing in the province. Source ↗
    Above Moraine Lake, a whole forest of larches fills the valley. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Mid-September to early October, depending on the weather Source ↗
    Conseil
    Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles; reserve a Parks Canada shuttle, which runs to mid-October, weather permitting. Source ↗
    Ouvrir l'adresse →
  2. Golden alpine larches at Ptarmigan Cirque, Kananaskis
    Photo : Qwexcxewq · CC BY 4.0

    Alberta

    Kananaskis Country

    Pourquoi ici
    Most of the popular larch hikes in Alberta Parks are here: Chester Lake, Centennial Ridge, Mt Lorette Ponds, Prairie View and Buller Pass. Source ↗
    Ptarmigan Cirque, a 3.5 km loop from Highwood Pass, climbs through swaths of larch. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Mid-September to early October, varying year to year Source ↗
    Conseil
    Vehicles parked at provincial park and public land sites in Kananaskis need a Conservation Pass. Source ↗
    Ouvrir Ailleurs en Alberta →Alberta Parks: Kananaskis ↗
  3. A rocky trail through golden larches toward a small lake below snow-dusted peaks at Lake O'Hara
    Photo : Zeljko Kozomara · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Yoho National Park, British Columbia

    Lake O'Hara

    Yoho National Park · Parc national

    Pourquoi ici
    The Lake McArthur circuit climbs through larch forest toward the Big Larch Trail. Source ↗
    Opabin Plateau is a hanging valley above the lake. Source ↗
    Meilleures semaines
    Prime hiking runs July to late September; the shuttle stops in early October Source ↗
    Conseil
    Day-use shuttle seats go by random draw; otherwise it is a 22 km return walk up the road, where cycling is not allowed. Source ↗
    Ouvrir l'adresse →

Conseils pour la saison des couleurs

  • Check the colour reportOntario Parks outlines in red the parks approaching or at peak on its fall colour map. Source ↗
  • Quebec's colour mapBonjour Québec's interactive fall colours map is updated weekly from September. Source ↗
  • Wind and rain end it earlyHow long the leaves last depends on the weather: heavy wind and rain bring them down faster. Source ↗
  • Book your park permitDaily vehicle permits for most Ontario parks can be bought up to five days ahead, which guarantees you a spot. Source ↗
  • Maples first, then goldIn Algonquin the maples go first; a mid to late October visit catches the tamaracks at their yellow peak. Source ↗
  • Go on a weekdayFall weekends are always busier, and late morning to mid-afternoon is the busiest time of day. Source ↗
  • Warm days, cool nightsThe brightest colours follow warm, sunny days and cool nights; long cloud or extreme temperatures dull them and bring leaves down early. Source ↗
  • Why maples go redAs the green chlorophyll breaks down, anthocyanins show red and carotenoids orange and yellow. Source ↗

Sources